Compassion and Compassionate Cities

Compassion is understood as sensitivity to one's own and others' suffering, accompanied by a commitment to alleviating it (Gilbert, 2014). The Charter for Compassion (Karen Armstrong, 2009) promotes this value as a foundation for global coexistence. Within this framework, Compassionate Cities (Allan Kellehear, 2012) have emerged, proposing a public health approach in which the entire community participates in supporting individuals through processes such as advanced illness, end-of-life care, loss, death, and bereavement.

This approach recognizes that these processes fall not only within the medical sphere but also the social one, and requires a transformation of the healthcare system, integrating the community alongside healthcare professionals. Current healthcare systems are insufficient, as many of the factors influencing these processes are not addressed.
They are out of their control.

Compassionate Cities offer a way to create a more comprehensive, humane, and sustainable model of care, where death is seen as a natural part of life.

To achieve this, it is essential to foster compassionate cultures in all social environments, starting with self-care and
extending to collective care. Likewise, the importance of healthcare professionals cultivating compassion towards themselves is emphasized, in order to humanize their work and reconnect with their vocation.