Armstrong argues that all religions boil down to one thing: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. All holy texts, according to a religious leader she quotes approvingly, are merely commentaries on that basic injunction or belief. It is that tenet - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you - that is at the core of the Charter for Compassion.
As Chris Anderson, Curator of TED, said in his introduction today, "This is not about kumbaya; it is about making a real difference." I hope he is right. The challenge is to figure out how to make the charter sing not only to the choir, but to those who don't think about the world - or their lives - in such terms. Fortunately, many of those present have had experience with just such challenges, including overcoming apartheid in South Africa and segregation in the US.
Here is a video of Armstrong describing her dream for the Charter. One GlobalGiving donor was so inspired by this that he bought $25,000 in GlobalGiving gift cards with the inscription: "Charter for Compassion: Live compassionately, act generously. Match your gift to the need."
