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This fortnight's thi>eCompassion in Action Issue 126
 
 


Compassion: Something Real and Active

Each year during the season of Lent, Caritas Australia launches Project Compassion. Caritas puts compassion before us and makes us think about what it means to be compassionate.

Sometimes looking up a word in a dictionary can reveal a whole new layer of meaning. Like many English words it was borrowed from Latin. It has two parts: pati meaning "to suffer" and com meaning "with". This means that compassion is about a relationship where one person can put themselves in the place of another person who is suffering and feel how they might be feeling and think the same way as they might be thinking. This is not all, however. Compassion also moves us to action. We are moved to act: to change things for the better.

Woman

Project Compassion introduces six people to us. We are invited to get to know them as real individuals, what their lives have been like, what their lives are like now. We find that they are just like us with the same hopes and dreams even if they live in the foreign and remote parts of the world. They, like us would like peace, security, good health, education; hope for the future for themselves, their families and communities.

Not many of us will have the chance to meet a 13 year old Tanzanian girl and her family face to face and hear about the challenges of having to walk for 10 kilometres each day to collect water. Caritas gives us that opportunity. Not only that, but Caritas shows how compassion becomes action to improve the situation. Caritas shows us what is possible and makes it happen.

Caritas introduces a Pitjantatjara woman to us who is dealing with her community's disconnection from the land and traditional culture. Caritas has assisted to back this woman's passion for teaching the young people to reconnect with their traditional lands and rich way of life. How many of us will meet people from The Solomon Islands dealing with the aftermath of civil war or Bolivian children who are struggling to help the family put food on the table? Will we ever get the opportunity to meet a woman from a village in Papua New Guinea who is helping her community deal with the problem of HIV after she contracted the virus herself? How many of us will meet families dealing with the aftermath of one of the worst natural disasters of recent times, the Tsunami of Boxing Day 2004?

Project Compassion gives us the opportunity to meet all these people. We are invited to walk in their shoes for a time, to feel how they feel, to think how they think. The "Project" then is to be moved to action, to do whatever we can to improve their situation.

Man

Project Compassion is an opportunity to reflect on what our world is like and to see its injustices. It is a Project of raising awareness. Part of that Project is to speak about those injustices to others, to family, friends and work colleagues. Awareness raising is an important first step in the Project. This is not the end of the story. As Nelson Mandela said in a recent speech: "Do not look the other way... The world hungers for action not words."

Speaking is not enough. Those with the ability need to go further and take action to combat the injustices that we see. There are two ways of doing this. We can share what we have so that others can have hope for a better life and we can take part in campaigns which put pressure on our leaders to do more to address the causes of disadvantage like debt, unfair trade rules and increasing government spending on overseas aid as well as Indigenous health here in Australia.

Project Compassion has been a part of our lives for over 40 years. Each year it challenges us to do more to build a more just world. Caritas' work promotes the human dignity of all and is a beacon of hope for a better future and a better world. By supporting the work of Caritas Australia you can be sure that Compassion will be transformed into something real and active.

Child

    

Teaching and Learning Activities

English

1) The origin or etymology of words can give a hint to the meaning of words. Using the on line etymological dictionary at www.etymonline.com/ look up the origin of the word compassion. What does it tell you about the meaning of the word? At the same site, look up the word apathy. What is the origin of this word? Is apathy the opposite of compassion?

2) Write a profile of a person who is a model of compassion. Include all their personal details as well as their major achievements. Show in particular how they put their compassion into action. Some suggestions would be Oskar Schindler, Mother Theresa, Oscar Romero, Bob Geldof, Pat Dodson, Mum Shirl, or some other person you are familiar with.

Religion/SOSE/HSIE

1) Go to www.caritas.org.au/
projectcompassion/theTheme.htm to read about the theme for this year's Project Compassion campaign and answer the following:

  • How much was raised in last year's Project Compassion campaign?
  • What is the theme for this year's campaign?
  • What is the main focus of Caritas Australia's work?
  • List six different countries where Caritas works.
  • How many African countries does Caritas work in?
  • What types of projects does Caritas support in Africa?
  • Name two Asian countries that Caritas works in.
  • What types of projects does Caritas support in Asia? (Name 3)
  • What types of projects does Caritas support in Australian Indigenous communities?
  • What is the fundraising goal for the 2006 Project Compassion campaign?
  • What is the goal that the international community plans to achieve by 2015?
  • What did Pope John Paul II say about this goal?

2) Watch the DVD or the video on line which illustrates how Caritas works in a country like Tanzania. Go to
www.caritas.org.au/projectcompassion/
mpg/TanzaniaStory/interactive_tan_2.htm

3) This year's Project Compassion campaign links the projects to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) agreed to by the world's leaders in 2000.

  • Find out what these goals are at cyberschoolbus.un.org/mdgs/index.html
  • Click on each of the icons which give information about each of the MDGs
  • List each of the MDGs and note one statistic or fact relevant to the Goal.
  • Design a poster which includes the Project Compassion theme. Display these around your school.

4) At the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000, 189 Heads of State and Governments pledged to work together to make a better world for all by 2015. On behalf of their people, they signed the Millennium Declaration which promises to free men, women and children from the dehumanising conditions of extreme poverty and make the right to development a reality for everyone! Eight Millennium Development Goals were adopted, committing rich and poor countries to work together in a global partnership to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, ensure that all boys and girls complete primary school, promote gender equality, improve the health of mothers and children, reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, and protect the environment -- all by 2015. (UN Cybershoolbus) Our Government was one of those that promised to devote resources to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Our commitment has not been backed up fully by action. We promised in 2000 to increase our overseas aid to 0.7% of our national income . So far we have not kept our promise. We have only committed half that so far. Write a letter or an e- mail to our politicians reminding them to keep their word and put Compassion into Action. Go to www.aph.gov.au/house/members/Email.asp or www.aph.gov.au/Senate/senators/email.htm for contact details.

5) Go to
www.caritas.org.au/projectcompassion/materials/
schools/Secondary%20Schools%20Materials/
CaritasAustralia_PC06_Worksheets.pdf and scroll down to the final activity on the worksheet and complete it.

Religion

1) To me, God and compassion are one and the same. Compassion is the joy of sharing. It's doing small things for the love of each other - just a smile, or carrying a bucket of water, or showing some simple kindness. These are the small things that make up compassion. Compassion means trying to share and understand the suffering of people. -- Mother Teresa.
Discuss this quote in small groups. Share your thoughts with the larger group.

2) If you want others to be happy, practise compassion. If you want to be happy, practise compassion. - The Dalai Lama.

  • Discuss how compassion can make another person happy.
  • Discuss how being compassionate to others can make you happy.
3) For scriptural and other material related to the theme of compassion go to
jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/16064.htm

Parish/Community/Social Justice Groups

 

  
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