Compassion in Politics is a global initiative dedicated to restoring human dignity, ethical responsibility, and compassion to public life. Its mission is to support citizens, elected officials, civil servants, and future leaders in cultivating the inner capacities and practical skills needed to engage politics with empathy, integrity, courage, and care for the common good.

Mission and Vision

The mission of Compassion in Politics is to re-humanize political culture by grounding civic engagement in compassion, deep listening, and respect for shared humanity. Its vision is a political landscape—local, national, and global—where disagreement does not devolve into dehumanization, where power is exercised with responsibility, and where policy decisions are shaped by concern for the most vulnerable as well as the long-term well-being of society and the planet.

Compassion in Politics recognizes that politics is not only about systems and structures, but about relationships, values, and moral imagination. By fostering reflective practice, dialogue across difference, and compassion-based leadership, the initiative helps individuals move beyond polarization toward constructive, principled action.

Core Focus Areas

Compassion in Politics works across multiple levels of civic life, including:

• Compassionate leadership and ethical governance
• Citizen engagement and democratic participation
• Dialogue across ideological, cultural, and religious differences
• Support for emerging leaders committed to integrity and service
• Reframing political narratives to emphasize shared humanity

Relationship to the Charter for Compassion and Charter 2.0

Compassion in Politics is closely aligned with the Charter for Compassion, particularly through the Charter’s Justice & Integrity and Civic Engagement priorities. Within the framework of Charter 2.0, this partnership reflects a shared commitment to moving compassion beyond rhetoric and into systems-level transformation.

Charter 2.0 emphasizes practical pathways for embedding compassion in institutions, policies, and public culture. Compassion in Politics contributes directly to this vision by:

• Offering applied frameworks for compassion in governance and public decision-making
• Supporting training, dialogue, and reflection for those engaged in political life
• Creating spaces where compassion becomes a practice, not a partisan position
• Helping communities and leaders translate compassionate values into ethical action and accountability

Within the Compassion Transformation Institute, Compassion in Politics plays a vital role in addressing one of the most urgent challenges of our time: rebuilding trust, responsibility, and moral clarity in democratic and civic systems. Together, the Charter for Compassion and Compassion in Politics affirm that compassion is not a weakness in public life—it is an essential strength, necessary for justice, peace, and the flourishing of diverse societies.