International Day of Peace 2025
Fulfilling Aspirations • Building Hope • Sustaining Peace
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
September 21, 2025
Distinguished Guests, Dear Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Greetings!
Peace is a call to action—a practice that can be realized in our daily lives. In 2008, I launched the “Global One-Minute Meditation” initiative, encouraging everyone to pause briefly from their tasks, calm their minds, nurture kind hearts and positive thoughts, and send forth the energy of love and gratitude to help stabilize the Earth’s magnetic field. Today, I call upon global citizens to join the “Daily One-Minute Meditation” initiative—to find inner peace, offer blessings for the world, and, guided by love and conscience, promote understanding and respect. By actively sharing messages of hope and working together in unity, we can truly embody the principle that “peace begins with me.
Since 2000, I have led members of the Federation of World Peace and Love on self-funded journeys across the globe, reaching 120 countries to date. Through cultural exchanges and dialogues of wisdom, we have conveyed the ideals of love and peace, encouraging leaders from all nations and walks of life to inspire good deeds in their respective fields and to guide others in bettering themselves, thereby bringing the energy of truth, goodness, and beauty to the world. These journeys have allowed us to experience the world and appreciate diverse cultures. Through sincere interactions, we have built genuine friendships with people of different cultures, ethnicities, and faiths around the globe. At the same time, we have invited prominent leaders from various sectors to ring the Bell of World Peace and Love, make wishes for world peace, and express their willingness to take meaningful action toward realizing peace. Over the past 25 years, we have witnessed that the key to a sustainable future for humanity lies in everyone embodying the spirit of universal love and in leaders at all levels exercising moral leadership. In particular, we contributed to the United Nations’ designation of April 5 as the International Day of Conscience and July 12 as the International Day of Hope. Peace can be realized only when all people follow their conscience, pursue peace with the power of hope, act without delay, and persevere with consistency.
Humanity is still deeply trapped in the crises of destruction and hatred caused by war. To move toward sustainable development and create happiness for future generations, we must renew our hearts, begin with ourselves, and initiate good deeds. Through concrete actions, we can build a universal culture of peace. History has taught us the painful lesson that confrontations of arms and clashes of might bring only suffering and devastation, pushing true peace ever further away. Peace is not merely the absence of war. Through understanding, respect, and love, and by upholding the principles of transparency and integrity, we can build sustainable peace. Transparency is the first step in overcoming prejudice. To understand one another is to be transparent; to live without suspicion or fear is to be transparent; and to unlock the shackles of the heart and set it free is likewise to be transparent. Where there is transparency, there is integrity; where there is integrity, there is action to advance peace; and where peace is advanced, humanity can succeed in building a peaceful world.
The year 2025 presents both challenges and opportunities for the world. In times of turbulence, humanity is in greater need of bridges of trust, cooperation, and a culture of peace. Taking the initiative to activate global cooperation and dialogue, grounded in love and peace, is the key to solving problems, while the ultimate path to lasting peace is to awaken conscience and sustain hope. At this moment, we must cherish the precious gift of life bestowed upon us. Let us pray that everyone’s conscience is awakened, that each person can discern right from wrong, and that all people sincerely help one another. This is the essence of a culture of peace and the shared vision upheld by the United Nations and the global community.
The doomsday alarm has already sounded, and within each of us, the voice of conscience calls out unceasingly. Awakened souls, let us safeguard our Earth and all humanity with unwavering hope and action. I sincerely invite everyone to support the promotion of the International Day of Transparency and Integrity. Let us take immediate action for the peace and sustainability of our planet and human family. Where there is hope, there is action, and where there is conscience-guided action, there is success.
I wish you all the best!
Thank you all!