“As technology brings us closer to one another it becomes more obvious that compassion as a catalyst for exercising love is the single most important characteristic to be nurtured by any society. It is the trait of harmonious coexistence, preventing and stopping war and bloodshed, helping the poor and broken, mending dispute and also spiritual insight. It is the responsibility of all in society who work with shaping people to promote and strengthen compassion and love in one another, to encourage greater understanding and tolerance and to praise helpful and unselfish acts of love. This is of utmost importance in any society otherwise bloated with heated critique, self-importance and ignorance of one another, elements that breed disruptive, harmful and hurting experiences not only on an individual plane, but also on the societal.”
The Charter for Compassion is an open and collaborative effort. In Fall 2008, people of all nations, all faiths, all backgrounds, submitted their own words for inclusion in the Charter.
The Charter for Compassion is a product of its time, for its time. Using a unique web-based decision making platform, thousands of people from over 100 countries added their voice to the writing of the Charter. In a six week period, thousands of submissions were entered which were then read and commented upon by the sites over 150,000 visitors. These contributions were then sorted through by the Council of Conscience in crafting the final document.
The following are a sampling the insightful and compelling contributions.
Original Contributions
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Abrahamic Faiths
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Other Faiths
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“If we do believe in God then we also must believe in the brotherhood of mankind. How then can we not feel it when some of our bothers of sisters are in pain? This compassionate feeling is what drives us to act and it is in acting that we are free. We may not be able to measure the results of our individual action but as a group we shall surely be able to help humanity and in helping humanity we are also helping ourselves and providing for a sustainable future.”
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Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist
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“No matter how intelligent you are, you shouldn’t look down on people. No matter how rich you are, you shouldn’t treat others differently. No matter how powerful you are, you shouldn’t misuse them. Each individual, as members of a community, we must cooperate and try to solve the conflict. Compassion, this is the word of which everyone has to remind themselves. Throughout the centuries, humans were one of the most cruel, harsh animals on the Earth. There was time when they spilled blood without a reason. There was a time when a small gunfire drove many countries to the war. There was time when millions of innocent souls died by a single press of button. We overcame every single problems that we faced. But we are having greater conflict ahead. Now, it is time to make some changes with care, kindness and motivation. Compassion, this is what we need.”