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The
Bellingham Compassion Movement intends to embody compassion in service
to Bellingham and the extended Community through mindful celebration. |
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Welcome
to the Bellingham Compassion Movement
We
are glad you have chosen to visit. As you tour this site, you will
learn about a group of
people
who are passionate about creating a world in which the spirit of
compassion is the
primary
moving force.
The
Bellingham Compassion Movement grew out of the Seeds of Compassion
event in
Seattle,
in April 2008, which drew over 150,000 people to hear His Holiness the
Dalai Lama
and
other spiritual leaders talk about compassion. Seeds planted in April
2008 took
root
and have grown into a bounteous harvest of programs and offerings for
the
Bellingham
community and beyond.
We
invite you to join The Bellingham Compassion Move
ment in the following ways:
*
Attend monthly meetings - see the BCM Calendar
for dates, time and place
*
Join one of the focus Groups: Dream of Schools, Young Global Leaders,
Public Events
*
Create new groups
*
Provide input to the Visionholder's Group - discussions about the
direction of the BCMovement
We
invite you to be a part of the Bellingham Compassion Movement. If you
simply want
more
information, please contact us at info@bellinghamcompassion.org
Policies for Projects
1) Become an active member of the Bellingham Compassion Movement by
attending monthly meetings.
2)
Present Project Reports at the monthly BCM Council meetings, including
the preliminary proposal, on-going progress reports, budget, and the
final report as per the project guidelines. (The budget should include
expenses, income, number of attendees, and in-kind donations.)
3) Be open to feedback from the BCM Visionholders and Council.
4) When we partner with another oganization, we share the expenses and
split the profits equally.
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Karen Armstrong unveils Charter for Compassion
Armstrong
calls for a return to the golden rule
 NOVEMBER
12, 2009 - The Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education is pleased to
share Karen Armstrong's Charter for Compassion which was unveiled
globally today.
The Charter brings together the voices from
all cultures and spiritual/faith communities to remind the world that
we all share the core principle of compassion. The Charter
proclaims
a principle embraced by every faith and by every moral code, religious
or otherwise. It is often referred to as the golden rule, which
requires that we use empathy -- moral imagination -- to put ourselves
in others' shoes. We should act toward them as we would want them to
act toward us. We should refuse, under any circumstance, to carry out
actions which would cause them harm.
People from all over the
world have contributed to the Charter; it transcends religious,
ideological and national differences; it has been composed by
leading
thinkers from many traditions with passion, insight, intellectual
conviction and hope. It was officially unveiled this morning in
Washington DC and you can read the Charter in its entirety below.
The DLC invites you to:
Charter
for Compassion
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
indispensible to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global
community.
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New Pictures from the Garden
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Young
Global Leaders Spiral Garden at Community Garden on 32nd St. |
Our first
Sunflower from Michael's starts |
Marie,
our homeless woman's squash growing |
Photos from the
Perennial Project |
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David Ryan planting
blueberries
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Tristan Bach
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Susan Bradbury
"It was a
very sucessful
and beautiful day!" - Susan B. |
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Copywright
© 2009 Bellingham Compassion Movement
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