Speech on the World Day for Cultural Diversity
for Dialogue and Development
Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze
President of Federation of World Peace and Love
May. 21, 2020,
the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
Welcome to today’s virtual event as we celebrate “World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development” and highlight the importance of love and conscience.
Because of the coronavirus, we are unable to meet face to face. However, thanks to the Internet, we can still meet online and spread positive news quickly to encourage each other. I’m very delighted to see so many friends online, who are from different parts of the world, in different time zones, and with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Today’s event serves as a good opportunity to enhance mutual understanding among people and set a great example of cultural diversity for dialogue and development.
Mother Earth has been nourishing nature and mankind. During the long history of human civilization, human beings have developed different cultures and languages. Culture is the sum of life experiences. Cultural diversity has made the canvas of the world vibrant and wonderful. However, due to mankind’s greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and skepticism, people’s hearts have become unsettled, the world has turned chaotic, and cultural differences have further widened the distances between people. We need to respect and accept one another so that we can make all kinds of cultures thrive and create a more colorful and harmonious world.
The values of cultural diversity involve respect for and acceptance of different cultures. By incorporating different cultures, we can ignite brighter sparks that inspire innovations and excellence in our lives, workplaces, communities, and the world. It is conscience that allows us to see the beauty of cultural diversity. Conscience enables us to see that love and peace can replace indifference and conflicts. People need to respect, accept and learn from other cultures so that the vision of one world can be achieved.
Conscience is a precious heritage shared by all humanity, and a culture of conscience is humanity’s collective culture. There are stories of conscience passed down from generation to generation in our hometowns as conscience is the origin of human civilization and holds the key to global sustainability.
Currently, humanity is facing unprecedented challenges and threats as the virus has spread across the globe, undermining people’s physical health and spiritual serenity, taking away countless lives, and causing social and economic crisis. Not a single nation can stay unaffected as the virus respects no national borders. Only with collaborations based upon love and conscience will humans be able to turn the current tumultuous situations around. Lately, we have seen the start of many movements of kindness in different parts of the world, and people are encouraging and cheering up one another through various means. Like a light in the darkness, conscience is the only antidote to the problems we face. It’s critically important to awaken everyone’s conscience now. Consolidating our collective conscience will generate powerful energy to help humanity overcome the crisis, bring happiness and peace to the world, and restore Earth’s equilibrium.
My dear friends, let’s start with ourselves, awaken our own conscience, and help awaken others. With everyone’s conscience connected, we will form a powerful protective shield for the world. Everyone is a leader of conscience. Let’s abide by our conscience to protect ourselves and safeguard the world. Let’s listen to the calling of our conscience and calm our hearts, which may become unsettled due to the changes in the external environment. Let’s sincerely pray for global security and peace and pray for world citizens’ safety and health. Let’s apply our conscience and love to promote a culture of peace, enhance the values of cultural diversity, foster global prosperity, and build a new world of peace and happiness.
With united hearts and conscience, we can overcome the pandemic!
Let’s work together to fight the virus.
We invite you to widely share the disease prevention tips and follow the “five do’s and three don'ts” for protection.
We humbly beseech Heaven to have mercy on us.
May the outbreak end soon.