Seeds of Compassion came about through a collaboration of the Kirlin Foundation and the Venerable Tenzin Dhonden to focus world attention on the following:

• Our communities need thoughtful, creative adults who are actively engaged citizens.
• Our global society needs people equipped to communicate across cultures and address differences through understanding and collaborative problem solving.
• These qualities must take root in early childhood.
• When children build from strong foundations emotionally, socially and cognitively, they can develop into compassionate adults.

Seeds of Compassion will serve as a unifying catalyst to amplify the work of the many organizations and programs focusing on this critical area beginning with a transformative event anchored by the deep wisdom of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Seattle, Washington from April 12–15, 2008. This community–focused event will celebrate and explore the relationships, programs and tools that nurture and empower children, families and communities to be compassionate members of society.

The event will mark the beginning of a broad–based collaboration to bring concrete public awareness, public will, and an empowering call to action to address our local and global need for the social and emotional well–being of children. We see this as part of the emerging global Compassion Movement. As an outcome, we seek to bring social and emotional learning into families, to caregivers, and to schools so that all who touch the lives of children have the tools and empowerment to provide the foundation for kinder and more compassionate children, communities, and society.

Seeds of Compassion invites everyone who is passionate about early childhood education to join our movement.