Hope is the thing with feathers

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all.

~Emily Dickinson

When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too. ~Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart. ~Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.

~J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Why so many quotes? I've lost my words. They just aren't coming so easily. There seems to be but one certainty--the world is in turmoil--more so than many of us have seen. During trying times, I believe there is a comfort to turn to writings that bring forth hope, "in spite of everything," as Anne Frank wrote. Getting on track, taking care of ourselves and not feeling daunted by what surrounds us is important. It is worth referring you back to Fran Korten's (Yes magazine) advice we spoke of in a previous newsletter. Each of you are important and each of us together can make a difference.

This has been a challenging time for the Charter for Compassion because so many people have been turning to us for answers and we don't always have the answers but collectively we do have he tmoxie to confront the turmoil. Folks who are guiding local compassionate city initiatives are doing exceptional work to open communication avenues, hold teach-in sessions and gatherings to explore ways of confronting rising levels of hate and anger that seem to be escalting from many of our countries. As ugly rhetoric increases against immigrants, LGBTQ communities, minority groups and women we must consider taking a stand. While our actions need to be clear about how we react to uncivil and oppressive acts--history has taught us-- we need to listen to others as we condemn their hurtful actions but not their person. There is so much anger in our midst. Let's share our ideas about how we can deescalate hurt, join together to deal with issues of concern in our neighborhood, across our cities, and across the waters. Not choosing to act is in itself an action. Please share your stories with us. You are not not alone, but we are all in this together. Good things are happening around us. Let's celebrate them in order to give us strength and renew our belief in human goodness.

Marilyn

Marilyn Turkovich, Director

Charter for Compassion International

A Way to Help the Charter

Have you posted your pic to the #FacesOfCompassion photo-mosaic yet? Please upload your picture to Twitter, tag it with #FacesOfCompassion and @zumyn_mosaics – and help the Charter build a banner for display at events worldwide – a mural of a compassionate city, formed from all our faces.

Do it yourself, and then invite your friends! Zumyn is donating $1 for each post. We also have a generous donation from two of our supporters, Zan and Paul Merriman who are matching the Zumyn contribution. That means the Charter can make $10,000 with you clicking your pictures. So post, retweet and invite your friends and communities to participate!

Full details at http://facesofcompassion.zumyn.com

If you'd like to consider using zumyn yourself, the team there are offering a 15% discount to people who use the code CHARTER2016. Details here

Take Action

People of Faith: Call to Standing Rock

The Standing Rock Native American Reservation is a Native American reservation in North Dakota and South Dakota in the United States. On April 1, 2016, an elder member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and her grandchildren established the Sacred Stone Camp to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline, which threatens the only water supply for the Standing Rock Reservation. Founded by LaDonna Brave Bull Allard, the camp is on her private land, and is a center for cultural preservation and spiritual resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline.Protests at the pipeline site in North Dakota began in the spring of 2016 and drew indigenous people from throughout North America as well as many other supporters, creating the largest gathering of Native Tribes in the past 100 years.

Pray with the Charter for Compassion on Sunday, December 4, 2016 at Oceti Sakowin Camp

Our partner organization the United Religious Initiative (URI) has set up an electronic form in which all of us who can't be at the Oceti Sakowin Camp can send their thoughts and prayers. The Charter for Compassion is a Cooperative Circle of URI. Use this form to lend your support. Your piece will be delivered by the URI delegation to the Standing Rock Tribal Council.

Here is a message from Chief Arvol Looking Horse, 19th Generation Keeper of White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle

“The hearts of all people’s faiths must now unite in believing we can change the path we are now on. We, from heart of Turtle Island, have a great message for the world to unite for our children’s future. Already we have witnessed many nations of life are now dying because of contamination: those that swim, those that crawl, those that fly, the plant nation, the four legged, and now the two legged.

We are asking the religious people to come and support our youth, to stand side by side with them, because they are standing in prayer. If you can find it in your heart, pray with them and stand beside them. The police department and national guard would listen to each and every one of you.

This is a very serious time we are in. I know in my heart there are millions of people that feel this is long overdue. It is time that all of us become leaders to help protect the sacred upon Mother Earth. She is the source of life and not a resource.

In a Sacred Hoop of Life, where there is no ending and no beginning.”

New Cities and Partners

As we work our way to having 400 compassionate city initiatives in 50 countries of the world it seems appropriate to say that each of these initiatives are led by volunteer teams who work to create action plans in which they address issues of concern (i.e., homelessness, hunger, racial equality, immigrant and refugee settlement, etc.) in their communities. Visit the Communities pages on our website to learn more about "Steps to Take" if you are interested in making your community a compassionate city. Below you will find a listing of our newest initiatives. Sumedang, Indonesia, Brussels, Belgium and Troy, Michigan are pictured. Following the list of cities is a list of new partners who have joined our network. Learn more about partners and how they work to support the he work of Charter, city initiatives and one another.