Charter for Compassion Blog

Hello Charter Family!  For those who don't know much about me, my name is Felipe, I'm the marketing director at the Charter. I'm a Millennial, queer, and really happy to identify as one. During this pride month, I've been thinking about what to share with all of you, our readers, to bring more awareness of issues that pertain to the LGBTQ+ com...

No, you aren't opening the wrong mail. This is the Charter for Compassion's weekly newsletter. Let me expound some here: Hagamos un mundo más pacífico, un amigo a la vez. בואו להפוך את העולם יותר שלווה, חבר אחד בכל פעם Portiamo la pace nel mondo, un amico alla volta. Давайте сделаем мир более мирным, по одному другу за раз Spravme svet mierumilovne...

The Charter for Compassion (CfC) is expanding its approach to fundraising in a collaborative effort which supports and showcases artists' work globally. CfC is inviting artists to submit pieces to sell online at a 50/50 split, to help support our mission and it allows us to share their work with our audience around the world. We would, of course, b...

The best of life is conversation. –Ralph Waldo Emerson I agree with Mr. Emerson that some of the best moments in life happen while in conversation – with friends and family, neighbors and coworkers, strangers and new acquaintances. I also value the conversations I have with pets and wild animals, flowers, plants and trees, and the many birds who [i...

Gun Violence in the U.S. has become so prevalent that the FBI maintains an Active Shooter Resource website. The shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX on May 25th came just 10 days after a shooting at Tops supermarket in Buffalo, NY. There have been 27 shootings with injuries and deaths in schools alone in 2022. Newscasters have been hold...

Hello Charter Family! I'm excited to let you know of one of the Charter for Compassion's newest initiatives: The Map of Co-Creators. As you might already know, the Charter is an extended network of organizations, institutions, communities, people, and partners worldwide. Our purpose as an organization is to connect like-minded and like-hearted peop...

Hi Everyone! I'm Mérida McCarthy - you may pronounce it as resonates in your heart - and I'm honored and excited to join the Charter for Compassion Team as Program Coordinator! Let me you a bit more about myself and my background, this might help you understand more why I'm here: I was born to British parents in Leeds (UK) and we moved to Zaria (Ni...

One of my first meetings today involved hearing about the murder of Palestinian journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, in Jenin. Shireen was wearing a press vest, but that didn't matter; she was shot in the head by Israeli forces. The person telling us of this tragedy knew Shireen, and it is evident that she was an extraordinarily loving and caring pe...

I love the Golden Rule. "Treat Others as You want to be treated", or even more so, the Platinum Rule: Treat Others as They want to be treated. There is also the action-packed wording from GoldenRuleism: "Do for all others, both directly and indirectly, what you would want done for you. Don't do to any others, either directly or indirectly, what you...

There is plenty to do, for each one of us, working on our own hearts, changing our own attitudes, in our own neighborhoods. ~Dorothy Day Nelsonville, Ohio is a small town nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in southwestern Ohio, USA. There are less than 6,000 residents, which in some global cities might constitute a city block. Th...

Dear Charter Family, It's my pleasure to announce that we are ready to celebrate Golden Rule Day 2022 on April 5. We have a pre-recorded celebration to be showcased via Zoom at 12AM, 8AM, 12PM, and 4PM PDT, in between the broadcasts we offer live panels and conversations hosted on our social media channels with focuses on Youth, Environment, L...

Today we offer 2 messages from members of the Women and Girls Sub-Sector on this special day of the 22 days of Compassion Campaign: Women Can Change The World. Crowds of Sheroesand the songs that they sing One of Charter's 22 Days of Compassion is focused on the concept that "Women Can Change the World". In an earlier blog, I mention...

Last Week:"Mama! They don't have enough volunteers." Maha's daughter called her after finishing a shift at the train station in Berlin, helping the people responsible for receiving the daily arrival of thousands of refugees from Ukraine.Her desperate call reminded Maha of a conversation with a friend, Husham, who wanted Maha to join him at the trai...

Dear Charter family, I write with bittersweet news. After nearly seven years of serving (and more importantly, being served by) the Charter for Compassion's vast and visionary network, I am moving on from my role with the organization at the end of this month. The last seven years have held many seasons, and it has been my absolute honor to share t...

"Changing Our Story, Changing Our Lives" is an online course that Charter for Compassion Women and Girls is incorporating into their sector. In 2021, we focused on "PSSN: A Partnership for a Safe and Sacred Now" and dived into practical skills for cultivating and facilitating safety and sacredness in our bodies, minds, and communities. As we enter ...

Have ever gotten upset at a family member or a friend that knows you well for not doing something you expected? Had you previously communicated with that person about your feelings or thoughts, or even what you would expect out of your relationship? I think most of us have experienced sadness, disappointment, or feelings of loneliness when people h...

Mammals are viviparous animals, meaning they are capable of live births. Oviparous animals lay and hatch eggs to procreate and have their young. Scientists find that 99% of animals hatch out of eggs; that number includes insects. One percent of animals, then, are part of the viviparous family and humans are among these. Half of that one percent are...

The Charter for Compassion wants to recognize the innumerable contributions of women to our world. Please join us in celebrating International Women's Day on March 8, 2022: Break the Bias. We have created a short list of things we can all do to lift up women and break the bias that still impacts all of our lives. Start today by finding ways to brea...

There is no greater power than a community discovering what it cares about. Ask "What is possible not "What's wrong?" Keep asking. Notice what you care about. Assume that many others share your dreams. ~Meg Wheatley  I feel like I am locked in another stupor of history. My states of subconsciousness are becoming more frequent: Syria, Sudan, pe...

If everybody looks through broken glass, then together, we are looking at a world that looks broken. When I notice my crack…you notice yours, and we start healing our cracks, then we begin to look at the world through clear glass. And that's what trauma healing does. It starts unifying the world. ~Thomas Hübl How many cracks have appeared in our wi...

Susan Soleil, the Charter for Compassion's director of development is a champion of volunteering. You'll see what I mean when you read her message below. Interestingly, she coupled her own acts of volunteering with Martin Luther King's quote reminding us of our duty towards others. Duty points to a certain principle we hold toward ourselves and to ...

Isn't it wonderful when we are surprised in a good way. Our office manager, editor, translator, and jack-of-many trades, Lynn de Vree, shares with us the joys of two gifts, one of nature and one of kindness. A native of the Netherlands, Lynn is used to cold weather, snow, and ice, but not with the mountainous topography of the Pacific Northwest. Sh...

Julia Fehrenbacher is a poet, author, life coach, a teacher, and a sometimes-painter. She is most at home by the ocean and in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, with pen and paintbrush in hand. She is also a wife to a great guy, a mom to two beautiful, hard-to-figure-out teenage girls. Her family would not be complete without her very smart and ...

Today's featured article is by Nnaumrata Arora, who has been a part of our Charter for Compassion family for the last four years. Living in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, Nnaumrata is a Community Weaver, Founder and Lead Consultant at Enactive Systems. She has been an integral part of the work in the Charter's Women and Girls sector. With warm reagrd...

Kindness is a simple concept...too simple some might think to provide a solution to the complex challenges of today's world. But it is precisely this simplicity that gives Kindness such power to effect positive change. ~Olivia McIvor The Charter for Compassion is immensely grateful and proud that Olivia McIvor oversees the Charter Education Institu...

Every man lives in two realms, the internal and the external. The internal is that realm of spiritual ends expressed in art, literature, morals, and religion. The external is that complex of devices, techniques, mechanisms, and instrumentalities by means of which we live. Our problem today is that we have allowed the internal to become lost in the ...

Hello friends and future friends of the Charter! The Charter for Compassion works continually to increase compassion globally. To make that work more sustainable we are considering innovative ways to do just that. 2022 is starting with the Charter dipping its big toe into NFT waters. NFT (Non-Fungible-Tokens) are a unique digital ass...

This blog entry by Barbara Kaufmann, Lead of the Arts Sector at the Charter for Compassion, is a reply to Marilyn Turkovich's "Recalling History" post about Archbishop Desmond Tutu featured in our 01/09/22 (Last week's) newsletter. You can read it here.  Marilyn Turkovich, Executive Director for the Charter for Compassion tells the s...

All of the bishops of the Anglican Communion gather every ten years at the University of Canterbury, England. At the 1988 meeting, the officials of the event wanted to make sure that all bishops were accounted for. So in a large group, we were supposed to shout out our last name and the number of the place we were residing. When it came to Desmond,...

It was April 15, 2008, and there I sat, row three in the University of Washington field stadium surrounded by people wall-to-wall. On stage, the Seattle Symphony under the baton of conductor Gerard Schwarz. The Symphony was joined by youth artists who sat next to their mentors. The ensemble was immense and there to the side of the stage sat Archbis...

I see the Charter as the superhighway of compassion. We are a virtual infrastructure of sorts that builds bridges between communities working on compassionate initiatives. The Charter connects people to other people, programs, and partners around the globe. The Charter offers regular surges of power (programs) that transmit sparks of kindness, empa...

This year, in my annual catch-up-with-friends-letter, I'm sharing my excitement about working with the Charter for Compassion. No more Sunday Night Blues about the week about to begin. It was new to me--work with a purpose, and while for a few years now, the Charter has been my positive parallel reality when the news was too hard for me to watch, n...

We hope this short list of ideas inspires you to think of the many other ways you can "green" your holidays… No matter how or where you celebrate during this time, we can always make little changes to our behavior in order to become more compassionate to the Environment and our Earth, which translates to Compassion for all living beings, including ...

Great stories happen to those who can tell them. ~Ira Glass The world loves a good story. What could be better than the stories coming from children and youth from all parts of the world. Two members of Compassionate India, Anjali Sharma and Deepika Ahuja, sought to prove that stories can inspire and teach. Soon a new book, My Act of Heart, will pr...

I was reminded this morning of gratitude, while facilitating a webinar with Leila Alsheikh and Robi Damelin from the Parents Circle—Families Forum (PCFF); Leila, a Palestinian, who lost a young child, and Robi, an Israeli, who lost a son in the long-lasting conflict in their lands. PCFF was awarded one of the Charter's Humanitarian Awards during ou...

We are strongest when we see the most vulnerable in our society, bear witness to their struggles, and then work to create systems to make it better. ~Stacey Abrams Here we go—we need to change! You've heard it before and the news from COP26 is filled with ideas that could conceivably stop Greta Thunberg from telling us "blah, blah, blah" about...

As we are preparing for our Global Gala on November 20th, and enthusiastic responses arrive from everywhere, I am drawn to share this letter with you by this week's guest author Michael Lisagor. Our Charter family blankets the world and therefore includes a great variety of people. Some are religious and some are not, but we all share the Charter's...

Madre mía, en el sueñoando por paisajes cardenosos:un monte negro que se contorneasiempre, para alcanzar el otro monte;y en el que siempre estás tú vagamente,pero siempre hay otro monte redondoque circundar, para pagar el pasoal monte de tu gozo y de mi gozo Mother, in my dreamI walk purplish landscapes:a black mountain that swaystrying to reach th...

Early in my career in education, I happened upon Adlerian psychology. It offered pragmatic methods for understanding behavior and provided reasonable ways to work with children, families and colleagues. In graduate school I explored Alfred Adler's work more and his belief that, as we moved to embrace democratic principles in a world coming out of t...

Encuentro Mundial de Valores (Gathering of Human Values) Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny. ~Gandhi The Charter for Compassion's strategic partner, Encuentro Mundial de Valores in Mo...

YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN US AT THE PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS Journey with the Charter for Compassion at the virtual 8th Parliament of the World's Religions (PoWR) October 16 – 18. Beginning October 10, follow these simple virtual steps to join us for this exciting weekend: 1. Go to the Landing Page at https://parliamentofreligions.org/parl...

A global event occurred in September 1893 in Chicago. By the way, in that same year the World's Fair, called the Columbian Exposition, was held in Chicago to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's discovery of the New World. It took us another hundred years before we were to acknowledge that it was the Native Americans who discov...

Hello dear friends, Felipe here, bringing you the 🔥hottest🔥newest ways to support the Charter for Compassion. The Charter is a non-profit organization that is funded by grants and donations from people all around the world. We are very grateful to our sustaining donors and all those who have made one-time donations to the Charter for Compassion. If...

There is no path I'd rather roam,than these narrow lanes about my home,to leave my troubles far behind,as I follow its track to places kind. For along your path there is no wrongjust pretty flower, and bird of songNature's beauty all around,to fill my sight, to fill my sound. ~By Chris Plows A little over a year ago I moved. I live on a two-way roa...

Believe it or not, virtual events can be fun! During the last three years the Charter for Compassion has proven that when the right combination of people come together, the world rises to its feet, tears flow, hearts swell and smiles encircle the globe. On November 20th, be prepared to engage as the Charter for Compassion gathers worldwide to recog...

Yesterday, I lay awake in the palm of the night. A soft rain stole in, unhelped by any breeze, And when I saw the silver glaze on the windows, I started with A, with Ackerman, as it happened, Then Baxter and Calabro, Davis and Eberling, names falling into place As droplets fell through the dark. Names printed on the ceiling of the night. Names slip...

Words are but the vague shadows of the volumes we mean. Little audible links, they are, chaining together great inaudible feelings and purposes. ~Theodore DreiserToday's blog was written by Cheryl Rice, coach, and the author of Where Have I Been All My Life? Her company, Your Voice Your Vision partners with women striving to be leaders in thei...

Only in the darkness can you see the stars. ~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Whether you are up to date on global news, or just absorbing the energy of the people on this planet, you know that there is a lot of suffering happening right now. Don't we just wish that we could just stop the world and catch our breath? Too often we are prone to hearing abou...

You don't read Apeirogon so much as feel it—the particular tragedies are lived out in an ever-present moment of loss… Apeirogon is the kind of book that comes along only once in a generation. ~The Guardian When I read the opening chapters of Apeirogon, there are 1001 in the book, reminiscent of the "ruse for life in the face of death," I reali...

Let's talk about laughter. How does it fit with compassion? I consider that laughter relates to self-compassion. It can certainly relax the body, it triggers the release of endorphin chemicals that relieve stress, boasts the immune system, and while it may take a lot of active laughing, it could help us burn off a few calories. Norman Cousins, in h...

Today's guest author is Donna Mills, she co-coordinates, together with Sara Jamil, the Gender Partnerships sector of the Charter for Compassion. Donna has taken on a topic that is central to the wellbeing of each of us--personal safety, and security. I remember a study done decades ago asking individuals who were displaced by war what they wished f...

Our guest author today, Pattie Williams is co-coordinator of the Social Justice Sector for the Charter for Compassion. She is also one of the original members of Compassionate Fayetteville, AR, USA, and continues to be involved in racial and social justice issues and dialogues associated with the local compassionate initiative. Belay and Shinita Ki...

Today I'd like to share with you what can happen when one person zeroes in on a need. In this story, the person is Anjali Sharma, a member of our Compassionate India team. A year ago, Anjali contacted me about a project to help young girls continue their education during, and hopefully beyond, the pandemic. She thought we should join forces with Sa...

Whether we are in the company of other people or not makes a great difference to the quality of experience. We are biologically programmed to find other human beings the most important objects in the world. Because they can make life either very interesting and fulfilling or utterly miserable, how we manage relationships with them makes an enormous...

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." ~Harriet Tubman The Charter for Compassion has lost some incredible team members this year. Each one of them dreamers, committed to doing something to make this world a more welcomin...

The Charter for Compassion and Compassionate California lost a caring soul of compassion. Joan Marie passed June 22, 2021. She was beloved by countless groups, individuals, and organizations around the world. She leaves a legacy of peacebuilding, beloved community, and compassionate activism. Joan was dedicated to alleviating the suffering of other...

Today's message is written by Inez Aponte from Crazy Beautiful World (CBW), reminding us that intergenerational collaboration is crucial to our work. We believe CBW is the perfect companion to the Youth Compassion Collaborative (YCC), the Charter's newest youth and youth led initiative fomenting self-compassion and growth opport...

If you lived on planet Earth this past year, your life probably was affected by COVID-19. Am I right? We, at the Charter for Compassion were not exempt from this of course and thus, had to adapt. How could we share the Charter's mission and its many programs while not going to conferences, meetings with cities, governments and partners, as physical...

What you allow will continue.~Katherine Fugate Today, I appeared on a podcast sponsored by Voices for a Nuclear Free World, and was asked about the issue of nuclear weapons, their proliferation and what we--as global citizens, can do to end this madness and eliminate the 3720 deployed warheads, and 9680 stored and reserved warheads, housed by 9 cou...

What Changes My father's hopes travel with meyears after he died. Somedaywe will learn how to live. All of ussurviving without violencenever stop dreaming how to cure it.What changes? Crossing a small streetin Doha Souk, nut shops shuttered,a handkerchief lies crumpled in the street,maroon and white, like one my father had,from Jordan. Perfectly pl...

June is PRIDE month, and it is a reminder that it as a compassionate people we give our voices to stop the global violence and expressions of inequality, torture and even executions towards people because of who they love, how they look, or who they are. Today's message is written by Felipe Zurita reminding us that stories are the best lessons for ...

Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tantoMe dio dos luceros que cuando los abroPerfecto distingo, lo negro del blancoY en el alto cielo su fondo estrelladoY en las multitudes el hombre que yo amo Thanks to life, which has given me so much.It gave me two stars, which when I open them,Perfectly distinguish black from whiteAnd in the tall sky its starry...

We must not only control the weapons that can kill us, but we must also bridge the great disparities of wealth and opportunity among the peoples of the world, the vast majority of whom live in poverty without hope, opportunity, or choices in life. These conditions are a breeding ground for division that can cause a desperate people to resort to nuc...

I come from there and I have memories  Born as mortals are, I have a mother  And a house with many windows,  I have brothers, friends,  And a prison cell with a cold window.  Mine is the wave, snatched by seagulls,  I have my own view,  And an extra blade of grass.  Min...

Given the subject line of this newsletter, I could have easily put up a picture of what is happening in India with the exhausting figures of Covid deaths each day. I couldn't bear to do that. Instead, I selected this sublime picture by British artist, Phil Greenwood. It offers a sense of calmness, some relief, a hint of lightness, and through the a...

Why do some families have conversations with each other that really matter, while other families have trouble talking without fighting, arguing, or experiencing distance?  Why do some families meet together and feel close, supported, and accepted unconditionally, while other families struggle to find the time, or they feel like they have to fa...

The Director's Note is written today by Donna Mills, co-coordinator of the Charter for Compassion's Women and Girls Sector. She and her co-lead, Sara Jamil, have been involved in extensive conversations to expand their work to embrace Gender Partnerships. You'll be learning more about this newly titled sector soon. Below Donna addressed the origins...

No one has ever become poor by giving. ~Anne Frank Cristina Gonzalez, Chair of the Charter for Compassion's Board of Trustees, and I were on a webinar last week with one of our Charter partners, Peaceful Tomorrows. Some of you may recall this group as the September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows. It was formed when a small group of family mem...

It's official, Earth Day is April 22. Having one day to symbolize cleaning up the rubbish in our parks, roadways, and beaches, and planting trees and pulling out evasive plants to help native plants flourish is a bit silly. Don't get me wrong, it is wonderful to see all this concern and activity for one day, but isn't this something we should be do...

I think I'm going to do something crazy here. We've been working on a script that we will be using in a video about the Charter for Compassion. We've been tweeting words, removing sentences and even whole paragraphs. I think we've been to the "drawing table" four times and changed focus a few times. Below is our latest version. The video is to help...

Let your spiritual nature illuminate and brighten each day. Pay attention! Brushing over details can create gray and stagnant areas. This observation was listed as a monthly theme on the Findhorn website. Located in Scotland, Findhorn, an eco-village of liked minded people, has for a long time been a bucket list item for many folks around the ...