Karen Armstrong at the Dubai Literary Festival 2010

Karen Armstrong‘s Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life is about the Golden Rule.  She wrote,

“…compassion is aptly summed up in the Golden Rule, which asks us to look into our own hearts, discover what gives us pain, and then refuse, under any circumstances whatsoever, to inflict that pain on anybody else.”

In 2010, she came to the Dubai Literary Festival to discuss her book and her pet project – the Charter for Compassion.  Her passion for seeking compassion within the world is inspiring and creates hope.  One way to help her anchor the intention for compassion is to sign your name on the charter.

The Charter for Compassion was Armstrong’s One Wish to Change the World.  TED granted her wish in 2008, and awarded her their $100,000 annual prize.  Armstrong used the money to create a Council of Conscience made up of eighteen multi-national and multi-faith religious thinkers and leaders.  Together they wrote the charter and shared it with the world on November 12, 2009.

Can you imagine the powerful wave of change that would sweep the earth if, before acting or speaking, we each asked ourselves, “Would I want to be treated this way?”