Compassion and Justice Page Jock F. McTavish
Calgary, Canada
1candle.net
mctavjoc@shaw.ca
Charter for Compassion    In 2008/9 Karen Armstrong and TED made possible the Charter for Compassion. Here is the backstory. She acted upon the idea that the religions of the world have in common, the Golden Rule. So let us focus on Compassion as that which will change the world. Visit the site and add your name to the affirmations. TED Talk - Karen Armstrong - "Let's Revive the Golden Rule". 
United Nations - The Sustainable Development Goals. "We are determined to end poverty and hunger, in all their forms and dimensions, and to ensure that all human beings can fulfil their potential in dignity and equality and in a healthy environment."   2015 sees the end of the 15 year program of the UN's MDG's or Millenial Development Goals.  The MDG's Report 2015. The remarkable progress of the MDG's has inspired this new UN project, adopted September 2015. Here is the UN list of the 17 new SDG's.  And from The Guardian, "All you need to know about the SDG's".
Clean Water Page   In the course of a bookstudy on Stephen Lewis' "Race Against Time", special attention was given to the need for clean water in the world. Lewis gave us an inside view of the United Nations. The UN Millenium Development Goals include the provision of good water to all by 2015. This page is a survey of global water issues, with some of the most encouraging work in this area including the local University of Calgary.
Gapminder - Hans Rosling    Rosling is a professor of health at Upsala, Sweden. He invented the most effective visuals for statistics ever. Check it out on his site where pretty much all of the common world demographic data is presented to you . He has given 10 TED Talks - his latest "How Not to be Ignorant of the World". Rosling is "THE" expert on world demographics: poverty, income, education, birth rates, health, HIV, etc. He may also well be one of the most entertaining presenters you've ever heard.
Aboriginal Justice in Canada PageThe recent completion of the Truth and Reconciliation Report and the Idle No More movement, have alerted us to the urgent need for aboriginal justice in our country.   
The NGO Phenomena    Non-Governmental Organizations have come to be the principle way people provide help and charity both in the community and over the world - not by governments. NGO's number in the millions according to the UN.  . World Association of NGO's Directory.  Article "The growing role of NGO's at the United Nations".  Paul Hawken's book "Blessed Unrest - how the largest social movement in history is restoring grace, justice, and beauty to the world", describes the phenomena.
UNHCR Global Trends Report Forced Displacement in 2014  "The World at War"56 page analysis of who, where and why. Lots of graphs and commentary. Rather astonishing numbers: 59.5 forcibly displaced in the world now. 13.9 million refugees. 38.2 million internally displaced. 1.8 million seeking asylum. 13.9 million more in 2014. 42,500 people a day forced to leave their homes. 53% from just 3 countries: Syria, Afghistan, Somalia.