Debbie Ling BA, BSW, PhD, Lead for Healthcare Sector, is a compassion researcher and educator, Lecturer in the Social Work Department at Monash University and key contributor to the Monash Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies. Debbie is also an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow in the Epworth Monash Rehabilitation Medicine Unit and sits on the Australian Compassion Council, Charter for Compassion Australia. 

Debbie’s PhD (awarded 2019) investigated the relationship between the perception of common humanity and compassion in healthcare workers. Debbie has led the development of the award-winning Monash Compassion Training for Healthcare Workers online course. Debbie also works as an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker in private practice and a social worker at Epworth Healthcare. 

From 2023, Debbie is leading the Charter for Compassion Healthcare Sector. 

Charles Barker MD, MPH, Th.M., is founder of Compassionate Dallas/Fort Worth, a non-profit organization that promotes the Charter for Compassion, the value of compassion and compassionate action in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex with the Golden Rule as its core operating principle.

He is currently chair of Compassionate DFW Board of Trustees, a board that reflects all twelve sectors of the international Charter and encourages and coordinates the compassionate cities campaign as well as partnerships in the DFW area. He is also the current Chair, Governance Committee, Board of Trustees, of the international Charter for Compassion. Locally, he sits on the leadership steering committee of the Richardson Interfaith Alliance with membership over 130. His background and experiences are in the field of medicine, with emphasis in preventive medicine and biomedical ethics. He facilitates medical school ethics sessions at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, emphasizing the importance of compassion education and training of all healthcare providers. Dr. Barker is currently authoring a book centered on being and becoming excellent, a series of reflections.

He was in private medical practice for fifteen years in southern Georgia, USA from 1975 to 1990. He served twenty years in Navy Medicine, served as Executive Officer of Naval Hospital Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, and Commanding Officer of Naval Health facilities in Hawaii. He retired to the Dallas/Ft Worth area in 2007. He completed at Master of Theological Studies in 2014 at Southern Methodist University Perkins School of Theology. His final master's summative project centered on the Charter for Compassion with focus on compassionate cities. The project led to Fort Worth, Richardson, and Dallas affirming the Charter. He lives with his wife Conoly in north Dallas and cherishes his three children and five grandchildren