Compassion is something that can be experienced nation-to-nation, country-to-country, and continent-to-continent - HH Dalai Lama
Over the past seven years, the Australian Compassion Council has sought to facilitate a nationally resourced movement to advance the vision of Australia becoming a Continent for Compassion, to walk in partnership with, and complement the work of the global Charter for Compassion.
Deep Dreaming Australia a Continent of Compassion acts as a conduit to both recognizing the good work already undertaken by a plethora of organisations across Australia, and growing the work of the Australian Compassion Council with its Compassionate Cities program, and in the Charter sectors which include health, education, peace, interfaith, environment, business, science and research, social justice, arts, etc.
The Australian Compassion Council oversees the creation of Australia as a continent for compassion in five main ways by:
1) Imagining and making of our own stories of compassion;
2) Identifying gaps, mapping, resourcing, developing projects;
3) Telling and sharing stories of compassion across Australia and globally;
4) Advocacy and marketing, social media; and
5) Connecting our partners on a national basis.
Each year we hold our Annual Day of Compassion to provide an intentional opportunity for all Australians to engage in expressing compassion. The National Day is always held on 21 September, which is also the International Day of Peace, and each National Day has a theme: last year’s theme was Compassion and Deep Wisdom, and in 2024 our theme is Compassion and Deep Connection.
In 2024 please join the Australian Compassion Council in celebrating the National Day, which this year falls on Saturday 21 September. This day will commence with an online launch at 8.00 am AEST (Friday, September 20, 3 pm PT / 6 pm ET / 11 pm BST) and then continue with our sessions throughout the day to explore various aspects of deep connection.
This year these sessions feature six facets of deep connection including:
Contested spaces
Indigenous Justice
Peace Culture
Repairing Relationships
Innate Connection with Our Environment
Dealing with our Distracted World.
Our National Day will start with a launch that includes presentations from the Executive Director of the global Charter for Compassion, Marilyn Turkovich on the Charter’s involvement in the 19th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates – with the Australian Charter Ambassador, Hugh Mackay, AO on Deep Connection in Community - and with the National Lead of the Australian Compassion Council, Dr Lynne Reeder on a Compassionate City project entitled Seeds of Compassion with some inspiring young students and their compassionate wishes for their city.
The launch will finish with members of the Australian Compassion Council providing an outline of the inspiring events occurring throughout the rest of the Day.
As a taster of what this day holds - excitingly, this year’s sessions include ATSIE Commissioner Katie Kiss who will integrate the topic of deep connection through steps towards justice, especially as it relates to our Indigenous people. She will reflect on responses to last year’s unsuccessful National ‘Voice to Parliament’ Referendum, including next steps in the process of truth-telling and treaty as well as progress (or not) in the ‘Closing the Gap’ agenda. Recently Katie attended the ‘Garma Festival of Traditional Cultures’ in the Northern Territory and, the 'Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples' Conference in Geneva, where she issued statements about the key issues facing our indigenous people and reflected more broadly on Australia’s human rights record in the light of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
These sessions also incorporate conversations on peace with Rivera Sun who will share how a good story can help children - and readers of all ages - become lifelong peace activists, on the basis that engaging, and compelling stories affirm the deep connection to, and love of, peace that exists in readers of all ages. And with executive coach Sabina Vitacca who will explore how mindfulness can be integrated into daily routines to strengthen genuine connections with others and the natural world, fostering a sense of belonging and interdependence, among many other nurturing conversations.
We invite you all to join the Australian Compassion Council in celebrating the 2024 National Day of Compassion – please set aside this day to be nurtured and inspired in Deep Dreaming Australia: A Continent for Compassion.
Learn more about and register for all the Australian National Day of Compassion event here
