The First Cross-Strait High-Level Forum on Chinese Traditional Culture was successfully held in Beijing at the Great Hall of the People from July 5th to 9th, 2007. The aim of this Forum is to facilitate the peaceful reunification of Taiwan with the Mainland China.
In order for IAEWP to be a co-sponsor, Lana Yang, the IAEWP Main Representative to the United Nations made a trip to China in March 2007, to help The World Peace and Development Association, an NGO in China, organize this Forum. This 5-day Forum successfully took place with several international seminars and fund-raising programs.
Approximately 800 representatives gathered from the mainland China and Taiwan. A dozen representatives from the United States, Japan, United Kingdom, France, and Russia also presented their speeches at the seminars.
The Chinese Traditional Culture exhibition was conducted in three large halls at the People's Cultural Palace in the Forbidden City. More than 1,000 pieces of fine Chinese paintings and calligraphy were donated by the artists from both mainland China and Taiwan. The sales of the tickets and art work raised funds to cover the expenses of the Forum.
Additional fund-raising programs included a beautiful cultural dance performance of 56 races of China "Beyond the Heaven and Earth", as well as a "Wheelchair Orchestra" performed by handicapped and blind musicians.
July 7, 2007, on the Seventieth Anniversary of the Japanese Invasion into China (July 7, 1937), the congress participants paid a visit to the Marco Polo Bridge outside of Beijing. Two peace trees were planted at the site of the Anti-Japanese War Museum to bless the future peaceful relationship between the Japanese and Chinese people.
After the close of the Forum, Lana Yang invited Dr. Charles Mercieca, president of IAEWP, on a 10-day cultural and educational tour to Nanjing, Shanghai, Suzhou, before returning to Beijing.
Nanjing was the capital city of KMT, where the most brutal massacre of 300,000 people by the Japanese army took place in December 1937.
History should not be forgotten. Peaceful synergy is necessary between all nations to build a harmonious world for the global community.
China has moved forward from its negative experiences of the past 150 years. According to the World Bank data, China was #1 in world GDP until multiple foreign invasions and exploitations took place since 1840 which caused great suffering of its people, resulted in the subsequent civil wars and cultural revolution.
With careful plans for the economical and social reform in the past 15+ years, China is becoming a prosperous and peaceful nation again. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-03/19/content_830762.htm
Returning to the 2,500+ year-old harmonious way of life, Buddhism and Confucius’ teachings are being revived, temples are being rebuilt. The current administration of China is building up its infrastructure to meet the needs of the people, providing educational grants and help for the poor students to promote education. China will allocate more than 50 billion yuan (about US$6.5B) in scholarships, student loans and subsidies to help poverty-stricken students, according to a circular issued by the State Council in May, which will benefit about four million college students and more than 16 million vocational school students. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/2007-07/25/content_6005247.htm
China is also actively and constructively helping African countries. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-11/04/content_724596.htm
It is in the philosophy of Confucius that the World Peace starts from each individual in such sequence: "Shaping the individual from within, shaping the family, shaping the nation, then the world peace becomes attainable."
