Celebrating the United Nations’ Designation of April 5 as the International Day of Conscience
Awakening of Conscience Brings Sustainable Love and Peace
Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze
President of Federation of World Peace and Love
2019.10.10
I sincerely welcome you all to the World Leader Summit of Love and Peace. I would first like to thank the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Flame of Peace for co-hosting this wonderful event. In late September, during the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly, we had our first celebration of the adoption of the resolution titled “Promoting the Culture of Peace with Love and Conscience” and the designation of April 5 as the International Day of Conscience by the United Nations. This is an important initiative, which will lead to humanity’s collective awakening of conscience through the influences of the United Nations and global solidarity.
Conscience is innate. It’s a precious gift from Heaven and the most important asset in our lives. Conscience is like a compass guiding us onto the right path of life and leads us to make the right decisions. Conscience is also like a beautiful, pleasant smelling flower. With all blossoms of conscience in bloom, the world will be filled with fragrance, warmth, and splendor. Conscience is also a light that can not only illuminate our own paths but also bring brightness to others. When the light in each global citizen’s heart is turned on, the whole world will be very bright.
The Federation of World Peace and Love has long been promoting the awakening of conscience. Conscience is a built-in alarm system that regulates our actions and behaviors from within. This system is universal as it transcends geographical, ethnic, language, and national barriers. It gives us warnings to prevent us from making mistakes that can harm ourselves and others. It also unleashes our potential and enables us to bring out the best in us, benefitting ourselves and others. Thanks to this common language of conscience, we are able to see the most beautiful and kindest part of human nature and feel motivated by our common aspirations, and thus we will take concerted actions.
Conscience is the antidote to all kinds of problems. It allows us to save others and ourselves. It is also the most important wellspring of the heart that enables us to resolve conflicts. FOWPAL urges the world to take a day off on April 5th of each year in observance of the International Day of Conscience, just like the original spirit of the Olympic Games, during which an Olympic Truce was enacted, and friendships and peace were fostered through sports. On the International Day of Conscience, we need to calm our hearts, self-reflect, honestly look inwards, and follow the guidance of our conscience. A calm heart will enable us to gain wisdom, allowing us to see through fog and find the root causes of problems. With a quiet heart, we will be able to let go and find simple, practical, and effective resolutions to our problems and resolve conflicts. We hope world citizens will keep in mind the importance of the International Day of Conscience and observe the “invisible clock of conscience” within. Our time in this world is limited, and we hope we will all keep improving ourselves and deal with crises with compassion, courage, and wisdom. This way, we will create a bright and boundless future for the Earth.
The power of the heart is far-reaching. When people’s conscience is awakened, they will be able to exert powerful positive influences. The purpose of the designation of the International Day of Conscience is to awaken the conscience in all people. It’s important for us to follow three do’s in life: 1. Love others and love ourselves. 2. Do our best in everything. 3. Have a clear conscience. When our hearts are clean and pure, our wisdom will be unleashed. Conscience is the key to our hearts and can unlock our inherent kindness and unbridle our endless untapped potential. The compass of conscience will also guide people to do good deeds and do the right things. This will create a positive ripple effect, lead to a world of love, peace, and conscience, and bring blessings to the people of the world.
Every one of us here today is a leader of conscience with great influences. We hope that after exchanging ideas and experiences with one another, we will jointly promote the International Day of Conscience in our respective nations and positions. We can host educational programs on love, peace, and conscience and encourage peace talks and universal ceasefires. Through our collective efforts, we will create a culture of conscience to benefit all humanity and allow the current and succeeding generations to enjoy a future of peace, harmony, and sustainability.
* Presented in
during a gala dinner in Vienna, Austria on October 10, 2019.
the World Leader Summit of Love and Peace
on Oct. 10, 2019 in Vienna, Austria