Over the past few months, the Rev. Andrew Twiddy, rector of St. Edmund’s Church in Parksville has been instrumental in getting the city of Parksville to become the first Compassionate City on Vancouver Island.
For Twiddy, the Charter call on all people to be more compassionate in their daily living in public life, schools, businesses, social groups, and all their encounters with other people. Twiddy made a presentation to Parksville City council on August 20 regarding the Charter for Compassion. In response city council voted unanimously to affirm the Charter and support the campaign inquiry that Twiddy made for Parksville to be certified as a Compassionate City under the Campaign for Compassionate Cities.
On August 28, Twiddy made a similar presentation to the Regional District Board of Nanaimo, covering the mid-island area from Cedar to Deep Bay (population 140,000), and that board also affirmed the Charter with the chair signing on behalf of the board. He has also met with the mayor of Qualicum Beach, and will be speaking to the council of Qualicum Beach at their meeting at the begin-ning of October.
Charter. Ron Klusmeier, music director at St. Edmunds has written the music score for the song.
The full text of the Charter and information about the movement to create Compassionate cities can be foundat the website: http://charterforcompassion.org.