Compassionate Action: Community Response to Gun Violence

We are planning and supporting activities and events in the Seattle area in response to the recent gun violence. You can donate to the families here.

 Sunday, June 10, Noon: Community-wide moment of silence

Compassionate Seattle invites all citizens to pause for three minutes of silent contemplation, prayer, reflection or meditation on Sunday, June 10 at 12:00 noon. At 11:45 AM, each of us can step into the streets to ring our bells as a "call to silence". A call has been put out to all the Church/community bells to also start ringing at 11:45 AM. At 12:00 PM, three minutes of silence.  

While some of us may be in our homes, cars, parks, or in their church, mosque or synagogue – we invite us to gather at the actual sites of shootings for a city-wide moment of silence in South Seattle, Pioneer Square, MLK/Cherry, Town Hall parking lot, Seattle Center and Café Racer. 

[Photo: Seattle PI - Lucia Neare's Theatrical Wonders perform in front of Cafe Racer during a vigil.]

Sunday, June 10 and June 24, from 4 to 7 pm: Community gatherings to generate compassionate action and build a living peace through collective impact

Compassionate Seattle invites the community to open and honest dialogue about the violence at two facilitated
community gatherings; Sunday, June 10, 4 to 7 pm, and Sunday, June 24, 4-7, at Seattle Center. In these gatherings, we will welcome participants to express how they have been impacted by violence in the community, their vision for a just, compassionate, and safe Seattle, and then to identify compassionate actions we can take to generate positive peace and strengthen the health and vitality of our city.

Inspiration

“We are using the pain and shock of the recent events as a catalyst for change. This is the time to acknowledge the unmet needs, the extreme inequities, the historical trauma, and other deep issues that cause pain and division in our community. Let’s take the risk, speak the truth, and facilitate real healing and lasting change.” Andrea Brenneke, Compassionate Seattle (CS) board member, civil rights and employment attorney, and restorative justice practitioner.

Susan Partnow, Compassionate Seattle (CS) board member, believes, “There is great healing power in all of us coming together at the same time, wherever we are, across the City – whether in vigils at the shooting sites or in our own homes. By embracing the pain of these events in circles of caring and compassion we build bridges of connection and deeper understanding of each other.”

Jon Ramer, CS board member, reminds us, “Seattle is the first city to affirm the Charter of Compassion - we need to look out for each other and how we come together. These vigils and the dialogues are a living expression of the spirit of our compassionate community.”

Bill Grace, Founder of Center for Ethical Leadership says, ““Let’s recognize this challenging time as an opportunity to bring us together. This is a defining moment--there is only one Seattle and we are one people. Let's answer fear and violence with collective action for community building based on mutual love and a lived commitment to the common good. “

Compassionate Seattle Offers Tools for an Ongoing Campaign to Cultivate Compassion, Healing, Connection, and Action for Collective Impact

Building a “Compassionate Seattle” community is an ongoing process, not an event. We offer ways to celebrate and amplify the efforts of citizens, government, religious and non-profit organizations to respond to community violence and needs with Compassion, Healing, Connection, and calls for Action for Collective Impact and meaningful change. The following tools are offered and will be growing week by week:

• Networking: Compassionate Seattle invites use of its social network as a vehicle for organizations and individuals to post events, engage in conversation, and share information, practices, and solutions that promote community, healing, non-violence, and compassionate action for collective impact. (www.compassionateseattle.org).

• Heart Map/Connections and Stories: Compassionate Seattle invites the celebration and sharing of stories and solutions about compassion in action on its website and provides opportunities for individuals and organizations to link together and find service opportunities on the “heart map.” (http://www.compassionateseattle.org/heartmap).

• Tool Kit for Conversations at Home and in the Community: Compassionate Seattle offers a number of powerful questions to focus a simple dialogue (Conversation Café) along with other suggestions to support the exploration of the issues of gun violence, community safety, mental health and individual liberties.

About Compassionate Seattle
Compassionate Seattle is a network of over 3,000 members and over 84 self-organizing groups, plus allied community groups, cultivating a compassionate city in the Seattle region. Compassionate Seattle formed following the Dalai Lama’s visit to Seattle in 2008. Compassionate Seattle created and maintains the 10-year compassionate city campaign in Seattle, the first City to affirm the Charter for Compassion, and collaborates with the Compassionate Action Network, International (CAN) as part of its global compassionate cities campaign. www.compassion.is

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