International Day of Living Together in Peace
Practicing Conscience-driven Power of Hope to Promote Harmonious Coexistence
Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze
Zhang-men-ren of Tai Ji Men
Vice President of the Association of World Citizens,
NGO in Consultative Status with ECOSOC and Associated with the UN DPI
President of the Federation of World Peace and Love
May 16, 2024
Distinguished guests, Dear friends, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The United Nations General Assembly has designated May 16th as the "International Day of Living Together in Peace" to promote the concept of peaceful coexistence and collaborative action in the international community. It aims to foster mutual tolerance and unity among humanity in the face of differences and diversity, ultimately striving to establish a peaceful, united, and harmonious world for sustainable development.
"The International Day of Living Together in Peace" serves as a reminder of the importance of peaceful relations between individuals and nations. More importantly, the wisdom of peaceful coexistence between humans and nature, as well as among all living beings can be achieved by learning and practice.
Peace within individuals, peace in the world.
The UNESCO constitution reveals: "Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed." The Declaration on a Culture of Peace emphasizes that peace is not only the absence of conflict but also requires a positive, dynamic, and participatory process where dialogue is encouraged, and conflicts are solved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation. When people have inner peace, we naturally transmit positive energy of peace to their surroundings and communities, eventually extending to nations and the world.
Respect for oneself, respect for others.
The Declaration on a Culture of Peace reminds us the need to eliminate all forms of discrimination and intolerance, including those based on race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status.
The premise of achieving peaceful coexistence is to enable every global citizen to have the ability to recognize, accept, listen, acknowledge, respect, and appreciate oneself and others. Only then can we further establish harmonious interpersonal relationships and extend the consensus of peace worldwide, promoting cooperation among nations to create world peace together.
Awaken the inner conscience, promote the value of conscience.
In today's world, Earth and humanity are facing almost irreparable disasters. The root cause is the extinction of human conscience. People’s hearts are filled with the five poisons of greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt, spreading throughout the world. As the proverb goes, "If people do not follow the natural order, nature will not follow suit." When people act against the natural order, the operation of nature becomes chaotic. People's moral degradation, insatiable desires, and lack of contentment lead to environmental destruction, prompting nature to retaliate and causing natural and man-made disasters. The distribution of environmental resources is severely imbalanced due to extreme weather conditions, further disrupting the harmonious coexistence of human society.
"Conscience" is the code that unites humanity with the universe, and it is the key to reversing the collective destiny of humanity. It activates the inner wellspring of love within each person, loving others as ourselves. It guides one's heart towards true freedom just like a compass of eternal life. Conscience leads us to help one another with empathy, overcome difficulties together and avoid wars, as we move towards the direction of harmonious coexistence among all beings.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the "Movement of An Era of Conscience." FOWPAL and five other organizations celebrated the 5th International Day of Conscience at Pasadena, California, where the Ceremony of Ringing the Bell of World Peace and Love was held to wish for world peace. All participants were invited to join the prayer, gathering positive energy for a sustainable future and translating it into concrete actions. When every global citizen upholds the value of conscience, using compassion, courage, and true wisdom to resolve conflicts, and treating others with respect and inclusivity, humanity's destiny will naturally return to the orbit of universal laws, where all living beings coexist in peace.
In the face of precarious international situation, everyone’s conscience has the power to change the world. Through love, power of hope and good deeds, individuals, societies, nations, and even the international community can collectively generate the ripple effect, practicing conscience education, promoting a culture of conscience, enhancing the collective awareness of global citizens, consolidating the power of hope for peace and transforming it into concrete actions. With compassion, courage, and true wisdom, let us contemplate solutions to the problems within and among nations and crises of the Earth.
May we congregate the power of hope and good deeds of every global citizen. Let love and conscience unite us to take actions and promote respect and harmony in society. May natural and man-made disasters be quelled soon! Let our Mother Earth be restored, fostering harmony and prosperity among all living beings for a sustainable future!