On February 28, 2008 acclaimed scholar and bestselling author Karen Armstrong received the TED Prize and made a wish—to help create, launch, and propagate a Charter for Compassion. After much work and the contribution of thousands of people the Charter was unveiled to the world on November 12, 2009.
Our organization — Charter for Compassion — was inspired by the Charter for Compassion, created by Karen Armstrong and the Council of Conscience in 2009, and inherits a confluence of contributions made by TED.com, the Compassionate Action Network, the Fetzer Institute, and many others. Charter for Compassion International provides an umbrella for people to engage in collaborative partnerships worldwide. Our mission is to bring to life the principles articulated in the Charter for Compassion through concrete, practical action in a myriad of sectors.
Our advisory body for the Charter for Compassion is the Global Compassion Council, led by Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell, and our governing Board of Trustees is drawn from the members of the Council.
Aware that our world is deeply troubled and polarized and committed to make the world a better place, we work to establish and sustain cultures of compassion locally and globally through diverse initiatives—education, cities, business, religious and spiritual communities, and the arts. We supply resources, information and communication platforms to help create and support compassionate communities, institutions, and networks of all types that are dedicated to becoming compassionate presences in the world. Through a vibrant Charter for Compassion Partner Network we welcome and communicate the sharing of information, stories and experiences that touch the work of compassion.
Vision
A world where everyone is committed to living by the principle of compassion.
Mission
We support the emergence of a global movement that brings the Charter for Compassion to life. To do so, we are a network of networks, connecting organizers and leaders from around the world, providing educational resources, organizing tools, and avenues for communication; sharing lessons, stories, and inspiration; providing the umbrella of the Charter for Compassion for conferences, events, collaborations, conversations and initiatives to create compassionate communities and institutions.
History
In February 2008 the TED prize was awarded to Karen Armstrong for her wish to create, launch, and propagate a global compassion movement based on the Golden Rule. A meeting was convened in Geneva, Switzerland later that year, called by Ms. Armstrong and TED, and chaired by Joan Brown Campbell, to work with a group of significant global leaders to hone the language collected from thousands of contributors into what became the “Charter for Compassion,” launched on November 12, 2009.
