This conversation was recorded on July 2, 2025 Months after being named the 2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year, Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr. announced his decision to leave the public school system. His career as a high school English teacher had spanned more than a decade but ended abruptly―another casualty of the cruel and dangerous anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination that is creeping back into the halls of government and the homes of Americans. At the beginning of Carver's career, an administrator warned him about discussing his otherwise openly gay identity at work: "No one will protect you, including me. In Gay Poems for Red States, Carver counters the injustice of a persistent anti-LGBTQ+ movement by asserting that a life full of beauty and pride is possible for everyone. More than a collection of poetry, Carver's earnest and heartfelt verses are for those wishing to discover and understand the vastness of Appalachia, and for the LGBTQ+ Appalachians who long for a future―for a home―in an often unwelcoming place. About the Author: Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr. is an advocate, Kentucky Teacher of the Year, the author of a bestselling collection of narrative poetry about his childhood growing up queer in Appalachia, Gay Poems for Red States (University Press of Kentucky) has garnered many accolades About the Facilitator: Felipe Zurita Felipe has been bringing awareness to the golden rule and empathy with his energetic Millennial, Latinx, Immigrant, Queer voice and experiences to the compassionate movement for 4 years, joining the Charter for Compassion in 2021 to amplify its reach via social media and projects with his social marketing and project coordination skills. Learn more about this Global Read Episode, and more here: https://charterforcompassion.org/featured/global-read/gay-poems-for-red-states.html Content like this is provided thanks to our generous donors. Please help us continue providing more content like this by donating today here: https://charterforcompassion.org/how-to-engage/donate/

This webinar was recorded on June 12, 2025. Why Didn't You Come Sooner? Compassion in Action. Stories of Children Rescued From Slavery. The work of rescuing children from slavery is not for the faint of heart, as the twelve gut-wrenching accounts in this book will show. Harder still is to give them their life back, after they've been kidnapped, trafficked, sold, abused, and made to work in horrific conditions, often for as long as they can remember. Kailash Satyarthi's own life and mission were entwined with the journeys of these children. Having lived through unspeakable trauma, they had lost faith in humanity. But behind their reticence, behind their scraggy limbs and calloused hands and feet, hope still endured. This book tells the story of their shared struggle for justice and dignity-from the raid and rescue operations of Satyarthi's Bachpan Bachao Andolan, to international campaigns for child rights. It is a testament both to the courage of the human spirit and to the power of compassion. About the Author: NOBEL PEACE LAUREATE Kailash Satyarthi Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, a social reformer par excellence, stands as one of the tallest leaders and the loudest voice for the oppressed and voiceless. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for his ‘struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.' About the facilitator: Gard Jameson Gard Jameson received his Ph.D. from Pacifica Graduate Institute in 2005. He teaches Chinese and Indian Philosophy in the Philosophy Department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Prior to his tenure at UNLV, he spent 25 years practicing as a Certified Public Accountant and Financial Planner at Piercy, Bowler, Taylor & Kern and Touche Ross. Gard is also a member of the Charter for Compassion's Board of Trustees. Important links shared during the webinar: https://www.kailashsatyarthi.net/ https://satyarthi.org.in Learn more about this and other Global Read episodes here: https://charterforcompassion.org/featured/global-read/why-didnt-you-come-sooner.html

This Global Read was recorded on May 19, 2025. Profound inner wisdom for courageous action—from the author of See No Stranger and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project, a “prophetic voice of our generation” ~ America Ferrera How do we find the wisdom to envision a new world and the courage to fight for it? How do we survive seemingly apocalyptic times? In a world on fire, how do we find love and joy? We are not the first to ask these questions—in fact, seeking answers to them forged one of the world's great wisdom traditions. In a time riven by caste, conquest, and cruelty, Sikhs blazed the path of the sant sipahi, the sage warrior. The sage radiates love and Oneness; the warrior activates that ethical power to fight for humanity. These energies empowered the first Sikhs to survive near-annihilation in South Asia nearly half a millennium ago. The sage warrior is the essential archetype for our time of turmoil—one we can all embody to cultivate our souls and transform the world. Valarie Kaur combines the epic, immersive story of her Sikh ancestors—centering the stories of the women who worked to map the path of the sage warrior—with the chronicle of a personal journey: her pilgrimage with her young children to the Panjab, India, where the stories unfolded, an occasionally comic adventure woven with sublime moments of connection and insight. Each chapter offers a lesson that emerges from the stories—from practicing pleasure to metabolizing grief to choosing courage. Sage Warrior shimmers with wisdom: Every story is accompanied by original artwork, music, and meditations, illuminating new ways of seeing and being. This journey is for anyone—from any faith tradition or spiritual practice or none at all—who hungers for a better world and is ready to discover the depth of their own power. To learn more about this episode: https://charterforcompassion.org/featured/global-read/sage-warrior.html Some important links shared in the chat: - https://valariekaur.com/ - Connect and Learn more with the SAGE WARRIOR book here: https://valariekaur.com/books/sage-warrior/ - Here is a link to Rilke’s poem that was mentioned and quoted https://reflections.yale.edu/article/seize-day-vocation-calling-work/i-live-my-life-widening-circles - You can learn more about the way the Revolutionary Love Project—the organization Valarie mentioned (and founded!)—and the framework it puts forth to practice Revolutionary Love together: www.revolutionarylove.org And a plethora of curriculum and learning resources are available at www.revolutionarylove.org/learn The album is also available on all major platforms: thttps://sonnysingh.bandcamp.com/album/sage-warrior

This Global Read episode was recorded on April 23, 2025. In Becoming Wise, Krista Tippett has created a master class in living for a fractured world. Fracture, she says, is not the whole story of our time. The enduring question of what it means to be human has become inextricable from the challenge of who we are to one another. She insists on the possibility of personal depth and common life for this century, nurtured by science and “spiritual technologies,” with civility and love as muscular public practice. And, accompanied by a cross-disciplinary dream team of a teaching faculty, she shows us how. Learn more about our guest Author Krista Tippett and our Facilitator for today's conversation, Parker J. Palmer here: https://charterforcompassion.org/featured/global-read/becoming-wise-an-inquiry-into-the-mystery-and-art-of-living.html Programming like this is provided thanks to your donations and contributions. Please, support the Charter for Compassion by making a donation here: https://charterforcompassion.org/how-to-engage/donate/

This Global Read was recorded on April 9, 2025 About "Changemakers": LISTEN TO THE CHILDREN Twenty children moving the world. Twenty interviews. Twenty incredibly inspiring stories for young and old. The International Children’s Peace Prize and the young winner’s message reaches hundreds of millions of people around the world. Awarded this year for the twenty-first time, a milestone and occasion to engage with the winners and to talk with them about their lives, their actions: and listen to them in wonder and be inspired. Desmond Tutu, patron of KidsRights: “Hey you oldies, listen to the children. Listen to the children… and act.” Nelson Mandela: “When I asked Nkosi what he wanted to be when he grows up and if he might want my job, he said ‘No thank you sir, that seems too much work’.” The president had a good laugh about it. Malala Yousafzai, 2013 Children’s Peace Prize winner and 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner: “I told President Obama that I believe you can only stop terrorism through education. You cannot stop war through war.” March for Our Lives and Greta Thunberg, Children’s Peace Prize winners in 2018 and 2019: In 2018, the March for Our Lives demonstration in which more than a million young people worldwide protested against gun violence inspired the then-unknown Greta. She also wants to go on strike but for the climate. A year later, more than 1.4 million young people from 125 countries are not going to school on Friday for the Future. This special anniversary book also features the story of the brand-new 20th winner. If you buy this book, a child and his family in one of the Children’s Peace Prize countries will receive the book as a digital gift! Learn more here: https://charterforcompassion.org/featured/global-read/changemakers.html

This Global Read episode was recorded on March 26, 2025 ONE: A Story of Hope in Our Time an inspiring autobiography by Devon Clunis, chronicling his remarkable journey from a small village in Jamaica to becoming Canada’s first Black Chief of Police and later the inaugural Inspector General of Policing for Ontario. This deeply personal narrative reveals how his faith and dedication to improving the lives of others were central to everything he did, both in his career and personal life. Clunis shares his life story with gratitude for those who supported him and the spiritual grounding that guided his path. The book highlights his leadership lessons, the challenges he faced, and his commitment to serving others with empathy and integrity. Through his experiences, readers gain insight into the power of hope, resilience, and the importance of unity in creating a better future. ONE is not just a memoir but a call to action, encouraging us all to embrace compassion, build stronger communities, and work towards a more inclusive and caring world. Whether you’re on a journey of faith, seeking leadership wisdom, or looking for inspiration, Devon Clunis’s story will resonate and uplift, showing the profound impact of living with purpose and conviction. Learn more about this session here: https://charterforcompassion.org/featured/global-read/one.html

This program was recorded on February 26, 2025 with author the Right Reverend William E. Swing and was moderated by Marilyn Turkovich, the Charter's ED. What does God have to do with nuclear weapons? Nothing and everything, observes Bishop William E. Swing, in an original meditation on the threat of annihilation and how faith offers a way to encounter The End of everything. If humanity stays on its present trajectory, he proposes, a nuclear war is inevitable. Swing calls on readers and leaders to change course and he pays tribute to the late Secretary of State George Shultz as guide and colleague in raising voices to press for a world free of nuclear weapons.

This program was recorded on February 28, 2025 with author Livia Malcangio and was moderated by Joy Ngoma. The Nobel Peace Prize is the most prestigious internationally recognized award in the world. Its recipients are extraordinary individuals, each of whom has had a significant and positive impact on our world today – in many instances they have changed it at great personal risk and sacrifice affecting untold lives in the process. Yet, at a time in our history when we need their voices most, the citizens of the world, especially youth, know precious little about them. This book, featuring the fascinating stories of some of the latest Nobel Peace Laureates, seeks to change that.