Quote

Jonathan Chen

Everything in nature has its purpose in the grand desideratum of the circle of life. That purpose may not seem obvious to be directly beneficial to us humans. That does not warrant us the rights to destroy it. We must come to the realization that destroying any part of the structure will lead to the collapse of the structure itself.

Mother Nature’s Cry

by Susan Chen

The cover of June 4th Poems

You were in your late teens or early 20s. You were tender trees ready to become strong woods. You were rising suns. You were hopes of a nation. You were about to embrace the challenges and joys of life. You were about to repay your parents for their love and hard work in raising you. You were on your way to bring vigor to the world. You were …

Your lives were abruptly shortened.

You stood up for the people. You stood up for an ancient country to become a member of a peaceful world. You stood up for freedom, justice, and the rights of citizens. You stood up to challenge the world’s most unpassionate governing machine. You stood up to pursue a dream that had been living by millions and millions. You stood up to see that dream to become reality.

Your lives were abruptly shortened.

You inspired. You inspired the street vendors who gave you a cup of tea, a bowl of noodles, with a hearty smile on their faces who normally would have to count each and every penny to make a living. You inspired your teachers and members of school staff who were with you to make sure you were fine with tears on their faces, despite knowing their futures were at risk. You inspired medical workers who performed emergency cares non-stop, treating you like their own sons and daughters. You inspired reporters and journalists who told the truth to the world, defying the rules and routines that they could only write a pre-authorized story line. You inspired police men and women who joined you in the grand march, facing potential ultra harsh punishments. You inspired students overseas who spent day and night asking themselves: what can we do to help, with their hearts beating together with yours. You inspired the world, from the deserts of Africa to the mountains of Europe, people were cheering and crying with you. You were about to witness the fall of Berlin Wall, the freedom ringing in the entire East Europe, the democratic election in South Africa.

Your lives were abruptly shortened.

You would be around your 40s, the most energetic, productive ages. You would be leaders in the professions you would have engaged. You would be proudly telling your children what you did in the early summer of 1989. You would be together joyfully with you families after work. You would be walking with your friends in a Sunday afternoon in Tiananmen Square, telling them: look this is where it all started 21 years ago that had changed China.

Your lives were abruptly shortened.

You still cannot rest in peace. Those who ordered the murder are still being praised. Your mothers who have been relentlessly out-crying for justice are continuously suffering from all forms of political persecutions. Sympathies are not allowed. Compassion is forbidden. Open mourning is a sure arrest.

But, you did not die in vain. You will never be forgotten. Justice will eventually prevail. Freedom will one day ring in the ancient land you loved so much.

One day, there will be a National Memorial day dedicated to you on that day every year thousands and thousands people will bring fresh flowers to you.

One day, there will be a cemetery built for you, in it there will be a gigantic wall made of the most precious marble with your names permanent engraved.

One day, the Nobel Peace Prize Committee will no longer be intimidated when they graciously pronounce you, all of you, the Laureates.

One day, people will be proudly telling their children and grand children the story of the Tiananmen heroes.

One day, you will be able to rest in peace.

With a quote and a video I posted on Facebook, a nice discussion on the subject of forgiveness took place. While forgiveness is certainly an educational process for the psychological well-being, this discussion touches the ability to apply interpersonal forgiveness skills in our personal lives in conflict situations between emotions and aspirations. I thought the elaborations are refreshing and genuine, for they coming in a capricious fashion.

The quote:

“When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.” ~ Catherine Ponder

The video:

The discussion:

Grace: Uhm, what about bullies, predators & dictators? What should I feel? I’ve been giving it some thought.

Gordon: Mind if I jump in here? One of the hardest things we must do in life is to detach ourselves from those we love so that they can take responsibility for their own mistakes. It is when we become too attached that we stifle those we are close to. All parents experience this dilemma of having to let go of the people they love most in the world so that they can grow. But letting go is also necessary when those we love become alcoholics, addicts, users, abusers, etc., as anyone who has ever been to an Alanon meeting knows. Forgiveness in such cases is really a 2-part process. The first kind of forgiveness is the recognition that other people can hurt or control you only because you allow them to. In this sense, forgiveness means “No matter what X does, I will not let it affect my happiness.” The second type of forgiveness comes when the person concerned asks for forgiveness. This is only possible if the person acknowledges what he or she has done and realizes it is wrong. The forgiver has several options. One is when when the transgression simply no longer matters and can be forgotten. Another is acknowledging that the offender is moving forward with his or her life and is making an effort to improve. In extreme cases, forgiveness also means letting go completely and permanently. In the cosmic scheme of things, it matters more how we let ourselves feel about what others have done than the deeds themselves. There will always be injustice, victimization, abuse, and pain in the universe, but we can only rise above it within ourselves. Wasting precious time on resentment and anger serves little purpose and distracts us from far more important things.

Grace: I understand fully what it means to forgive & how important it is to forgive others for having hurt you in any way.

What I am still struggling here is…what about those who are doing great injustice to others? Maybe it’s my weird sense of righteousness, but I’ve never been the one to get over this feeling, even as a small kid, whenever I see someone getting bullied.

Man, as an 11-years-old, I even refused to talk to a best friend in class for months just because I caught her bullying another classmate. Of course, I forgave & forgive her very easily. We’re still best of buddies I just can’t get over these kind of acts.

Do we forgive Hitler? Do we forgive Mao? Do we forgive Ahmadinejad? It’d be very difficult to separate the acts from persons like these. They offend me not because they have hurt or harmed me, simply because I am human.

Jonathan Chen: This little video has stirred some in-depth discussion, which makes it very worthy of posting. The message in the video focuses on forgiving and letting go sentiments that directly impact our own mental state, left by those who are or have been part of our lives. As Gordon pointed out, each person will eventually have to be responsible for their own acts. Justice will work its way to punish criminal activities – at least that’s what it supposedly does. As someone who has access to a person who is on the verge of misdeed, we do everything within our capacity to help that person change before it is too late, so that we are doing our part the best we can, and we have inner peace in ourselves. The mental strength achieved via self-cultivation here is having a clear understanding about the purpose, not letting resentful emotion dominate the process.

Forgiveness and courage against injustice do not contradict each other. In fact, forgiveness strengthens our ability to fight injustice. By letting go personal emotions that cluster our minds, we’ll be able to grasp the grand picture, and have the focus and energy to make a difference. Pursuing justice against those committed inhuman crimes and enduring forgiveness for those who we care about lead to the same goal: peace.

Grace: That makes a lot of sense Without forgiveness, it’s how normal people would get radicalized into violent acts like terrorism, out of rage & anger at what they see & hear. I’m all for a voice of reason to get heard. Now I see what all those petitions & letters from the Amnesty are about.

Gordon: Grace, like you, I have always been a person who reacted strongly to injustice and oppression. For most of my life, I spent a lot of emotional and spiritual energy raging against the status quo. It wasn’t until I lived in Prague in the 1990’s that I discovered that all of the former dissidents I met there were profoundly unhappy people. The average Czech played along with the machine, paid lip service to the glorious martyrs of Communism, and looked forward to a time when they could make a decent living and live like Western Europeans. They emerged mostly unscathed from 60 years of totalitarian rule. But the dissidents all bore deep scars. It was a revelation for me because I had never questioned the notion that doing the “right thing” was always the best thing to do. I now believe that one must keep things in perspective and maintain a balance between anger at the way things are and acceptance (resignation?) that there are many things we cannot change in life. I hate to refer to a cliche, but I believe there is much universal wisdom in what is commonly referred to as the serenity prayer:
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Because I was raised the way I was, I will always err on the side of outrage rather than complacency, but I can only hope that as time goes on, I will find more effective ways of channeling that anger about the way things are and choose my battles more carefully. Wisdom isn’t easily acquired.

Jonathan, it is interesting that you refer to self-cultivation, as this term is such a difficult one for most Westerners to grasp. In the current political discourse in this country, it has become virtually impossible to advocate forgiveness or even tolerance, and those who hold the most unbalanced and extreme views seem to get the most attention. As much as I want to believe that those responsible for the abuse and torture of millions will receive justice in the hereafter, I think that justice must happen in this lifetime to make a difference. The notion of truth and justice commissions, as happened in South Africa after apartheid, is perhaps the best example of how justice and forgiveness can occur simultaneously. But there are still far too many wrongs in the world which have not been made right, too many victims who have not been made whole, and I fear that the future holds more of the same. For those of us who care about such things, we will never be fully at ease.

Grace: Hmm, Gordon, rage is hardly ever in my realm anyway. “Peace” has been one part of my armor in spirit. Between anger and resignation, surely there is another way.

I think, for most people, ignorance is bliss and it’s probably best for them to stay that way until they’re fully prepared for a new level of awareness.

I’m afraid I’ve become too aware of everything but I have confidence that I’m strong enough to deal with any negativitiy that may come as part of the package. And, prayer has been one major part of my defence.

Back to the topic of forgiveness, I believe most peope can’t get pass this very first test — self-forgiveness, to be able to forgive their own selves first of all.

Jonathan Chen : Gordon, your personal encounters have significantly enriched your range of vision. Not many people have such rich experience and allowed the broader exposure to enhance their views. The state of mind you have arrived may be a result of the combined effect of serenity teaching and self-cultivation, because I sense you allow yourselves to a lot of thinking and reflection. The willingness of embracing diverse ideas is obvious in Grace too. I agree with you, Grace, that self-forgiveness is perhaps the start. It all comes to being able to make a judgment: does the resentfulness towards oneself or towards anyone else produce positivity.

Relying on serenity teaching and performing self-cultivation definitely reflect cultural differences. But for anyone who achieves a decent degree of serenity is most likely an effort of doing both. Sage, in Chinese, is what we refer for those who are with such statue. In real life, we all have emotions and feelings. No one is truly a sage. The courage and morality of those of us who reacted strongly to injustice and oppression should be applauded. As you pointed out, the next step is to ascend to the proficiency of channeling such energy for a greater impact, there the ability of enduring forgiveness to maintain broad minded becomes essential. I can think, in recent history, only a few with such capacity, among them the most noticeable, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., His Holiness the Dalai Lama. They are not just iconic figures, they have changed the world.

For those of us who want to accord a change for the better, we may not be able to see the immediate impact. We should believe in that our efforts are not to be wasted, because we are in the middle of a long relay that the baton has to be carried to pass to the next runner. I keep these words of JFK in a close reach all the time: “All this will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.”

Grace: Yes, it’s a long relay indeed!! The great men & women have passed down the batons to us and we are to keep it going. It’s a group effort, the whole humanity. Individuals can only do so much

In his  “I have a Dream” address nearly half century ago,  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr delivered the following vibrant calls:

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”

Today, I feel compelled to seek inspirations from the vigor his words transmit, in the midst of sensing a dangerous trend of hatred inquietude.

Throughout the history human beings everywhere have been struggling to derive a just society. The recognition of reaching a just society as the principle goal has let to collective agreements in the forms of constitutions, laws, and other documentations. The ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights marks a great progress of human societies in emphasizing the underlying value of justice.

In today’s world, parts of the world are no longer isolated. Nations and regions are not static but rather organically dynamic, and societies everywhere are multicultural and multi-faith. We, in this world, are a People of peoples with different cultural identities that enrich ourselves and our communities.

It is more exigent than ever that the democratic framework within a nation and across the globe functions as it is designed that it is the protection of minority interests and popular sovereignty that popular sovereignty should not trump minority interests.

While the democratic framework and constitutions and laws intend to safeguard the individual rights and freedoms, they are what they are: frameworks. They provide us a “house” but not a “home”. We the people who are endowed with the capacity of conscience and the capability of resonance must give this “house” a soul: respecting individual liberty and embracing diversity. Only with such enlightenment deeply rooted in each and every one of us, can justice and peace become organic, natural, and enlivened.

No matter what faith and belief we have, we are all part of the same universe. It cannot be argued otherwise that the universe we are part of is created by the same Creator. If we respect and accept ourselves as part of the creation, we must respect and accept all the parts of the creation. The universality of rights is not just a value but it is the truth. It is rather conspicuous that discriminating any beings created by the Creator is an act of disrespecting the creation of the Creator, let alone members of our human family.

It is the harmonic motion of all the individuality and the uniqueness of each beings in the universe that forms the ultimate living art the Creator designed. Without the diversity in ethnicity and culture, our human music is monotonic, our human family is lifeless, and our human celebration is dull.

“Infinite diversity in infinite combinations… symbolizing the elements that create truth and beauty.” We are blessed with the Gift of Diversity. Let’s embrace it with open arms and celebrate it with open hearts.

One doesn’t really need to look for inspirations. Inspiration is everywhere, from a causal conversation, a sightseeing, a gathering, and, yes, splendid pictures. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.

The key is being grateful, being wanted to be inspired. Gratification allows one to abandon the arrogance that blocks seeing things that are inspiring, things that are heartwarming, things that make life meaningful, colorful, and fulfilling.

I have been fascinated daily by the creative arts shared on Facebook by friends, whether it’s a beautiful photograph capturing the elegance of nature, or a stunning painting revealing an enlivening message. Looking at them defines a still moment of joy, rejuvenates the otherwise fading sense of humanity.

I thought the least I can do is treasure it for more people to enjoy.

The Global We: a Facebook initiative of Gordon J Millar. Gordon sets the mission statement for the group as:

The Global We ~ You, Me, Us… ALL of us are changing the world!
compassion for each other, conservation of our world
LOVE in action for people and planet
(( (WE are ONE) ))

Images source: The Global We on Facebook

Rucar: through the Wheelchairs For Iraqi Kids Project by Brad Blauser, I met two friends, Lili Avram and Cornelia Davis. They both share the passion to make their hometown a better place for the people there: better development, better education. I admit that I did not know much about Rucar before. Seeing the breathtaking pictures they and their friends posted, I just know I want to visit that gorgeous place soon, meet the friendly people and enjoy the local cuisine.

Images source: The Rucar on Facebook

Autumn: Rachy is a “musician and artist at heart”. But she’s definitely a photographer. Her album Fall 2009 captures some of the most stunning colors nature offers. This collection was taken around Boston. It reminds me a famous poem by the celebrated writer Du Mu of the Tang Dynasty: The frost-covered leaves are redder than the spring flowers.

Images source: Rachy Burckardt’s Photos on Facebook

So, there you have it. Enjoy!

Speech at a Martin Luther King Day Gathering in Washington DC, 1991
Edited on Martin Luther King Day 2010

Special MLK Tribute – by friend and artist, Haiyan

Today we gather here to celebrate Martin Luther King Day.

We celebrate an enchanted life of celebration, a life that inspires generations and generations to come.

We celebrate an everlasting spirit of enlightening, a spirit that transcends the fear within in commanding respect and longing equal rights.

We celebrate a mighty power in a human being, a power not derived from wealth or privilege, not from Royal heritage or government post, not even from a public election. A power emerges from the conviction and dedication to the unconditional love for the human race. A power that is deeply rooted in each and everyone of us that when it is finally being ignited there is no mountain of injustice that can not be flattened and removed.

We are here to let you know, Dr. King, that your Dream is being carried on not just in the hills of Georgia and the state of Mississippi but everywhere in this world; that your call to Let Freedom Ring is not just echoed in the hilltops of New Hampshire, the mountains of New York, the Alleghenies of Pennsylvania, the Rockies of Colorado, and the slopes of California, but is being responded in chorus in the mountains of Himalayan, in the valleys of Danube, along the shore of the pacific ocean, and in the heart of the Los Llanos plains.

People, people are rising up in pride and dignity. People are saying No to tyranny and reign of terror. But, the ultimate victory for the peace-loving humanity is far from being claimed. In those states of totalitarian, laws are used to defend dictatorships instead of protect the people; peaceful calls for harmony are being suppressed with brutality instead of being cherished; human rights champions are being imprisoned instead of being praised. Even in this great nation of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and you, Dr. Martin Luther King, too often democracy is comprised to special interests, too often the so-called ideology overshadows the commitment to put the people first.

These words of Dr. King that “I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest — quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality” describe well for our gathering today, in the context of the global family of humanity. We must “hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” 

When we pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King on this special day, the best gift we can present to him is to remind ourselves about his dream, to continue his cause each and every day until there is no one in this world finds himself an exile in his own land. 

We have a dream: let freedom ring from every corner in this world!

Humanity In Tragedy – Haiti – Earthquake-January 2010

by Annabel Sheila

Sadness weighs heavily upon my heart,
Human tragedy, devastating loss of life;
A struggling nation where poverty is an epidemic,
They faced the wrath of nature yet again.
Haiti, land of sunshine and misery,
Where the rich thrive, and the poor perish.
Mother Earth drew a deep breath,
And as she exhaled, a shuddering groan
Shook all that lay against her bosom.
There was no anger in her deed.
She did not intend to destroy.
Calamity was beyond her control.
With the very earth shaking beneath their feet,
There was nowhere to run.
Palaces and shanties alike reduced to rubble,
Entombing those who could not escape.
Cries from beneath mountains of stone,
Echo through the streets.
Helpless, they weep for those they cannot reach.
Battered and beaten, they are defeated.
They hold the loved ones they can,
And grieve for those that are lost.
Now the wealthy and poor are united at last,
For there is no discrimination when catastrophe strikes.
But out of the destruction, hope will rise,
Like the brilliant sunshine that warms
They’re beloved country.
Nations will join together to assist them.
For we hear their cries, and our hearts weep,
We will take their hands and hold them tightly,
Comfort them, and lift them from the dust.
Sometimes I question,
Whether compassion for humanity still exists,
Then at times like this, I see it
In all its splendour!
And my faith is restored once more.

 
Haiti, we love you!
Sincerely
The Human Race

On Tuesday, January 12th, David Drummond, Google’s SVP of Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer, released a statement on Google’s official blog announcing the company’s decision to end censorship in China, indicating doing so the company would be facing the “potentially far-reaching consequences” of losing that market.

This conduct is of great significance, particularly when the financial and business world had been tainted with greed and irresponsibility in recent years, from the wall street giants’ abusive behaviors, to the short sighted operations that nearly emptied the US job market.

There should be a limit on everything. This action shows Google has its limits of acceptance. In business practices, there is a set of international trade rules not only stresses fair trade principles but also embraces the spirit of ethics and protective measures to basic rights. Unfortunately, we have seen too often that businesses chose ignoring these moral standards as well as the fair trade principles in exchange for a looks good stats sheet. Let’s chew on the following statement from AFL-CIO: “Since 2001, the nation has lost more than 2.5 million manufacturing jobs and more than 850,000 professional service and information sector jobs. No one knows for sure how many of these jobs have been lost due to increased import competition and shifts in production abroad, since no comprehensive official data are collected. Various independent estimates indicate the number of white-collar jobs lost to shipping work overseas over the past few years is in the hundreds of thousands and millions are at risk in the next five to ten years. But the number of jobs lost need not be overwhelming in order to concern policymakers: increased overseas outsourcing also undermines wages and working conditions in those jobs left behind and threatens the long-term health of the economy.”

On the Internet censorship side, nations of the global trade community that impose such censorship not only threaten the safety of their own citizens and suppress the basic rights of freedom of speech, but are clearly in violation of the world trade agreements. In December last year, the European Center for International Political Economy (ECIPE) released its document, Protectionism Online: Internet Censorship and International Trade Law. In this 19 page report, it details the violations of WTO trade rules by the Chinese government’s censorship practice, particularly on General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) provisions.

People everywhere understand, cheer for, and support ethical business behaviors. The following pictures, taking in China, show the reaction and support for Google’s courageous move:

Google China

A group of friends put together a short note yesterday to offer our solidarity with Google:

To Google Executives,

We applaud your decision to end censorship in China.

Your decision exhibits Google’s high stands on morality, business ethics, and principles of freedom of speech.

The Internet has become the ultimate channel in the battle for the free flow of information and the fundamental human rights of freedom of speech. In the evolution of freedom of information, Google has been a champion, an invaluable resource for people all over the world. However, in recent years, particularly since 2009, China’s censorship of the Internet has intensified to an entirely new level, and business entities are being pressured to surrender to Chinese censorship demands. We understand entirely how difficult it has been for Google to operate in China, we concur completely your assessment that “The decision to review our business operations in China has been incredibly hard, and we know that it will have potentially far-reaching consequences.” That is why we are deeply touched by your decision, and want to use this opportunity to offer our profound support.

Without any doubt, your resolution sets an example for others to follow. It lays the ground work to break a business pattern that puts profitability over and above ethics and principles.

In a short period of less than 24 hours, Google has already become a hero in the eyes of many. You are not alone. The freedom loving communities around the globe are with you!

Watching the Rose Parade on New Years day, I cheered with the crowds as the float of the Grand Marshal passing by.

Captain Sullenberger

Captain Chesley Sullenberger rode down Colorado Boulevard in a vintage 1928 Pierce Arrow with his wife, Lorrie, and two daughters. He is the Grand Marshal of this year’s parade. He is a real person, a real hero.

On January 15, 2009, when his US Airways Flight 1549 failed, Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, remaining cool, calm and collected, successfully ditched his flight into the Hudson River, saved 155 lives. After the plane was down, he undid his safety belt and walked the length of the plane to make sure all the passengers were safely outside. Calling him “Sully”, the family and friends were not surprised at all at his heroic action, “If you met Sully, you’d understand. You’d say, ‘Yep, that’s Sully.’” “He’s a great guy,” said John and Jane Garcia, neighbors of Sullenberger. A great guy indeed. And a story of inspiration. 

Heroes of 9/11

The Hero Of Flight 1549 is just one of the many inspiring stories of the last decade. In contrast to the cruel conducts of those who continuously disrespect justice and rights of others, there were countless individuals and groups in the decade brought hope to the world with their courage and loving-hearts. 

The Heroes of 9/11 – the firefighters, the policemen, the medical personnel, rescue workers, and all the common people who helped others on the attack sites during the actual disaster days, and those who helped to clean up in the aftermath of 9-11-01. For at least one day in 2001, there were no Republicans or Democrats. The nation came together on 9/11 like never before, and the volunteers, rescue workers, and civil servants who gave their lives on that day were an undeniable inspiration. 

Betty Makoni

Betty Makoni – The Zimbabwe native, a victim of childhood sexual abuse, used her experience to transform the lives of girls in southern Africa. The Girl Child Network she created has provided a haven for young victims of sexual abuse, and has rescued more than 35,000 girls since 2001. “Our goal,” says Makoni, “is to dismantle the link between culture and violence against the girls and enable them to take charge of their own destiny.” 

Jorge Munoz

An Angel in Queens: Jorge Munoz – Since 2004, the school bus driver has handed out more than 70,000 meals from his mobile soup kitchen in Queens – for free. “Every single night, Jorge is here,” said one the people Jorge helped. “Doesn’t matter. Rain, thunderstorm, lightning. He do that from his good will, you know. He feeds everybody, make the stomach happy. He’s an angel.” 

Budi Soehardi

Budi Soehardi, Indonesia’s real hero – In a country that the news is about corruption at the highest levels of government and the persistent poverty among the nation’s masses, Budi Soehardi brings some hope to his country’s citizens. Budi founded a children’s home in one of the poorest areas of Indonesia. Today, Roslin Orphanage in West Timor provides food, shelter and education to more than 45 children. “What has been done by Budi may not be that spectacular in terms of the number of people he helps, but it’s real,” said Bayu, the deputy minister of the Agriculture Ministry.

Xu Zhiyong

Xu Zhiyong, a bright light in the dark – In a nation human dignity and human rights are considered irrelevant by the authorities, Xu Zhiyong is determined to make a change with his own actions. The legal scholar and activist has emerged as a vocal champion of victims’ rights in just about every major legal scandal of recent years, offering pro bono advice to victims of police brutality, tainted milk products, and extrajudicial detention. In 2003, Mr. Xu co-founded Gongmeng – Open Constitution Initiative – to protect the rights to which Chinese citizens are theoretically already entitled. The NGO was shut down for alleged tax irregularities, and Xu was arrested and detained in July 2009. Following a domestic and international outcry, he was released in late August. He immediately engaged himself in the unfinished tasks of helping the victims.

Brad Blauser

Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids - Five years ago, Brad Blauser of Dallas landed in Iraq as a civilian contractor. He quit his job in 2005 in order to focus full time, and without pay, on securing wheelchairs for disabled Iraqi children, to whom he refers as “the forgotten ones in this war.” For the past four years, the native Texan has been providing hope to hundreds of disabled Iraqi children and their families. 

It is impossible to list all the great stories. I am sure there are many many untold ones. It’s a shame that the big-boy medias would rather devote their passion and enthusiasm to political quarrels that do nothing positive but further widen the divide. I become discouraged these days even to think turning on a news channel, when they could use their tremendous resources to discover the beautiful souls and boost the impact to the world peace.

Humanitarian causes, like the Wheelchairs For Iraqi Kids created by Brad Blauser, also made a real difference in this troubled world in the last decade. I had the privilege to personally interact with some of organizers. Each and every time, warmness flew over my body, I walked out feeling inspired. Among these, I was particularly touched and moved by the efforts and messages of these two extraordinary organizations:

Shoes for Orphan Souls

Shoes for Orphan Souls – Shoes for Orphan Souls provides new shoes and socks to orphans and at-risk children throughout the world. From conducting shoe drives to humanitarian aid trips, Shoes for Orphan Souls offers hands-on opportunities to individuals, groups and organizations wanting to transform lives. Since 1999, 2 million pairs of new shoes and socks have been distributed to children in 68 countries. It is not just shoes, Shoes for Orphan Souls brings dignity and pride to those underprivileged children, makes them feel they belong to the family of mankind.

SOS Children’s Villages

SOS Children’s Villages - The world’s largest orphan charity, building families for children in need, helping them shape their own futures, and sharing in the development of their communities since 1949. SOS Children’s Villages has built 500 villages in 132 countries.

“Happiness comes from spiritual wealth, not material wealth… Happiness comes from giving, not getting. If we try hard to bring happiness to others, we cannot stop it from coming to us also. To get joy, we must give it, and to keep joy, we must scatter it.” – John Templeton

Those who reach eternal happiness are the ones who have abandoned greed, who would relinquish everything, including power, when the rights of others are endangered, who truly respect equality, who surrender themselves completely to the belief that everyone is created equal. 

And they are the the backbones for a peaceful world.