Initiated by Compassionate Ridgefield, Ridgefield will join the International Charter of Compassion in a brief outdoor ceremony at Town Hall on May 1, 4:00 PM.
The ceremony will include remarks by First Selectman Rudy Marconi, a poem written by Barb Jennes, Ridgefield’s Poet Laureate, and an audience reciting of the Pledge of Compassion moderated by Daniel Levine. Masks and social distancing will be strongly encouraged.
Compassionate Ridgefield was born out of concerns about the high rates of stress, depression, anxiety, and bullying among our youth, the incivility and hostility across social media platforms, and the increase in racism and anti-Semitism in our area. “Our ultimate goal is to create a Ridgefield where every person--- no matter their age, abilities, race, gender, political, religious or sexual orientation---feels welcome, respected and included.”
The Ridgefield business community has embraced this initiative by joining the Community Ambassador program which acknowledges their commitment to helping support a more compassionate culture. Ridgefield residents are invited to take the pledge online. The Ridgefield pledge is a condensed version of the pledge of the International Charter for Compassion:
"Living the principle of compassion call us to always treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work towards the alleviation of suffering and to honor and treat every single human being with absolute justice, equity and respect. We call upon all people to restore compassion to the center of everyday life, to foster an appreciation of cultural and religious diversity, and to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings. Compassion is the path to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community. I pledge to conduct myself, my business, and organizations with these tenets in mind, and to participate in Ridgefield's commitment of creating a community wherein our compassion reflects our deep recognition of our common humanity".