At the TED2008 conference
, Karen Armstrong was one of 3 people who received the TED prize, which provides one hundred thousand dollars and the support of the TED community in making the recipient's one wish to change the world. The 2008 TED Prize wishes have the potential to make a powerful impact
on the world, with global participation a key element to their success.
TEDPrize will support each wish, and the wishes of future TED Prize
winners, by soliciting public ideas and insights, and by providing
visitors a window into wish progress and a platform from which to
actively participate.
Armstrong, a former nun who now views herself as a "freelance monotheist", is an author who writes on Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. Her wish is:
I wish that you would help with the creation, launch and propagation of a Charter for Compassion, crafted by a group of leading inspirational thinkers from the three Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and based on the fundamental principles of universal justice and respect." Armstrong hopes to have people all over the world nominate the spiritual thinkers and leaders that have most inspired them. From this nomination process, a group of twelve spiritual thinkers will be selected to craft the Charter for Compassion, to be signed by thousands of spiritual leaders, representing all three monotheisms.
Upon receiving this prize, Armstrong gave come context for her wish:
Religion, she tells us, is not about believing but about behaving differently.
Specifically, religion is about compassion. “Compassion brings us to nirvana, to God’s mind. When we feel with the other, we dethrone ourselves from the center of the world, and put another there.” By putting aside the ego, we make it possible to see the divine. She quotes the Hebrew sage Hilel, who explains all of Judaism in two sentences: “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is Torah - go and study it.” Beyond that basic injuntion, all else is commentary.
We’re living, she tells us, in “a world where religion has been hijacked, where terrorists recite Koranic verses to justify their activities.” We’re surrounded by “Christians endlessly judging others, using scripture to put others down.” Around the world, people use religion to oppress, not empower others. She tells us, “You cannot confine your compassion to your own group.” Real compassion means having concern for everybody, and honoring the stranger.
The two other prize winners - cosmologist Neil Turok and author Dave Eggers - shared their wishes:
Dave Eggers' Wish: "I wish that you -- you personally and every creative individual and organization you know -- will find a way to directly engage with a public school in your area and that you'll then tell the story of how you got involved, so that within a year we have 1,000 examples of transformative change." Eggers believes that infusing the passion and ideas of new people into public schools will inspire teachers and improve learning conditions for all children. Eggers hopes that sharing one thousand of these transformative experiences will encourage others to get involved with their local public schools.
Neil Turok's Wish: "My wish is that you help us unlock and nurture scientific talent across Africa, so that within our lifetimes we are celebrating an African Einstein." Based upon a highly successful existing prototype, Turok hopes to attract support to build centers of excellence in Africa, recruiting outstanding students from across the continent, and the best lecturers from all over the world. Turok wants to communicate the great scientific potential that exists in Africa, and looks to the world to contribute their skills and ideas towards executing his vision.
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