• Charter for Compassion International Resources

    We are developing some great compassion-building resources for local and global communities.  Along with the Charter for Compassion, we will be featuring Annotated Bibliographies, Books, Programs and Projects, Compassion Short Stories, Articles and Readings, and the Compassion Book Club.
    The Charter for Compassion has developed the Community Tool Box, which is a four-part model or framework for building a Compassionate Community.

    In many ways, the model is similar to other models for organizing a community-building effort. The objectives of various efforts are usually related to the well-being of the community, e.g., improved healthcare, decreased crime, increased assets for youth, economic improvement, and increased resilience. The Charter, too, is interested in the well-being of communities and applauds all of these efforts since many of them do indeed address pain and suffering within the community.

    The difference in the Charter’s model may be understood as a difference in perspective and intention. Those working to create Compassionate Communities are moved through empathy to compassionate action - a desire to address pain and suffering wherever it occurs - not only in their own communities but in all communities and for all living beings everywhere.

    Grounded in the concepts of the Charter for Compassion this model is intended to guide your process, and to provide a place to begin. It can and should be adapted to the unique circumstances of any community that seeks to become a Compassionate Community.

    Each of the four broad phases includes more specific steps along with stories and examples that you may find helpful and even inspiring.

  • Steps to Take

    Any individual, group, or organization that recognizes the need for greater compassion in a community is encouraged to begin the process for creating a Compassionate Community.  While the Charter does not prescribe any one path, it does recommend that the process be designed and carried out by a diverse and inclusive coalition of people so that all voices within the community are heard, and the significant issues are addressed.

    The cities and communities that sign on to become Compassionate Cities and Communities have often begun their work by identifying the issues that are troubling the community and need to be addressed through compassionate action. For example, a community may discover a significant issue related to social justice-- for women, for immigrants, or for some other marginalized group. Other communities may want to address issues of drug use, gang violence, the lack of equitable healthcare, or the effects of environmental racism. Others may decide to work to provide empowerment to youth or to educate their communities about the need for compassion in addressing environmental issues.
  • The Charter for Compassion has gratefully collaborated with the Community Tool Box, which is a public service of the University of Kansas. It is developed and managed by the KU Work Group for Community Health and Development and partners nationally and internationally. The Community Tool Box is a part of the KU Work Group’s role as a designated World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Community Health and Development.
    ​
    Within the Charter Tool Box, you will find relevant references to the University of Kansas’ Community Tool Box, a rich and valuable resource for those who are building Compassionate Communities. We encourage you to make use of these useful tools as you build your own Compassionate Community.
    The difference in the Charter’s model may be understood as a difference in perspective and intention. Those working to create Compassionate Communities are moved through empathy to compassionate action—a desire to address pain and suffering wherever it occurs--not only in their own communities but in all communities and for all living beings everywhere.
    Grounded in the concepts of the Charter for Compassion this model is intended to guide your process, and to provide a place to begin. It can and should be adapted to the unique circumstances of any community that seeks to become a Compassionate Community. Each of the four broad phases (noted below) includes more specific steps along with stories and examples that you may find helpful and even inspiring. 

    Depending on the community, its particular issues, and available resources, this process may take from one or more years from “discover” to “launch.”

    Explore the four phases:
    Phase 1: Discover & Assess
    Phase 2: Focus & Commit
    Phase 3: Build & Launch
    Phase 4: Evaluate & Sustain

    START HERE: Framework for Getting Started

  • Check List

    This checklist of 15 suggested steps was developed for those who want to organize a Compassionate City or Community, but it may also be useful to any group organizing for social change and development.

    Discover & Assess

    Identify “discomforts” in your community—those issues that are causing pain and suffering to individuals or groups or the entire community—which can be addressed and relieved through compassionate action. 
    ​Find out what is already being done, or has been done, to address issues in your community, learn what has worked and not worked, and, recognize and acknowledge those successes. 
    Invite people to join you in assessing your community. Include community leaders as well as those informal leaders of other community constituencies that can give voice to the needs of the community. ​

    Focus & Commit

    Analyze challenges and opportunities from information gathered during “Discover and Assess” phase. Then choose an initial focus, perhaps one to four of the most significant areas that are of importance to the community and that could benefit by being addressed through compassionate action.
    Based upon prioritized choices, create a plan to move forward including specific short-term and long-term objectives, action plans, and anticipated outcomes. Plan purposeful, measurable actions toward fulfilling your objectives with designated responsibilities and appropriate time frames.
    Register your campaign with the Charter for Compassion.  Participate in the global movement by making use of the Charter’s resources:  conference calls, newsletters, other website resources such as toolboxes, stories, readings, and bibliographies.
    Encourage Partners in your community to sign on to the Charter and to join in the community efforts by sharing information resources, funding support, and in-kind services.
    Make a formal and public commitment to the concepts contained in the Charter for Compassion -- by proclamation, resolution, or a completed action plan. 

    Build & Launch

    Build momentum by involving other community members, linking to community events, and inviting nearby communities to participate. Educate the broader community about what it means to become a Compassionate Community, and acknowledge the acts of compassion that are already working within your community.
    Build momentum by involving other community members, linking to community events, and inviting nearby communities to participate. Educate the broader community about what it means to become a Compassionate Community, and acknowledge the acts of compassion that are already working within your community.
    Plan and launch a kickoff event to widely publicize your plans.
    Begin implementation of action plans around focus area.

    Evaluate & Sustain

    Monitor and measure your progress, and continue planning. Celebrate successes; learn from unsuccessful efforts and adjust subsequent actions accordingly.  Then share your experiences and your stories with the Charter community –for example, by posting on the Charter’s website.
    Communicate within the community on a regular basis—meetings, emails, articles, social media, and whatever other means—to keep people informed and energized. 
    Reach out to share globally—for example, by partnering with a community in another country.
    Sustain efforts to build a Compassionate Community.

  • Islamophobia
    Help Guide

    The Charter for Compassion, along with help from  Charter Partners SARAH, The Parliament of the World's Religions and a number of international Muslim organizations world wide have created this guide to help understand, address and prepare you when faced with Islamophobia.

    Share it far and wide, take it to your police departments, hand it to your Mayor and City Council members, teach it to your friends, family and children.

    View & Download the Islamophobia Guide
About the Charter for Compassion