A little over one year after our City Council and Mayor approved a resolution declaring Tulsa a Compassionate Community and authorizing the formation of a Compassionate Tulsa committee (under the auspices of the Tulsa Human Rights Commission), Compassionate Tulsa announced its first major city-wide event. At a city hall press conference on October 17, 2016, Jim Twombly (City Manager) introduced our co-chair, Andrea Walker, who announced the "Make Tulsa Golden" campaign. Our objective is to have individuals and families or groups sign the following pledge: I pledge to make Tulsa golden by treating others like I want to be treated. People are asked to visit our website and indicate they have taken the pledge. People are then able to print a certificate indicating they have signed the pledge, and are invited to submit photos of themselves and their pledge certificate on social media sites using #MakeTulsaGolden
Vision
A community and world becoming more and more compassionate.
Mission
To champion and nurture the growth of compassion in Tulsa and surrounding communities, to highlight the compassion of others, and to alleviate suffering and bring healing through the focus on compassion.
Values
Compassion. This is our shared purpose and principle. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures and to honor the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity, and respect. Compassion is the bridge between internal practice and external change.
Beauty. Compassion calls for a beautiful morality. It seeks to see the beauty in what is, and to incorporate the shadow. If a morality has beauty, it is compassionate.
Inclusion. We welcome anyone and everyone who commits to compassion.
Empowerment. This campaign is about empowering people to make a difference in their own life and the lives of others. Compassion is not pity.
Transparency. There is no political agenda. This effort exists to enable compassionate living to help the citizens of our community reap the benefits that come from living a compassionate life – which are many.
Universally Positive. This effort is solely designed to advance compassionate action and will have no opinion on outside issues.
Social Innovation. Individuals and groups are free to embody compassion in their own ways. Social innovation is encouraged.
Paying it forward. Anyone who participates “owes” no one anything other than to “pay it forward.” People are encouraged to participate simply to experience first-hand the thrill and joy associated with compassionate living.
Hospitality. We will welcome guests in the name of compassion. Local, national, and international guests will be encouraged to come to exchange ideas and practices.
Abundance. What we have is enough if we share and if we allow it to flow. We have the capacity to provide what we need in the face of the human condition.
Awareness/Understanding. We strive to keep compassion in our daily thoughts and practice and to understand the meaning of compassion and its relation to charity, justice, and good works. We become increasingly aware of how we and others practice compassion and of opportunities to grow our practice of compassion.
Intention. We make a conscious choice to continually grow both our commitment and capacity for compassion. Our commitment to compassion moves us to practice compassion where we are able.
Contacts
- Rev. Bob Lawrence, Co-Chair, Compassionate Tulsa
- Dr. Andrea Walker, Co-Chair, Compassionate Tulsa
Links
- Compassionate Tulsa
- Facebook page: Compassionate Tulsa
- Our Twitter Account: CompassionTulsa
Press
What Does it Mean to be a Compassionate Community?
Compassonate Tulsa News release: PDF
Tulsa to Be Recognized as a Compassionate Community
