TED Community » Nigel Bamber

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Collaborative Society. Sustainable Economy. Renewable Energy. Efficient Vehicles

An idea worth spreading

Want to make John Lennons' Imagine come true. See my website for more.

Talk to me about

Anything interesting and intelligent.

Comments

• TEDCred score: +2.20 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• A reply on Conversation: Have you signed the Charter for Compassion, and if not, why not?

  Jul 26 2012: Hi Stephen,
  It's taken a long time and a lot of thinking, before I felt able to reply to your comment.
  I once listened to a lecture give by a United Nations historian on the history of the organisation. He said that he felt that the quest for Justice was preventing peace from being established in most of the worlds troublespots. People would not draw a line under a dispute until the scales of justice were balanced and it was entirely subjective who had tipped the scales of justice first, and by how much. They could not be balanced in everyones eyes at the same time.
  Let's consider your rapist. Why did they commit the crime? Perhaps they were abused as a child, the scales are already tipped against them. What would the outcome have been if they had been shown more compassion in the past, before the crime? Perhaps they are mentally ill, they did not want to be this way, the scales are already tipped against them. Total lack of empathy (Psychopathy) is a mental condition that is not chosen as a way of life, and so the scales are tipped agsainst the Psychopath from the start. The important thing is to understand the reasons for the crime, try to see that it does not re-occur in the offender, and look to see that new offenders are not made. Demonstrating compassion is not impossible with either of these goals in mind.
  What about the victim? Justice may be demanded by, or on behalf of the victim, but in the case of a rape, the justice will not undo or make reparation for the crime. So is the Justice demanded in fact Revenge? Perhaps what the victim really needs is the compassionate support of the rest of the community, whilst rebuilding their life. This support is usually sadly low in the list of priorities for most legal systems.
  I'm fortunate, I've never experienced a serious offence against my family or friends. Would I be able to practice what I've just said if I did. I don't know. I hope so, and signing the Charter is a part of my effort to ensure I would try.
  
  Nigel

• A reply on Conversation: Have you signed the Charter for Compassion, and if not, why not?

  Jul 26 2012: Hi Steve,
  I'm sorry you don't feel able to sign. A lot of your objections seem to focus on the surroundng information on the charter site, rather than the charter itself. I do agree that the arguments in Karens' intros and talks have holes in them, but I felt that the charter itself offered a good tool for the religious and non-religious to find common ground. That's why I asked people to focus on the words of the charter and not the surrounding noise. I saw the logo as the mathematical symbol for infinity, but perhaps that's my scientific background showing through.
  I don't think that God lies at the centre of all religions as there are several religions that don't have a deity :-)
  I do see compassion as being a common thread that could give all people a starting point for peace.
  I've just got my first signing from Lawren above, and this made me feel extremely positive. It's this mutual movement of optimism that I feel the charter could generate, instead of being a clique. A sense that instead of feeling "why bother when everyone else doesn't" people could feel "I'm not the only one that feels this way". Cliques are exclusive, whereas the Charter shouts out to people to be included.
  We've all been stitched up in the past by the small print in legal documents so perhaps calling it a charter brings some of this baggage with it. Perhaps it should be called the Promise, and sealed with a virtual handshake or a kiss. Having to always look carefully at the small print has made us all cynical. Is it possible to look for the good in the charter words themselves, without worrying about being trapped?
  There are a lot of NOs here, but at least no one has said that Compassion itself is a bad idea. :-)

• A reply on Conversation: Have you signed the Charter for Compassion, and if not, why not?

  Jul 26 2012: Lawren,
  
  You've just made my day!
  
  Thanks
  
  Nigel

• A reply on Conversation: Where would you go if you had one chance to move through time?

  Jul 11 2012: Wimbledon's not a problem either. Will be within a few miles of there by 7:50. Will wave then :-)
• +1

  A reply on Conversation: Where would you go if you had one chance to move through time?

  Jul 10 2012: It's when I finish work for this week, and start the long drive home. Will be whizzing past Cambridge at approx 6:20. Will wave :-)

• A comment on Conversation: Where would you go if you had one chance to move through time?

  Jul 10 2012: I think I'd like to go to 5:30 p.m. this Friday.

• A reply on Conversation: The idea I'm proposing is a unified global community; The people we've globally accepted as "The smartest" all proposed it, why not us.

  Jul 5 2012: Those two risks are why I think we should explore the emergent properties of a global peer-to-peer network to manage our affairs.
  The network can make rapid decisions, but its' lack of central power mitigates against self-interested dictatorship.

• A reply on Conversation: Before stepping off the curb to cross, which way would you look?

  Jul 1 2012: There's a saying amongst test pilots. "Never put your body where your mind hasnt been first." Its a good recipe for getting to meet your grandchildren.

• A reply on Conversation: Before stepping off the curb to cross, which way would you look?

  Jul 1 2012: I hope so! :)

• A reply on Conversation: Have you signed the Charter for Compassion, and if not, why not?

  Jun 29 2012: Now you have me extremely curious! Would it be too much of an intrusion to ask if you able to tell us something about your religion? If not publically in this forum, them could you PM me?