Charter for Compassion began when scholar and author Karen Armstrong received the TED Prize in 2008 and made a wish to create, launch, and propagate a Charter for Compassion. After contributions from thousands of people, the Charter was unveiled on November 12, 2009. Inheriting contributions from TED.com, the Compassionate Action Network, the Fetzer Institute, and others, Charter for Compassion provides an umbrella for people to engage in collaborative partnerships worldwide, bringing to life the Charter’s principles through concrete, practical action across sectors. The vision is a transformed world where all life flourishes with compassion. The mission is to support the emerging global movement of compassion to co-create transformation at all levels by connecting, cultivating, and encouraging networks of compassionate action.
Why it matters: Charter for Compassion demonstrates that transforming the world to flourish with compassion requires concrete infrastructure connecting and encouraging networks of compassionate action across sectors, created through collaborative contributions of thousands rather than imposed from above. By bringing together diverse contributors including TED.com, the Compassionate Action Network, and the Fetzer Institute, the Charter shows that building a global compassion movement demands shared partnerships under a common umbrella. The focus on supporting transformation at all levels through practical action proves that making compassion principles real requires networks co-creating change together rather than individuals acting in isolation.
