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A TED Prize wish is about to be granted. We’d love you to participate.

Today, Sunday, September 27, 1pm PDT, TED Prize winner Karen Armstrong, joined by 4 Nobel laureates — the Dalai Lama, Jody Williams, Mairead Corrigan Maguire and Betty Williams — will unveil plans for the launch of the Charter for Compassion. The event will include short TEDTalks on the true meaning and significance of compassion by some of the world’s most inspirational figures. The event begins with a musical interlude.

We invite you to watch the event, live-streamed over the web … and to consider joining thousands of people around the world for the celebration of a truly giant idea, perhaps the biggest idea humanity has ever had.

Please be part of this. Details here >>

Share the news on Twitter with this short URL: http://on.ted.com/3M

The farther along we get with the Charter for Compassion, the more exposure we have to the amazing interfaith, humanitarian, business and other organizations doing compassionate work globally.  Global Tolerance has been working with TED to develop a robust partner network of these groups who are committed to the Charter.  We want to lift the voices of these organizations and share their work.

This article from Eureka Street reminds me of the inspiring stories I hear from our partners and why they are so dedicated to spreading compassion.  Peter Kirkwood, like many of us, is supportive of interfaith initiatives, but often skeptical about how it can make a significant difference: “Though I am also an advocate of interreligious dialogue, in the face of conflict around the globe generated or inflamed by religion, I must admit to often feeling pessimistic about dialogue helping to change things for the better. But thankfully people or events occasionally come along that challenge this pessimism…”  His interaction with the three leaders of the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel (ICCI) reminded him that there are many tools which will help improve world affairs, including dialogue and broader initiatives like the Charter for Compassion.

I hope you will follow the Charter as it is unveiled on November 12 and that you too will be inspired to elevate the voice of compassion and change the conversation.

From Mischa at the TED Blog:

Minutes ago, religious scholar Karen Armstrong, winner of a 2008 TED Prize, spoke about her wish, The Charter for Compassion, to the audience at TEDGlobal 2009. The Charter aims to bring the golden rule back into a global focus. Currently, religious leaders of many faiths are working together in crafting this document for peace, which launches in November. The crowd documenting the conference over on Twitter appeared very supportive of Armstrong and her wish.

About to hear Karen Armstrong’s talk. She is why I came today. Love her work. – Olasofia

Armstrong is great – she’s speaking about how the media affect peoples perceptions of others, especially the youth. Too darn right! – v_voicebox

Armstrong wants to do 2 things: Educate and stimulate compassionate thinking. An idea worth spreading! – brainpicker

Karen Armstrong is my hero, a model of truth and love. Can you help her TED Prize wish come true? armstrong@ted.com – ruthannharnisch

Karen Armstrong: People want to be “right” rather than “compassionate”. Sadly I couldn’t agree more… – pragzter

Karen Armstrong’s Charter of Compassion – I’m thinking that I might prefer it to a Pledge of Allegiance. – ruthannharnisch

For more on Karen Armstrong, here’s her previous TEDTalk. Also, remember to keep sending your responses to @TEDGlobal.

Global Spirit, a new series from Link TV, recently launched with an episode entitled The Spiritual Quest. Featuring Karen Armstrong and Professor of Buddhist studies Dr. Robert Thurman, the episode “illuminates the individual and universal dimensions of the Spiritual Quest.”

You can watch this episode on DIRECTV Channel 375/DISH Network Channel 9410 or online.

Watch Karen Armstrong’s 2008 TED Talk >>

Watch Bob Thurman’s 2006 TED Talk >>

Tomorrow night at 9pm EST tune into the Bill Moyers Journal for an interview with Karen Armstrong on the Charter for Compassion.

From the show…

My work has continually brought me back to the notion of compassion. Whichever religious tradition I study, I find at the heart of it is the idea of feeling with the other, experiencing with the other, compassion. And every single one of the major world religions has developed its own version of the Golden Rule. Don’t do to others what you would not like them to do to you.

…We’ve got to do better than this. Compassion doesn’t mean feeling sorry for people. It doesn’t mean pity. It means putting yourself in the position of the other, learning about the other. Learning what’s motivating the other, learning about their grievances.

Find your local PBS station by clicking here.

UPDATE: Click here to watch the show online.

Sister Joan Chittister, one member of the Council of Conscience, recently published an article in the National Catholic Reporter on her experience in Switzerland. Read the piece for an inside look at the process of writing the Charter for Compassion.

Compassion, the Council said, is not pity since pity assumes superiority. Compassion is not an idea, it is an action that lifts the burden of the other because the other is of us. It is the determination to end the suffering of the other by spending oneself to do it. Compassion is fundamental to every faith and more urgently needed now more than ever. When whole people can be held hostage to robotized weapons of war and the kinds of “religious commitment” that makes the slaughter of innocents a holy act, compassion is needed.

Last week, an amazing group of religious thinkers and leaders, the Council of Conscience, met outside of Geneva to finalize the Charter for Compassion.  Previously called the Council of Sages, the group consists of individuals from the five major religions and almost every continent.

The Councilors spent two days together; they discussed the idea of compassion, sorted through the written submissions from the world, determined the key ideas necessary to include in the Charter and created a plan for how the Charter will live in the world.  The discussions were thought-provoking, candid, and heartfelt. Everyone involved came away both inspired and committed to working towards creating a more compassionate global society.

Details will be revealed in the coming weeks and months.  There are many ways which everyone can help propagate the Charter for Compassion and we encourage everyone to register on charterforcompassion.org to receive updates about ways to participate.

Photo credit: TED Prize/tedprize.org