The Charter for Compassion
In February of 2008, Karen Armstrong, a respected religious scholar, was awarded the TED prize for her groundbreaking work in identifying a common theme that ran through all religions. She asked TED to help her create, launch and propagate a Charter for Compassion, that is based on the fundamental principles of universal justice and respect that applies to all peoples. With contributions from more than 150,000 people from 180 countries the Charter for Compassion was completed in November of 2009.
Who has Endorsed the Charter?
As of March 2014, more than 110,000 people have signed the charter. Notable figures include: HH the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Deepak Chopra, H. M. Queen Rania of Jordan, Sir Ken Robinson, Adrian Grenier, Alain de Botton, Jody Williams, Goldie Hawn, Quincy Jones, Paul Simon, Forest Whitaker, Melissa Etheridge, Lauren Bush, Kenneth Cole, Meg Ryan, Mohammad Ali.
Cites of Compassion
Seattle was the first city to have signed the charter. Other U.S. cities include Cincinnati, Houston, Huntsville, Louisville, Danbury, and Winston-Salem. Worldwide 255 more cities are currently carrying out campaigns to be come cities of compassion. U.S. cities include: Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, St. Louis, and San Francisco. The “Campaign for Compassionate Cities was endorsed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors June 2013. See the full list of cities.
Universities of Compassion
Ninety-Seven schools and universities have become campuses of compassion. In the U.S. these include Spaulding University, Randolph College, and Western Connecticut State University. Fifteen more are involved in Charter of Compassion initiatives including: Antioch University (Seattle), Boston University, Stanford University, University of California Santa Cruz, and the University of Hartford See the full list of Universities.