Saturday, October 3, 2026

Compassion and Peace in the Abrahamic Traditions: A Panel of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Voices

As part of the Campaign Nonviolence Call To Action Days, these panelists united with over 2,200 groups around the world revealing that nonviolence is more effective and less expensive than violence. https://paceebene.org/action-days  The human species has survived because people choose to compassionately care for others, to let the suffering of others make a claim on us. www.CharterForCompassion.org 

A deep level of respect and understanding emerged as each panelist shared. They were joined by young people, Alejandro Desuque Yafel, Sinai Krigel-Armstrong, and Anna Mayorga, committed to co-creating a better world who are going to be part of the World Summit of Nobel PeaceLaureates in Rome the first week of December. (You can support these young leaders at that link.) 

People who were strangers a few months ago now feel that they have common hopes and dreams. Wisdom from the Bible, from Abraham Heschel, from the Quran, from Martin Luther King, Jr. and Fetullah Gulen was shared.  The importance of women in developing a more compassionate, just, and peaceful world was emphasized.  Jewish Women Wage Peace and Palestinian Women of the Sun together promote "The Mother's Call" an urgent cry that no child should be raised to kill or be killed.  Please join them by signing https://mothers-call.org/ 

Abraham Heschel writes of letting the suffering of others make a claim on us.  That builds our compassion.  Islam promotes the wisdom of Moses, of Jesus, and of Mohamed. We need each other.

 About the panelists:

Sue Parsons says, “I was raised Christian by New England (Maine) parents of Puritan heritage. I chose progressive Judaism 35 years ago. My degrees are in Russian language and literature, Second Language Acquisition, and library science. My teaching career in academia lasted twenty years followed by librarianship for twenty years. I just retired. I speak English, Russian, and some Swedish. I lived in Sweden in 1976/77 and the USSR 1981-82. I have three grown children, four grandsons, and a 16 year-old cockapoo.

Tamar Krigel-Armstrong originally from Israel is active in the US Supporters of Women Wage Peace. She promotes dialogue in the northern California area. 

Iman Beytullah Colak, is of Kurdish origin and a citizen of Turkey, Argentina and USA. Working and volunteering last 25 years in different capacities for the peace and interfaith relations. I am married and have two boys. I studied Islamic theology in Izmir. I speak Kurdish, Turkish, Arabic, Spanish and English.

Sister Martha Ann Kirk is an educator at the University of the Incarnate Word and also the Coordinator of the Compassionate Colleges and Universities Initiative of www.CharterForCompassion.org.   She is seeking young leaders 18 to 35 to be considering for participating in the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome the first week of December.  Now is the time to apply  https://uiw.givepulse.com/event/898401-Nobel-Peace-Laureate-Summit-Dec.-1-4-in-Rome

This panel is part of an ongoing conversation linked with the Charter for Compassion, the Mother's Call with Women Wage Peace and Women of the Sun, the Hizmet movement, the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative --- all positively acting for a less violent, more unified, loving world.  

We encourage young leaders to participate in the "Best Social Change" competition supported by the Nobel Laureates Secretariat and the Vatican.  Proposals are due Oct. 15.  The ten best proposals will be shared in the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates and one will be chosen for a $10,000 prize to help implement it.  

This flier links on the competition links to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScEmwRQjOkuuhN6OBqvLlT82b7o8K5rRdYls9H3PfOto3bsSw/viewform?pli=1


For more information contact: Sister Martha Ann Kirk, Th.D., Coordinator of the Compassionate Colleges and Universities Initiative,  Charter for Compassion   kirk@uiwtx.edu   Cell: 210-883-5934   

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