SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – October 7, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) – Mayor Ralph Becker and Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox officially launched an effort to encourage all Utahns to be more welcoming, inclusive, caring and compassionate Wednesday.
The Utah Civil and Compassionate Communities Initiative, an outgrowth of the Utah Civility and Community 2011 initiative which was co-chaired by then-Lt. Governor Greg Bell and Mayor Becker, blends the previous effort with the emerging global Compassionate Communities movement.
“The Utah Civil and Compassionate Communities Initiative is a natural successor to the 2011 Civility initiative,” said John Kesler, president of the Salt Lake Civil Network. “Civility has been defined as the civic expression of the Golden Rule. Compassionate Communities are grounded on communities explicitly embracing and practicing the Golden Rule.”
The launch of the grassroots effort will take place one week prior to the convening of the World Parliament of Religions in Salt Lake City, where Karen Armstrong, the founder of the global Compassionate Communities movement, will speak. Armstrong, a noted comparative religion scholar and thought leader, created the Charter for Compassion, a document that calls on communities throughout the world to activate the Golden Rule.
Lt. Gov. Cox and Mayor Becker were joined by the Utah Civil and Compassionate Community Advisory Council, a body made up of leaders representing diverse organizations and communities from around the region.
Mayor Becker said: “Compassion can be expressed on all levels, one-on-one, in families, small neighborhoods and communities. We will work with community-based organizations to push this effort forward. I invite other cities throughout the state to work with us as we activate the golden rule and surely become civil and compassionate communities.”
