The US Congress Recognizes Tai Ji Men’s Efforts in Bringing Positive Energy

(Reporter Susan Wu, Los Angeles)
Faced with global turmoil and endless problems, how shall we find positive energy in our society? Undoubtedly, education is the key. The United Nations set October 5th as the World Teachers' Day (WTD) to recognize teachers’ roles in building a positive society. The theme this year is “Invest in the future, invest in teachers!” Celebrations from more than 100 countries are being listed on WTD webpage, and among them is a very important event “International Forum on the Awakening of Conscience IV,” which is a sequel of The Movement of an Era of Conscience. The movement is co-organized by 18 organizations in 7 countries, including Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy, the Association of World Citizens, and Federation of World Peace and Love. The Movement not only honors teachers at all levels but also emphasizes the importance of conscience in education. With the fruitful results of the Movement spreading across the world, positive energy can unite people to stabilize the current situation.

Panelists and honored guests lit up the globe with a smiley face, symbolizing that everyone is an angel of conscience that can offer wisdom and conscientious words to improve education.

“International Forum on the Awakening of Conscience IV”was held on October 5th at Pacific Palm Resort in Los Angeles, California. The honored guests participating in this event include Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee, California State Senator Bob Huff and his wife, Mayor John Wuo of the City of Arcadia, and Council Member Mary Su of the City of Walnut. At the beginning of the forum, panelists and honored guests lit up the globe with a smiley face, symbolizing that everyone is an angel of conscience that can offer wisdom and conscientious words to improve education.

The United States House of Representatives, California State Senate and City of Walnut in Los Angeles, California also presented a certificate to Dr. Hong Tao-Tze to thank him for promoting love and peace throughout the world. Ed Royce also presented the Certificate of Congressional Recognition to acknowledge Dr. Hong for his work in developing Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy and for facilitating positive values in the US community.

Congressman Royce Acknowledges Dr. Hong’s efforts in Promoting World Peace

Chairman Ed Royce, a member of the Republican Party and the United States House of Representatives for California's 39th congressional

	Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee (Left) presented the Certificate of Congressional Recognition to acknowledge Dr. Hong Tao-Tzu (Right) for his work in developing Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy and for facilitating positive values in the US community.

district, has long been fighting for freedom, democracy, human rights and fair trade. Royce has been in office for over 20 years since he was elected as a member of House of Representatives in 1993, and is highly respected by his colleagues from both parties.

“Creating a world of love and peace can solve many problems…… Teaching values and teaching justice is most important of all. I enjoyed talking with Dr. Hong, and especially enjoyed his presentation.  It’s profoundly important and significant that we’re reaching, especially through the new modes of being able to do this over the Internet, so many young people whose conscience can be inspired and who can commit themselves to the important role that they need to play in helping this world become a more peaceful place, a place in which there is justice but also solutions. His words resonated with me today,” said Royce in support of the Movement of the Era of Conscience.

Over the years, Chairman Royce has actively participated in the activities held by Tai Ji Men. On September 15th, 2013, he attended Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy in LA’s 13th Anniversary Celebrations to send his congratulations in person. He stated that “I think most impressive for me with Tai Ji Men is the way in which it unleashes, I think, a calmness in people. You know life is so stressful, but it’s not just the inner peace, but it’s also the fact that Tai Ji Men is focused on the world as well. World peace and understanding others, but just coming to that sense of inner calmness and realizing that when you can let go and you can better understand. You suddenly get an energy that allows you to cope, I think better, with the stresses that life brings to us.”He also gave high recognition to the performance of Tai Ji Men, saying that “not just the young kids, it’s every one of every age that is involved has within them something that gets unlocked that makes them feel more alive , more at peace with themselves.”

Not long after his trip to Taiwan, Royce attended the Lunar New Year Gathering held in Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy in LA. He spoke highly of Tai Ji Men: “Tai Ji Men, this particular discipline, which is focused on health, and on peace, and on love. I think it’s a great time to have a celebration here, because it’s right after the New Year. So we are learning a lot about a movement that is dedicated to our fellow human beings being all they can be and doing it in a tranquil, peaceful, helpful way.”

International Forum on the Awakening of Conscience

Panelists include Dr. Hong Tao-Tzu, the initiator of the Movement of an Era of Conscience (3rd from left); Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee (2nd from left); California State Senator Bob Huff (3rd from right); Professor Kylie Hsu, director of the Chinese Studies Center of Cal State, LA (1st from right); Adjunct Assistant Professor Robert Vos at USC (2nd from right); and Dr. Chung-Ming Liu, retired Professor Emeritus of atmospheric sciences from National Taiwan University (1st from left)

Dr. Hong says: “Education opens up the windows to knowledge, inspires spiritual self-consciousness, and makes possible the awakening of all people. From the international view point of the education for world citizens, besides school, the media and society have greater influences; we must consider education from the view point of education for all people, so that education will not be incomplete or biased. Little by little, education can influence everyone in the society; everyday, the thinking of conscience and behavior of conscience of everyone mold personality, and together people’s personalities collectively form the values of the society and then become the culture of a nation. Despites differences between cultures, religions, and languages, rules and principles oriented towards conscience are no difference. Conscience is beyond all laws and principles of the world.” Dr. Hong emphasizes: “The awakening of conscience is the soul of education. Conscience is like the compass pointing to the right direction, guiding people to tell wrong from right, to have manners, to have a sense of shame, to behave properly, to have consciousness, to walk on the right way, to be unselfish, to have harmonious minds, and finally to make a world of peace.” He also appeals that “The world cannot always be prosperous; however, conscience has its immortal value. The foundation of education is heart and we must pass on the awakening of conscience to generations to come. ”To respond to the UN World Teacher’s Day, the founder of “The Movement of An Era of Conscience”, the Chair of the Federation of World Peace and Love (FOWPAL) and the Zhang-Men-Ren of Tai Ji Men, Dr. Hong Tao-Tze specially publishes the thesis -- “The Awakening of Conscience is the Soul of Education”. In the thesis, Dr. Hong points out the current biased education can not necessarily foster excellent world citizens needed in the modern time. Dr. Hong also observes the waves of democracy emerging around the world in the early 21st century, where young people around the world are brave enough to stand up to fight for their ideas. Dr. Hong emphasizes the importance of the education for world citizens – “Becoming conscious of ideas of world citizen, understanding that all human beings are one unity, caring about the peace and sustainable development of the earth and human beings, and being willing to devote time and efforts to make the world better are the values of educations for world citizens”.

In the forum, Chairman Royce said: “The authorities, the teachers, and the parents must work together to assure an education of high standard. Only through an education of high standard can we teach right values to students and foster excellent young generations. With new thinking, they will seek solutions for the problems facing the world. The sustainable development replies on them. More importantly, young people must have conscience, just like what Dr. Hong have said. Only to have conscience in mind can they make contributions to truly benefit the world. ”

Senator Bob Huff commended Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze for his contribution to world peace
  
As Senate Republican Leader, Bob Huff awarded Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, President of Federation of World Peace and Love a certificate issued by

	As Senate Republican Leader, Bob Huff awarded Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, President of Federation of World Peace and Love a certificate issued by California State Senate for his dedication to promoting good deeds and world peace.

California State Senate for his dedication to promoting good deeds and world love and peace. Bob Huff said that they have known each other for 14 years and highly praised Dr. Hong for his dedication to global issues.  

Federation of World Peace and Love (FOWPAL) was founded in the United States by Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze in 2000. In the same year, Tai Ji Men L.A. Academy was established. For 14 years, Tai Ji Men brothers and sisters were committed to promoting and inheriting Chinese culture and participating local community activities to promote culture exchange, which was welcomed and respected by American society. Besides, Tai Ji Men actively promoted global public service activities, including “the Movement of An Era of Conscience” in the UN on August this year. The UN (UN/DPI/NGO) annual meeting was held for three days from August 27. Hugely influential global leaders gathered in N.Y. and caused a wave of “An Era of Conscience” effect in the UN. Volunteers from Federation of World Peace and Love, UN NGO Association of World Citizen, and Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy launched “save the conscience battle” by flash mobbing at famous attractions in N.Y., visited various national representatives to the UN, and participated in discussion. Within one week, the number of responding countries has increased from 162 to 185, meaning the message of “An Era of Conscience” was spread farther and wider to every corner of the world.                  

The moon festival event was held in Walnut City on September 13. Tai Ji Men L.A. Academy presented a song entitled “An Era of Conscience” and an energetic dance called “Power of Love” to promote the movement of “An Era of Conscience” and the endorsement for the Declaration for the Movement of An Era of Conscience. Senator Bob Huff and his wife also responded to the movement.

Bob Huff often got involved in activities held by Tai Ji Men for years. In addition to endorsing “Declaration for the Movement of An Era of Conscience”, Bob Huff talked about his personal understanding that “Well the declaration of the era of conscience i think it all underscored that we on the planet earth need to be good neighbors and we need to be responsible for our own communities and our own relationships but when we do that we will impact the world as a whole we won’t be fighting and clinging and scratching for each of our own needs but we will be helping each other and i appreciate all that tai ji men is doing that to lead by example in the community and frankly throughout the world ”. Bob Huff also mentioned that it’s not easy to do in politics because “well sometimes it's very difficult as we're having political battles but i will try to agree and accept disagreements. When i can do that then i can help sometimes get my messages across to people who aren’t reacting to me personally but they're listening to what I’m actually saying”.    

On January 1 of 2014, the Federation of World Peace and Love, UN NGO Association of World Citizens, and Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy jointly promulgated the movement of “An Era of Conscience”, hoping to inspire positive energy to stabilize the turbulent world and awakening the innate goodness of mankind to enter the true era of conscience. On 16th February 2014, the global launch of “An Era of Conscience” was held in USA and Taiwan, and the ceremony was attended by people from Canada, Holland, Australia, Vietnam, UK, Italy and so on. On August 17, the Declaration for the Movement of An Era of Conscience was launched globally with an

	The “Rose, White, & Blue Parade” was held in San Jose, California on July 4th. Around 100 groups participated in the yearly tradition. Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy joined the parade and promoted the “Movement of An Era of Conscience”. The United States Air Force made the special “Era of Conscience” gesture and hoped the world a better place.

aim to consolidating the consciences in people’s hearts, forming consensus of global solidarity and saving the world from crisis. Please visit the website of the movement of An Era of Conscience at www.aneoc.org to learn more about global updates about the movement and ways to support it.   

Many impressive speeches made in the series of “The International Forum on Awakening of Conscience IV” can be found at the website as well. Everyone is welcomed to share their thoughts and endorse the “Declaration for the Movement of An Era of Conscience” online. Only if everyone has conscience is the world at peace. We expect that people around the world are able to work together to create an era of love and peace.