"A parent told the Salvation Army bell ringer how important he was and thanked him." That's Act of Compassion #768 on the Charter for Compassion web site.

The Charter is the brainchild of Karen Armstrong. Though still a young project, the charter has garnered over 40,000 signatories. The Charter is based on the Golden Rule - an ideal upheld by people of many faiths and people of no faith. The web site also documents people's Acts of Compassion, now approaching 1,000 postings.

Will the Charter result in an meaningful social change? "The doctrines and stories of faith make no sense at all unless they are translated into action," Armstrong told interviewer Nathan Schneider on The Immanent Frame blog. "In Australia, our partners are going to launch the Charter in Parliament and are currently working to get it included in the educational curriculum," cited Armstrong, along with other concrete examples.

"It is no use urging other people to be compassionate if we do not practice it ourselves," she told Schnieder.