On September 26, 2013, Mayor Tommy Battle and the Huntsville City Council presented a joint resolution during the regular council meeting declaring the month of October “Compassionate Action Month” in Huntsville, Alabama. This action was the first step in launching an initiative to have Huntsville named as a compassionate city by the International Campaign for Compassionate Cities, a global, organ
ic movement inspired by the Golden Rule that seeks to increase awareness of the role of compassion in creating healthy, productive communities and to encourage citizens to engage in random and strategic acts that demonstrate the belief that we should treat others as we would like to be treated. Huntsville is now one of 25 cities that have signed the Charter for Compassion, the first and only in the state. A city gets “Compassionate City” status when it completes a three-stage process. First, the government/city council signs the Charter for Compassion and issues a public proclamation and/or resolution. Next, a minimum of a one year action plan is drafted and submitted to Compassionate Action Network International (CAN) at the time of the proclamation/resolution. Finally, the city joins the global compassion movement and is listed by the International Campaign for Compassionate Cities. The Charter for Compassion was the vision Karen Armstrong, a 2008 Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED) winner who used the $100,000 grand prize to create the Charter for Compassion. The following year, the CAN set out to name Seattle the first “Compassionate City,” which was done on April 24, 2010, when the mayor and city council introduced a 10-year Compassionate City Campaign for the city. In response to an international wave of support and interest, the CAN launched the International Campaign for Compassionate Cities later that year allowing other cities to establish themselves as Compassionate Cities. The core value of the campaign is compassion as reflected in areas that include: policy making, education, health care, employment, municipal government, community services, housing, and more. The Compassionate Huntsville campaign is being spearheaded by the City of Huntsville Office of Multicultural Affairs under the direction of Multicultural Affairs Officer, Kenneth Anderson, who held a series of conversations with community stakeholders to gauge interest, and found that there was a significant amount of interest and support from these individuals. It is important to have a broad cross-section of individuals represented as part of the process to achieve maximum inclusion and community buy-in. The current steering committee includes representatives from: the North Alabama African American Chamber of Commerce (NAAACC), Huntsville City Schools, Center for Adventist-Muslim Relations, Huntsville/Madison County National Marriage Week Coordinating Committee, University of Alabama-Huntsville Office of Multicultural Affairs, Oakwood Adventist Academy, Hospice Family Care, Huntsville Council of Neighborhood Associations, Huntsville/Area Friends Quaker Meeting, AshaKiran, United Way of Madison County, Cornerstone Initiative, 100X Church, Hispanic/Latino Advisory Council, International Society of Huntsville, Phoenix, GLBT Advocacy & Youth Services, Interfaith Mission Services, North Alabama Coalition for the Homeless, Phoenix, and the Huntsville-Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau. This group is currently meeting to lay the groundwork for a long-range plan that will demonstrate how compassion if experienced and promoted throughout the city. Attention will be given to existing initiatives that best represent compassionate efforts, but other activities may emerge from the process, including Compassion Games between Huntsville and other Compassionate Cities and a school/student-based Charter for Compassion. Anderson has traveled to Louisville, Kentucky to meet with city leaders who were instrumental in creating the Compassionate Louisville campaign which has become a model for the Huntsville initiative. The meeting was informative and provided constructive insight for charting our course. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, who has championed the cause since its outset, offered a friendly challenge to Huntsville in a letter written to Mayor Battle. “I have declared Louisville to be the ‘Most Compassionate City in America,’ however, I will always welcome some friendly competition for that title. I look forward to seeing what your vibrant community can do in the service of compassion.”
The city of Huntsville has achieved media recognition as a top 10 promising U.S. tech hub, mid-size cities for veterans to find careers, U.S. cities on the rise, growth potential, great places to be inspired by innovation, most attractive metros for business and a host of others. Now, the “Rocket City” is poised to be acknowledged as a city that cares about its citizens and visitors as much as its business community and academic institutions. The process to be named a Compassionate City is on the fast track and should be ready for submission in the spring of 2014. Anyone can join and become a part of the process. For more information about Compassionate Huntsville, contact Kenneth Anderson, at 256.883.3993 (phone) or [email protected]. You can learn more about the International Campaign for Compassionate Cities at www.compassionateaction.org and the Charter for Compassion at www.charterforcompassion.org.
