TED.com and Charter for Compassion release six videos
As we approach the unveiling of the Charter for Compassion on November 12th, TED.com and charterforcompassion.org have just released six short talks on compassion from six different perspectives–from a Rabbi, an Imam, a Reverend, a Tenzin, a Swami, and a secular/scientific perspective. According to the Charter, “together, these six speakers bear witness to the fact that compassion and the Golden Rule lie at the heart of all religion and all morality.”

Ready to Forgive: An African Story of Grace
Another story of forgiveness from Africa* is being told as a one-hour documentary. Ready to Forgive: An African Story of Grace, produced by the Lutheran Church America and hosted by Imaculée Ilibigaza, a Rwanda genocide survivor and the author of Left to Tell, tells the story of the Acholi people in Northern Uganda. Despite being brutalized during twenty years of war which left thousands dead, many displaced, and many–especially children who were abducted and forced to fight–suffering cripp

Small acts of love, compassion, forgiveness are big
When we talk of love, compassion, or forgiveness, it’s easy to think that practicing any of these requires something bigger, more perfect than we are capable of. It doesn’t. In fact, it’s the small acts of love, compassion, and forgiveness that can disarm us, brighten our day, or lift a crushed spirit. When I was in the midst of despair over the end of my marriage, the kindness of a barista who gave me a free latte for an unknown reason and the warm smile of a retail clerk were just two seemingly small gestures that made my day. In their own way, each of these people I encountered had provided a hand to grab onto from the emotional cliff I felt slipping from my g

Pablo Escobar’s son apologizes to children of Medellin cartel victims
The gesture had “symbolic importance. It’s a good sign for this deeply polarized country…” –Camilo Gonzalez of the Institute for Development and Peace (Indepaz), Colombia A recent BBC World (Latin America) article (

Teaching compassion–the importance of social emotional education
The goal of social emotional education is for children to be internally motivated to act compassionately; and to develop a system of ethical values. These values should guide their behaviour and stem from the concern for the welfare of others. — The Importance of Fostering Social & Emotional Development in the Early Years, Research Into Practice, The Institute for Early Childhood Education & Research, University of British Columbia My mother was a Head Start and elementary school teacher for many years. Her watchword was the Golden Rule and her love of he