Charter for Compassion

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Comment by Reverend Cheen on April 13, 2010 at 5:08pm

Charter for Compassion
part of global tolerance connect

Check out the blog post 'UAE TRIP'
Greetings from London where I’ve just returned from an incredible journey to the Middle East to introduce the Charter. I wanted to share with you my experience.

- Karen

Dear Council members and Charter partners – Greetings from London where I’ve just returned from an incredible journey to the Middle East t...

Blog post below:
UAE TRIP

About Charter for Compassion
The Charter for Compassion is a collaborative effort to build a peaceful and harmonious global community.
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Dear Council members and Charter partners –

Greetings from London where I’ve just returned from an incredible journey to the Middle East to introduce the Charter. I wanted to share with you my experience.

The Middle East is, of course, at the centre of many of our current political problems and it is obviously not easy for a region, wracked by conflict, to embrace the compassionate ideal. Yet Muslims have been especially active in the promotion of the Charter, none more so, perhaps, than TEDster Badr Jafar, Executive Director at the Crescent Petroleum group of companies, based in the United Arab Emirates. Badr was convinced that the best way of introducing the Charter into the Middle East was through the UAE, which was far enough from the tragic cycle of warfare to take a more positive and dispassionate view. For nearly a year now, despite his massive business commitments, Badr has spread the word about the Charter throughout the UAE and the Middle East. He is a heroic ambassador of compassion. In this part of the world, the support of a charismatic leader of known integrity can make all the difference ~ especially at a time when a project emanating from the West is likely to seem suspect ~ but as soon as Badr presented the Charter to H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohamed al-Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, he immediately appreciated its relevance, became the first Arab leader to affirm the Charter, and warmly invited me to visit the UAE.

Sharjah is often called the cultural capital of the Emirates and that is in no small part due to the Ruler, whose achievements in the cause of education are already legendary and who is deeply respected in the region. In 1997, in a single year, he built the vast complex known as University City, which has become a centre of excellence in the Middle East. It includes two major universities, a medical school, a teaching hospital, and an institute of higher technology. It is not often that I am lost for words, but when I arrived on the campus last week to give the first of two lectures and to meet with professors and staff, I was dumbfounded. Instead of the functional buildings I was expecting, I was looking at a vision of beauty. Set in landscaped grounds, almost as far as the eye could see, were white, perfectly proportioned domed buildings, marrying traditional Islamic architecture with state-of-the-art interiors.

The American University of Sharjah has recently been declared the best university in the Emirates ~ some would argue in the entire Middle East. Forty-four percent of the students, who come from some 45 countries (I met undergraduates from the United States, Canada, Britain and Australia) are women. At the University of Sharjah, next door, men and women from more conservative homes study and live separately but at my lecture they were sitting quite comfortably together. The Ruler has wisely allowed people to modernize at their own pace.

It was quite clear that I was talking to some of the future leaders of the Middle East; at both universities, the students were bright, articulate, confident, and asked some of the most intelligent and searching questions I have heard from students anywhere. They could understand the global vision of the Charter, not only because University City is an international community, but because many of the students also take part in a project called Global Vision, working practically in impoverished regions in East Asia, Africa, and the Middle East and returning with new insight about the problems and pain of the world. Both universities have undertaken to promote the Charter.

On the last day of my visit, I was privileged to meet H.E. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al-Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, at his weekly Majilis in Abu Dhabi. He too gave the Charter his wholehearted support, which will be absolutely invaluable, and discussed the Middle East and the role of religion with profound insight. Badr and I then left for Dubai, where I spoke to members of the Young Presidents’ Organization about the practical implications of the Charter. At the end of the evening one member told me that henceforth his business would be known as the Compassionate Company.

Highlights of my four day trip? One has to be the dinner graciously hosted by Badr’s father, Mr Hamid Jafar, Chairman of the Board of Crescent Petroleum and Executive Chairman of Dana Gas PJSC, at his beautiful home. It was a magical evening. Fifteen influential people from all over the region sat at a round table, eating the exquisite meal prepared by Mrs Jafar and debating the nature of compassion and the problems of the region and religion with a passion, courtesy, humour and affection that is not always found in a discussion of such subjects in the West. Second, I cannot forget how moved I was when a journalist who interviewed me at the American University told me that after my lecture she had come across a group of students ardently discussing how they could live more compassionate lives.

And finally I remember the wise words of Sheikh Nahyan. Speaking of the duty every single one of us had to make the world a better place, he told me a story he heard from an environmentalist. There was once a forest fire; all the animals in the forest gazed aghast, paralysed by the spectacle of the approaching inferno. But the elephant resolutely filled his trunk with water from a nearby stream and repeatedly, tirelessly attempted to douse the flames. When the other animals laughed at him, he simply replied “At least I am doing something to ward off the conflagration.”

Update: I just heard from Badr today that Sheikh Nahyan and the Ruler will be ensuring that the Charter is prominently displayed in all the official buildings they are in charge of.

Thank you for your tireless work!

Karen Armstrong

Comment by Erin Henry - Children's Charter on April 5, 2010 at 6:00am

Good morning!
Do you have any insight on whether it would be at all feasible to meet Karen on the 24th? I am trying to book flights for potentially the 24th otherwise a trip to Seattle in May. The day sounds amazing in any case! Perhaps an idea to come anyway? I welcome your thoughts. Thanks!

Comment by Reverend Cheen on April 4, 2010 at 8:16pm

Charter for Compassion
part of global tolerance connect
A message to all members of Charter for Compassion

Greetings to all!

While planning is underway for the next phase of work for the Charter for Compassion, we are thrilled to see so many exciting activities and events focused on compassion continue to take place. Here's a brief update of things to look for this month:

* Golden Rule Day - The world celebrates Golden Rule Day on Monday, April 5. The proclomation was established by the Interfaith Peace-building Initiative, a United Religions Initiative Cooperation Circle in Ethiopia. Mussie Hailu, Regional Coordinator of URI Africa, encourages the rest of the URI community and world to use these words to proclaim a Golden Rule Day in local communities, schools, and places of work. This year, URI asks their community to "Lift up the Golden Rule by affirming the Charter for Compassion."
* Karen Armstrong in Sharjah - Karen has received much support for the Charter for Compassion from officials within the United Arab Emerites. Among them, the Ruler of Sharjah whom Karen will spend time with on April 5th and 6th. Her tour will include a lecture at the American University of Sharjah.
* Compassionate Seattle - The City of Seattle successfully reached its milestone number of affirmers of the Charter for Compassion and is the first to officially declate itself a compassionate city! On April 24, a festival of compassion will take place offering a compassion-themed showcase, exchange, and celebration. Government officials will be on hand to announce the proclomation and Karen Armstrong will keynote.

In addition to these events, we continue to spread awareness of the Charter for Compassion online and at important gatherings. The Religion Communication Congress, a once-a-decade gathering for religious communicators and journalists will take place April 7 - 10 in Chicago, Illinois. Material about the Charter for Compassion will be in the welcome bag for every participant. Among the keynote speakers is Charter for Compassion Council of Conscience chair Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell.



You can continue to support the Charter by reminding your network to affirm the Charter, embedding the Charter widget in your blog or on your website, and using sign-up forms at your face-to-face events.



Finally, we wish to thank the many partners who completed a Charter partner survey a few months ago. The results were shared with a small planning team and are proving to be extremely useful as we look to what next steps we should take to best serve this wonderful and varied community hard at work changing our world through compassion. We look forward to updating you in the weeks ahead.

Thank you!

Comment by Erin Henry - Children's Charter on March 25, 2010 at 11:58pm

Do you think if I came I'd have an opportunity to meet her? Gillian ad I have been in touch - thank you!
Hope to see you soon.

Comment by Reverend Cheen on March 25, 2010 at 10:22pm

Erin, Karen will be in Seattle in person! Yea!
Gillian got your draft, though no further comments. You two are on your own now that you've been introduced.
Best to you!

Comment by Erin Henry - Children's Charter on March 24, 2010 at 9:58am

Is she actually going to be there?
Do you know if Gillian got my draft?
Thanks!
Erin

Comment by Reverend Cheen on March 24, 2010 at 9:37am

Mark the date, Karen Armstrong will be here with us in Seattle on April 24th for Compassionate Seattle!

Comment by Reverend Cheen on March 10, 2010 at 6:27pm

Seattle becomes the first Compassionate City that affirms the Charter! Congrats to CAN and the more than 1,000 who tipped the campaign! April 24th at the Center for Spiritual Living will be the official launch of the 10 Year compassionate action. Save the date!

On a smaller scale will be a series of Circles of Compassion at the East West Bookshop in Seattle. See SEEDS guidebook in the box above and flyer for download here:
Cheen 032310.pdf

Comment by Erin Henry - Children's Charter on February 23, 2010 at 12:39pm

Hi!
What time is the meeting tomorrow? Can I join in by web conference on my computer? I am almost done the language for the Children's Charter but would like to discuss my idea a little before sending it over as it is in the early stages. However I am very excited to get it going. It is great to see my words......ie what was posted by Karen. The problem I have is that the Charter link below keeps telling me I need an invitation to join?? What do I do? Insight? Thanks!

Comment by Reverend Cheen on February 16, 2010 at 11:21am

Thank you for your beautiful work, Jeff!

Will everyone also please share your stories of compassion on the Charter site and other insights and thoughts about compassion here!


Some latest info on the Charter:

On 24th February 2010, a small gathering including Karen Armstrong, Council of Conscience members, the Fetzer Institute, and others will meet to refine our goals and strategies around the work of the Charter for Compassion. Thanks to wonderful input from the partner community, we hope to surface answers to the following questions:

- What problems and opportunities are we addressing?
- What are our theories of change?
- What are our resources? Where are points of synergy?
- What are our parameters? (funding, timeline, scope, scale)

Many thanks to those of you who have filled in the Charter for Compassion survey, your feedback is invaluable for the meeting and will help shape the future direction of the Charter for Compassion.

An opportunity:

During this meeting next week, we will also be sharing your most powerful stories of compassion during or since the launch. These stories can be related to your organisation, can be personal or can be something that you witnessed or heard about. They can be about a complete range of subjects, from your organisation's activities or events, to personal impacts that you or a friend have made that make the world a little more compassionate.

These stories will be shared with members from the Council of Conscience and the Charter for Compassion partner organisations around the world, including the partner media organisations. The most compelling stories may be pushed to the wider media to further the awareness of the positive work of your organisation and compassion in society.

For more information and to quickly add your stories please visit the forum on www.CharterForCompassionConnect.com.


. . . on the site. There is also a space for you to share your compassion or Charter related events and any news you would like to share with the community, Karen Armstrong and the Council of Conscience.

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