Compassion Resolution for Cities

The Charter for Compassion invites city governments to pass a Compassion Resolution restoring compassion as the central civic ethic in communal life. Go to the Charter website to learn steps to make this a reality where you live and use the one below as a model, which the Tucson City Council unanimously passed in February of 2015.

City of Tucson
Compassionate City Resolution
 

WHEREAS, compassion is a unifying value and ideal that guides and compels people of all backgrounds, 

perspectives, creeds, and cultures to treat all living beings with equity, civility, respect, and justice; and
 

WHEREAS, we acknowledge our responsibility to make compassion a clear and empowering force for children, 

families, neighborhoods, and communities; and
 

WHEREAS, compassionate actions and policies produce positive benefits in all sectors of civic and community life, including safety, education, religion, public health, business, politics, and international relations; and
 

WHEREAS, Tucson residents are a diverse spectrum of racial, ethnic, cultural, social, and religious groups of all ages who demonstrate compassion in their homes, schools, businesses, community organizations, and border areas; and
 

WHEREAS, Tucson’s compassion and resilience was never more powerfully expressed than in the tragedy caused by the shootings of 19 of its citizens on January 8, 2011; and
 

WHEREAS, there are still many instances where individuals and groups fail to live compassionately and with civility thus reaffirming our commitment to broadening compassion in all sectors of our community; and
 

WHEREAS, Tucson and Arizona have previously demonstrated their commitments to compassion through the 2011 Tucson Mayor's Accord for Civility adopted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Arizona congressional delegation, and through the 2003 resolution of Arizona as a Golden Rule State by the Arizona legislature; and
 

WHEREAS, the International Campaign for Compassionate Communities Initiative is a global network of 258 cities, including Washington, D.C., that challenges its partners to make the ethic of reciprocity (i.e., Golden Rule) the central moral principle in all sectors of public life including government, education, religion, business, law enforcement, healthcare and nonprofit organizations; and
 

WHEREAS, joining the Compassionate Communities Initiative deepens the quality and commitment of Tucson in affirming and stimulating compassion in community services, projects, and policies,
 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Tucson City Council and Mayor hereby affirm the Charter for Compassion and authorize Tucson to be registered with the International Campaign for Compassionate Communities Initiative in which citizens, government, and institutions work together to embrace and apply compassionate solutions and encourage community service to meet the needs of families, friends, communities, and neighbors.