The Charter for Compassion

I just wanted to bring this to everyone’s attention, because it sure caught mine.

Back on February 28th, 2008, Karen Armstrong won the TED Prize, and her wish was to create a Charter for Compassion that could be honoured worldwide. Over 150,000 people from 180 countries, including 18 prominent religious leaders, contributed to the process, and today on November 12, 2009, the charter was unveiled.

The Charter for Compassion goes as follows:

The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.

We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensible to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.

As of right now 4384 people have afffirmed the Charter, including myself. Will you? All you have to do is go to http://charterforcompassion.org and add your name. Watch the video on YouTube too – the message will really hit home.

Today is World AIDS Day

I just wanted to bring to everyone’s awareness that December 1st every year is World AIDS Day. It is traditional on this day to wear something red, so that we might raise awareness without saying a word. Well, I arrived at work today and realized I had totally forgotten to wear red, so I am writing this post as a potentially even more effective way of raising awareness. Take some time to peruse some AIDS-related websites, specifically The Mountain Movement and the official World AIDS Day site, chat about the topic with your colleague and friends, and plan to wear red next year if you missed the boat this year.

World AIDS Day is December 1st

2010 Olympics: Hiding the Homeless

Considering my lack of time to write right now, I thought I’d post this and let you think about it for awhile! All I’ll say is this: Let’s keep our values straight when it comes to the 2010 Olympics. What are we really celebrating? If it’s equality, as the IOC promotes, than is this what we’re really going for? In the past, governments of the Olympic host countries have put up walls, literally, and relocated slumdwellers to build Olympic buildings (I heard that Beijing relocated 350,000 slumdwellers both to ‘clean-up’ and make space for contruction.) What will Canada do to reach out to those who have less, and suffer because of it?

B.C. homeless relocation questioned
Two days after B.C.’s Premier was grilled by Chinese media about the homeless problem in the province leading up to the 2010 Olympic Games – police have shut down a tent city in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

Homeless people living in Vancouver?s Oppenheimer Park are being relocated to area hotels.

 

Wednesday night police told the homeless to go to new homes arranged by the provincial government.

“It was very simple…we all got rooms” said Zippy, who has lived in a homeless camp in Oppenheimer Park for two months. “I (have) been living outside for 17 years so it’s going to be hard to live inside.”

Vancouver Police spokesperson Jana McGuinness says that all 40 people of the people they approached accepted the offer of new housing.

Some are suspicious of the timing of this goodwill gesture towards Vancouver’s homeless.

“I think Gordon Campbell got embarrassed in Beijing for the homeless situation here,” said Vancouver Park Board official Spencer Herbert.

“I’m hoping the suites aren’t full of bedbugs, as many of the suites currently are,” said Herbert.

During a news conference Tuesday in Beijing the B.C. premier faced tough questions about the province’s homeless problem.

Only two days later the order came down: open B.C. Housing and clear the park.

But not all tenters got the opportunity to get a fresh start.

“That’s bull. I’ve been on a waiting list for six months,” said Joseph Lalonde, who lives in the park.

“I don’t know where I’m going to sleep tonight. I’m going to walk around tonight until I find a place to go.”

Vancouver’s Oppenheimer Park has long been a point of contention for housing advocates and area residents alike.

In July, residents living around the park rallied to protect those who regularly sleep in the park out of concern homeless people were being ticketed and even threatened by police for using the park as a shelter.

Housing advocates say Thursday’s relocation is a step in the right direction, but there are still many questions unanswered as to how to put roofs over the heads of the city’s 1,200 homeless leading up to the 2010 games.

With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Jon Woodward.

Article originally from here.

Race for Dignity

I just wanted to bring to everyone’s attention the Race for Dignity going on July 5th, 2008!

The Race for Dignity Challenge is a spin-a-thon to raise funds for people affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. The proceeds go to Dignitas International, a medical humanitarian organization that each month in Malawi, Africa:

• Starts hundreds of people on life-saving ARV medications
• Tests thousands for HIV
• Reaches thousands with HIV prevention knowledge

My friend, Rachel Slater, is biking for the cause – if you know her or if you don’t, consider sponsoring her efforts! To do so, click here.

For more information, please go to the Dignitas International website.