From one of our most recent city initiatives, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, to small villages in the United Kingdom, India and Pakistan to mega-cities like Karachi, the Charter for Compassion has communities in more than 50 designated countries in the world. We call these communities initiatives and they are all at various stages of development. More than 121 initiatives have signed the Charter for Compassion, meaning that the local government has affirmed the Charter for Compassion. In some cases, these cities have adopted the Charter for Compassion as it is written, in other cities, the Charter has been changed to include working relationships of citizens with the governing entity.

There is another category of cities in this section titled: Charter Initiatives. These communities are at work laying the groundwork to identify issues on which they wish to work and are in dialogue with their local government representatives.

Becoming a compassionate initiative (community, hamlet, neighborhood, village) takes time and effort. Issues change and priorities change, committees lose and gain members, elected officials are voted in and out. The mainstay of a compassionate initiative is a core team of grass roots organizers working hand-in-hand with local partners and government.

Signing of the Charter for Compassion in Banyuwangi, Indonesia

In addition, over 120 cities globally have affirmed the Charter for Compassion through city, community councils or other government entities. Affirming the Charter means that a community has identified issues on which they are working, and committed to a multi-year action plan