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Christchurch City of Compassion
Oct 11, 2019
Ko Tātou, Tātou We Are One
The people of Christchurch, New Zealand, were awarded the Charter for Compassion’s prestigious #Compassion #Humanitarian #Award in recognition of their response to the terror attacks at two Christchurch Mosques, at an awards ceremony on 10 October in Monterrey, Mexico.
Lianne Dalziel, the Mayor of Christchurch, in a video message played at the Charter’s ten-year anniversary event in Monterrey, said of the community response to the attack, in which 51 people were killed, "The incredible outpouring of love, compassion and kindness was the instinctive response of the people of Christchurch to the horrific events on March 15, when our #Muslim brothers and sisters were attacked in their place of worship as they prayed...
We thank the Charter for Compassion for recognising Christchurch on the international stage as we too wish to play our part in making sure that this becomes the way in which we reconnect to our humanity, and that we reject violence, we reject hatred and we reject all that divides us. We are one.’"
The Charter for Compassion has now also designated Christchurch a ‘Compassionate City’, joining 441 other cities across the world. David Dahlin, the new Executive Director of the Charter for Compassion, said, "I believe we can only achieve a world of love and peace by working within, between, and beyond religious traditions."
The people of Christchurch embody the true spirit of what it means to be human, and are worthy recipients of the Compassion Humanitarian Award. We can accomplish more than we can imagine to transform society by igniting the power of compassion.’
The Charter for Compassion was formed in 2009 as Karen Armstrong’s TEDPrize, after she was given $100,000 and a single wish by TED to change the world. The first Compassion Humanitarian Awards were made in San Francisco in 2014.
OPINION - JOHN SELLWOOD
It was beautiful to see - a new generation taking to the streets to yell 'this matters please listen'. In my day it was the 81 Springbok tour and the anti-nuclear protest movement. At one time or other, both seen as fringe issues, led by extremists intent on challenging the status quo and upsetting the powers that be. But with time comes perspective, and what was once thought extreme has a habit of becoming mainstream consensus.
The future of our environment is the issue of our time, and whether you see it as emotional contagion or political action, climate change protests have ignited our youth with a sense of political purpose not seen for decades. It's democracy in action, the wild and uncomfortable belief that ordinary people, and not just policymakers or power brokers, have a legitimate say in the events that are shaping their lives.
What is extraordinary of course is that the protests are led by a vanguard of school children. It's everything a young Bob Dylan wrote about fifty-five years ago when he rattled a post-war generation with his protest inspired theme song 'The times they are 'a-changin'.
For parents who took part in the march, it seemed as much about supporting their children as chanting for climate change action, but then the motives are really one and the same. If we truly care for coming generations surely we must do everything in our power to sustain a thriving environment; why take risks with the wellbeing of your children?
Personally, I wanted to stand alongside our young people and say well done you're not alone. Yes, I know your fear, because I can still recall my own cold war dread as a teenager. But in my day the threat of nuclear war and mutually assured destruction was only ever an imagined possibility, so how much more terrifying for today's young people? They are grappling with overwhelming scientific evidence that the day of reckoning has actually arrived.
My world then and their world now are a lifetime apart; the issues and geopolitics have radically changed, but sadly there seems to be one constant that remains - a deeply held fear of a world unravelling. This is not how our children should grow-up; worried for their future. You know it, I know it, they know it, and that is why 'The times they are a-changin'. If you want confident children then gift them some hope.
Video 422 10bit - using Panasonic Gh5s handheld at 50 frames for frisson. Video available to all. Music copyright and protected. I have used music for non profit education purposes only and have my fingers crossed.
It was beautiful to see - a new generation taking to the streets to yell 'this matters please listen'. In my day it was the 81 Springbok tour and the anti-nuclear protest movement. At one time or other, both seen as fringe issues, led by extremists intent on challenging the status quo and upsetting the powers that be. But with time comes perspective, and what was once thought extreme has a habit of becoming mainstream consensus.
The future of our environment is the issue of our time, and whether you see it as emotional contagion or political action, climate change protests have ignited our youth with a sense of political purpose not seen for decades. It's democracy in action, the wild and uncomfortable belief that ordinary people, and not just policymakers or power brokers, have a legitimate say in the events that are shaping their lives.
What is extraordinary of course is that the protests are led by a vanguard of school children. It's everything a young Bob Dylan wrote about fifty-five years ago when he rattled a post-war generation with his protest inspired theme song 'The times they are 'a-changin'.
For parents who took part in the march, it seemed as much about supporting their children as chanting for climate change action, but then the motives are really one and the same. If we truly care for coming generations surely we must do everything in our power to sustain a thriving environment; why take risks with the wellbeing of your children?
Personally, I wanted to stand alongside our young people and say well done you're not alone. Yes, I know your fear, because I can still recall my own cold war dread as a teenager. But in my day the threat of nuclear war and mutually assured destruction was only ever an imagined possibility, so how much more terrifying for today's young people? They are grappling with overwhelming scientific evidence that the day of reckoning has actually arrived.
My world then and their world now are a lifetime apart; the issues and geopolitics have radically changed, but sadly there seems to be one constant that remains - a deeply held fear of a world unravelling. This is not how our children should grow-up; worried for their future. You know it, I know it, they know it, and that is why 'The times they are a-changin'. If you want confident children then gift them some hope.
Video 422 10bit - using Panasonic Gh5s handheld at 50 frames for frisson. Video available to all. Music copyright and protected. I have used music for non profit education purposes only and have my fingers crossed.
What defines Christchurch beyond a shadow of a doubt is our people and their experiences. We are people of kindness and compassion. We are people who have looked each other in the face during times of crisis and seen our shared humanity. We are a people who have chosen love over hatred, collaboration over competition. We are a diverse city of many people and many needs, but we are a city that cares.