When you change the medium, you can change the practices. In the world of communications, Marshall McLuhan said: “The medium is the message” suggesting that the form of the medium embeds itself in the message. As an example of how powerful this can be, the impressionist art movement came about by technological advances in the medium. The invention of oil-based paint and the tin tube, which replaced the pig's bladder, made it possible for artists to leave their studios and paint scenes of...
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9/11 Day and Compassion Games: Catalyzing More Good Deeds Than Ever!
For many people the tragic events of 9/11 changed their lives. Being a proud New Yorker, that was the day that everything changed for me as well. My life as a social entrepreneur - including the birth of the International Campaign for Compassionate Cities and the Compassion Games: Survival of the Kindest - can be linked back to that fateful day. It is therefore a great honor to be partnering with 9/11 Day. It is deeply moving to see the Compassion Games woven into the vision that on 9/11, not...
You Are Invited to the (Free, Online) Global Compassion Summit!
Peaceful Summertime Greetings! The Compassion Games is excited to be partnering with the Shift Network in the first online Global Compassion Summit, and we warmly welcome you to join us! Do you sometimes wonder how you can deal with the suffering in your own life, let alone the suffering of the world? We know it’s easy to get overwhelmed and feel as though there's nothing you can do to get relief. That’s why we’re looking forward to The Shift Network’s free online Global Compassion Summit,...
Being Human Ain’t Easy: Unexpected Lessons from His Holiness the 17th Karmapa
We surely can’t complain about the mystery and thrill of being alive. Yet, regardless of one’s walk of life, it just isn’t easy being human. Like the tilted spinning of the Earth traveling through the Milky Way, having balance in one moment does not necessarily mean we will have it in the next. Life is messy. We are each challenged by the struggles of maintaining harmony in our relationships, by the incessant demand of finances and making a living, and of nurturing the physical and mental...
Mayors as Leaders in the Compassion Movement
As citizens, we understand the power of public policy and the choices that a Mayor can make. We know that budgets are moral documents that reflect the values of our community and are then carried out by our elected officials. We also know that now is a tough time to hold public office with so many fellow citizens distrusting the government and the political process. Therefore, we think it is particularly meaningful to recognize outstanding leaders who are committed to integrating compassion...
Interfaith League Brings Play and Wonder to World Interfaith Harmony Week
“In our broken world it is easy to become overwhelmed with grief and despair culminating in our inability to move forward. Each of us has been given a purpose in life, a reason for being. Each of us carries within a caring heart and a mind filled with ideas. The Compassion Games beckon us to rise above our heartache and work in community to make a difference in the world…. to laugh and to play and to know within the deepest part of our souls that we are good and contributing to something...
A Compassionate Response to Ebola
Ebola is certainly in the news and everyone is having to respond to this terrifying threat. The 2014 Compassion Games team known as “Fearless” are living up to their name. After hearing about a fundraising effort on The Shift Network’s Summer of Peace program, they decided to raise funds to support education and outreach in response to the recent Ebola breakout in West Africa. The "Alliance for the Earth" initiative is a part of the Liberia Peacebuilding Project, an organization helping the...
2014 Leaderboard Results!
Ta Da!! We have updated the 2014 Leaderboard with the numbers for this years games. We've gone through every report that was submitted for every day of the Games. Although the whole spirit of the Compassion Games is playful and fun, we take your efforts to report on your acts of compassion seriously. Of course, whoever played in the games and did or didn't report was a winner, and with that said let's get into the numbers. When accountants deliver "the numbers" they usually also prepare a...
Wow! 2014 Games Are Behind Us, Now it’s Time to Celebrate and Share!
Wow, what an amazing closing day for this years breakthrough Compassion Games: Survival of the Kindest! As you know there were convenings happening all over the globe celebrating a world of connected communities. There were hundreds of thousands of people out in the streets in New York City for the People’s Climate March as well as thousands of gatherings in solidarity with the March, and around the world people were also celebrating the International Day of Peace and the last day of the...
Compassion for Mother Earth: Unprecedented Alliance Protects the Salish Sea
All life is interconnected: birthed from the same great beginning of impossible origins, you, everyone you know, and everything you’ve ever loved or experienced was forged in the living hearts of dying stars. Many of our ancient ancestors knew this to be the fundamental truth of all existence, the delicate balance and interdependent nature of all life, and lived their lives in this wisdom. Though we have gained much from our technological and scientific advances in modern times, this knowledge...