Campaign for Compassion

Posted on by

candlesSiVIC and Compassionate Silicon Valley have embarked on a “Campaign for Compassion,” seeking to have Santa Clara County and all Cities in the County (Silicon Valley) affirm and sign the Charter For Compassion, joining many other cities and areas of the world who have affirmed the Charter and adopted compassionate policies in their government and administration.

On April 25, 2017, the Board of Supervisors of Santa Clara County voted unanimously to affirm the Charter for Compassion and join in the Compassionate Communities Campaign. A significant step in the process; good work!

SiVIC is continuing its campaign to have each City in the County to affirm and sign the Charter For Compassion making our entire area a Compassionate Community. Please join us to make this happen.

The Charter reads:

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 indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.

How can you join the Campaign?

  1. Personally affirm the Charter for Compassion here.
  2. Encourage your friends, neighbors and congregation to affirm the charter.
  3. Sign the online petition to your city/county officials, urging them to affirm and sign the Charter. The Petition form can be found this here.
  4. Let us know what action you have taken.

Together, we can work to build a more just and compassionate society in Silicon Valley!

For more on the Charter, see: www.charterforcompassion.org.