With a little help from Dave Stewart, actor Djimon Hounsou reads the stirring words of the Charter for Compassion. As it plays, onscreen, visit some of the places around the world -- synagogues, mosques, churches, ashrams, even a prison -- where the Charter for Compassion is hung and its words are lived.

The TED Prize's Charter for Compassion reached Pope Benedict XVII this week, just days before the Pope announced to the world that he would be resigning. A plaque engraved with the Charter was presented to the Pope on Wednesday in Vatican City by TED's European director, Bruno Giussani. The meeting, pictured above, took place on the margins of t...

Has an act of compassion changed your life? Share your story -- and join the Charter for Compassion in a brand-new video initiative: Assignment Compassion. In the video above, actor Adrian Grenier gives the first assignment: Share a moment of compassion that changed your life. Record your video response to Adrian's assignment and share...

Today, Thursday, Nov. 18, at 11 a.m. ET, join us in celebrating the one-year anniversary of the launch of the Charter for Compassion -- Karen Armstrong's 2008 TED Prize Wish. The event, TEDPrize@UN -- hosted by the United Nations -- will be streamed live over the web, and feature talks on compassion by a number of fascinating speakers: Ka...

This week, religious scholar and 2008 TED Prize winner Karen Armstrong released 12 Steps to a Compassionate Life, a practical guide to the understanding and practice of compassion. On Christmas eve, the TED Blog had a chat with Karen about the ways people around the world are embracing the Charter for Compassion -- the result of her TED Priz...

On Nov. 18, TEDsters gathered at the UN to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the launch of the Charter for Compassion -- Karen Armstrong's 2008 TED Prize Wish. The event, TEDPrize@UN featured talks on compassion by a number of fascinating speakers. Watch the archive of the TEDPrize@UN webcast >> Photos from the event: Kare...

A few numbers to keep in mind: 3, 31, and 1 million. That’s because nominations for the 2016 TED Prize are being accepted through the end of the day on March 31, 2015. You have until then to nominate a mentor, a co-worker or a visionary leader whose work you admire from afar for this prestigious prize, which brings with it $1 million for a w...

A TED Prize wish must be ambitious and bold, with the ability to impact lives all across the globe. And yet, a TED Prize wish must also be practical -- an actionable plan that can flourish with $1 million in seeding and access to leverage the power of the TED community. With nominations open for the 2016 TED Prize -- you can nominate a visionary...

Dave Isay was shocked to learn he was in the running for the 2015 TED Prize. And yet, his TED Prize wish — to grow StoryCorps’ digital archive of the collective wisdom of humanity — was granted, fueled by $1 million and the vigor of TED’s global community. Could your idea win the TED Prize? In a word: yes. Nominations for the 2017 TED Pri...

After hearing an idea that struck them at their core, these people were no longer satisfied to sit on the sidelines -- so they jumped in. Hearing an inspiring idea is like experiencing a great book or movie; it stays with you. For most people who watch a TED Talk, this occurs subtly, with the concept going into our minds where it serves as a ki...

The current coronavirus pandemic is a truly global one; in fact, Antarctica is the only continent with no cases (although that could change). Most nations have responded with similar measures -- stay-at-home advisories, shutdown of non-essential businesses, social distancing -- but the scope of these changes has varied and so has the human impac...