Maple Ridge could apply to become a compassionate community, if it cares enough.
According to a staff report, the International Campaign for Compassionate Cities is a global campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of caring for others.
The campaign sees compassion as a way of transforming cities, focusing on community, sustainability and civic engagement.
In a Compassionate City, business, government and the non-profit sector would work to change how people relate to each other.
The initiative came from Maple Ridge’s social planning advisory committee. Funding has already been received from the district to allow the substance misuse prevention committee to turn Maple Ridge into a compassionate community.
The committee will try to create local understanding of the project by ensuring people know what it means to be compassionate, to promote 50 compassionate behaviours, based on local history and to identify 10 people who will continue such work.
The final goal of the prevention committee, says a staff report, is “to build capacity for an evidence-informed design called ‘Most Significant Change’ for community development work.”
Once the above project is complete, the social planning committee will recommend to council on whether to sign the Compassionate City Charter.
If it does so, it will join London, Ont., Parksville and Powell River, which have already taken the pledge.
