It's Time for Good News
When all your desires are distilled; You will cast just two votes: To love more, And be happy. ~Hafiz
When all around us seems to be going astray there is a need to be hopeful, to love more, and stride for happiness. This is a "good news" newsletter, because much is happening in Charter for Compassionate initiatives and with our Charter partners and we want to share these stories. We want to share this news because each story contains an accomplishment which represents hope for a new vision—a different future.
Send us your stories so we can share what is happening in your community and with your organization.
Here is an update on the $5000 matching challenge for March we received from one of our members. So far, thirty-four people have responded to the challenge and we have received $1810. We are on our way, and I hope that others in our community can help us reach the match. Donate here.
Pakistan
Charter for Compassion Pakistan and the Sindh Basic Education Program have signed an agreement with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and agreement to manage the first group constructed in Sindh. Under the programme, USAID is constructing 106 schools in Khairpur, Sukkur, Dadu, Kamber-Shahdadkot, Kashmore-Kandhkot, Jacobabad and Larkana as well as in five towns of Karachi. One of the primary issues that Charter for Compassion in Pakistan has been working on has been on education, training of teachers and development of a compassionate curriculum. Learn more about this latest agreement.
Botswana
Hundreds of babies died in Botswana last year because of children being given ill-prepared infant formula instead of their mother's own milk. The Botho Movement (Compassionate Botswana) is collaborating with the La Leche League to develop support systems, within communities that have little to no breastfeeding support, that will provide ongoing access to breastfeeding information and support by training those interested in learning more about breastfeeding promotion, management, support and techniques to help mothers breastfeed. In addition the Botho movement is working on registering indigeneous people to insure their rights, working with the local goverment to secure housing for street children and to provide basis training to end corporal punishment of children. Vist the Botho website to find out more about this movement.
Tucson, Arizona and Monterrey, Mexico
Mayor Rothschild from Tucson, Arizona will be traveling to Monterrey Mexico next month to talk with local mayors in the state of Nuevo Leon about compassionate city initiatives. Currently there are four commpassionate cities in Nuevo Leon and Compassionate Monterrey is determined to bring the message of compassion to many more local cities, towns and villages throughout the state. Learn more about Tucson's initiative. View the new Charter for Compassion video produced by Monterrey and another video about the Charter featuring the Tigres Futobol Team. You don't have to speak Spanish to get the message.
St. Augustine, Florida, USA
St. Augustine has been studying The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander. After reading the book participants were “stunned” and forced to ask themselves, “What do we do here?” As a result, they decided to begin hosting public education events and provide those who attend with suggested follow-up actions like letter-writing campaigns or petition drives. Read more about the St. Augustine initiative's work.
Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas, USA
The DFW campaign has entered into a dynamic partnership with Feeding Children Everywhere. The DFW team is committed to providing healthy meals to hungry children and families around the world as well as locally. DFW is pledging to providing hundreds of thousands of meals. Perhaps Feeding Children Everywhere is a project our members might want to join no matter if you have a compassionate initiative or not. Lean more about the Dallas-Ft. Worth initiative.
Other City Initiatives
The Charter for Compassion welcomes Spokane, WA as a city initiative. Sioux Falls, SD begins its work to become a compassionate city.
Partner News
Louisville Water Foundation
The Louisville Water Foundation announced a $31,000 donation to the Community Foundation of Greater Flint's Child Health and Development Fund, created in January to assist children and families impacted by the water crisis. The Louisville Water Foundation along with WaterStep and the city of Louisville spearheaded the fundraising effort called "Show some love for the children of Flint with no strings attached." The effort centered on shoes and dollars.
In February, WaterStep collected thousands of pairs of shoes to raise money for the Flint Love campaign. Typically, WaterStep sells the shoes to an exporter, and uses the proceeds to bring safe drinking water systems around the world. But in February, WaterStep dedicated proceeds for the Flint Love campaign. Throughout the month, students hosted shoe drives at schools and churches and businesses were collection points. The effort produced thousands of shoes pouring into WaterStep's office. The local partners in this campaign appreciate the community's support in providing assistance to this public health crisis. Partners in the effort are highlighted on the Louisville Water Foundation's website.
Compassion Anthology
The winter edition of The Compassion Anthology is now online, featuring the work of Sandra Winter, Lily Prince, Laura Wilson, Carla Goldberg, Wendy Brown-Baez, Vince Barrett, Jennifer Fliss, and the late Bosnian poet and literary activist Admiral Mahic. Visit the website.
Master Peace
I believe in MasterPeace. World leaders cannot push back armed conflict alone. We need the whole world to make this happen. Desmond Tutu
MasterPeace is an UN award-winning grassroots peace movement currently in 40+ countries around the world. MasterPeace works on mobilizing 200,000 active peace-builders (Nelsons) through the power of music, art, media, sport and dialogue to prevent new armed conflicts and help the world achieve the Social Development Goals (SDG's) Music above fighting, Dialogue above judgment, Bread above bombs, Creation above destruction. That’s MasterPeace. View Master Peace's former effort.
If you want to submit a song for this year's MasterPeace go to this link: http://www.masterpeace.org/mymusic/.
