Thursday, July 26, 2007

GOLDEN MEAN PHILOSOPHY LEADS TO HARMONY DIPLOMACY

Golden Mean philosophy leads to Harmony Diplomacy
www.chinaview.cn 2007-07-26 10:02:19
By Francis C. W. Fung, PH.D.

BEIJING, July 27 (Xinhuanet) -- The philosophy of the Golden Mean is the highest value of progress through dialogue and consultation. Its true essence is to prevent ideological extremism from taking hold. It is definitely opposed to the current religious confrontational strife. This broad East and West concept of balance, when earnestly applied globally, can be the solution for resolving extreme disparity between rich and poor, minimizing religious confrontations and restoring ecological balance for sustainable development.

Harmony Diplomacy, as defined here, can be the Golden Rule of Global Governance. Harmony Diplomacy can be conceived as the common value of the most fluid-like, dynamic balance; encompassing tolerance, mutual respect, acceptance, equity and humility to achieve world harmony. Truth in world affairs, unlike mathematics, often is the Golden Mean between two opposite sides. When one powerful nation forcing its belief on other weak nations as the only absolute truth, it disregards the reality of diversity and defies reason.

Good global governance is the foundation for a harmonious world. To pursue world harmony is the common destiny for the human race. Good global governance must include new world political and economic order to build international democracy. We must promote global cooperation through mutual win-win development and resolve conflicts through dialogue and consultation. We must strengthen the United Nation through needed reform to discourage unilateralism and extremism. All these global undertakings can only begin when major nations of the world start practicing Harmony Diplomacy.

A grand strategy of Harmony Diplomacy to build world harmony must be able to face the challenges of today’s unilateralism, extremism, rich and poor disparity and ecology unsustainability. The important elements of a grand Harmony Diplomacy strategy must include dialogue and consultation, win-win mutual development, unity in diversity, tolerance and openness, equity and humility. Harmony Diplomacy must act through equal, friendly and open dialogue and consultation to achieve mutual understanding, trust and respect. This is to accomplish the greatest possible harmony consensus among nations of the world.

Harmony Diplomacy is to seek commonality and minimize confrontational difference. In the desire to foster win-win common development we must take a long strategic view.The reality of the world is multi cultural and not all in sync of the path and stage of development. We must accept and tolerate different economic and political development. Old colonial mentality and big power chauvinism will never be accepted again. By forcing our culture and value on weak nations is counter productive to Harmony Diplomacy. The best governance system is a nation’s own harmonious system developed from within in active interaction with globalization.

The objective of Harmony Diplomacy is to pursue a higher level of human accomplishment beyond European Renaissance through World Harmony Renaissance. Harmony is an ideal; Renaissance gives it life. The human race relieved of cultural conflicts, political infighting and religious strife will be invigorated by new creative energy. This new found vigor will bring humans to the next phase of true global development that we are waiting for.

To be more specific, through greater Harmony Consensus we will minimize the chances of war and bring about more lasting peace. Without Harmony Consensus, peace can only be temporary. When nations set their sights on win-win mutual development, common world prosperity can be realized. In so doing, the rich and poor disparity can be reduced and the North and South gap breached. The world will be more level. All nations can finally enjoy the fruits of our common cultural and economic accomplishments.

Harmony Consensus, encompassing harmony with nature is the order of nature. It will rally world citizenship to be more conscious and united to protect our common environment. For world sustainable development we must at last move in lock step to strive to conserve energy and resources and protect the environment. As severe as the effects of climate change may be, the world will run out of precious resources sooner because of the current wonton consumption.

Most of all, the current world order is far from democratic. Harmony Diplomacy, through the essential principle of dialogue, consultation, negotiation and harmony consensus, can pave the way for a more just and democratic world order. In Harmony Renaissance, we can finally rediscover the wisdom of tolerance, acceptance, mutual respect and humility. The harmony universal common value will give the human race the necessary true inner peace and strength, to face the diverse and daunting challenges of a world in catastrophic disharmony and extreme self- destruct- selfishness.
Editor: Feng Tao

Sunday, July 22, 2007

HARMONY DIPLOMACY THE GOLDEN RULE OF GLOBAL GOVERNANCE

HARMONY DIPLOMACY: THE GOLDEN RULE OF GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
By Francis C. W. Fung, PH.D.
WWW.WORLDHARMONYORG.NET

The “Rule of the Golden Mean” is a Western doctrine for balanced living and proper handling of human contradictions. A comparable System of Belief in the East is the “Way of the Golden Mean.” Contrary to conventional wisdom, the philosophy of the Golden Mean is not against progress. It is the highest value of progress through dialogue and consultation. Its true essence is to prevent ideological extremism from taking hold. It is definitely opposed to the current religious confrontational strife. That is why it is the value of Golden Mean. This broad East and West concept of balance, when earnestly applied globally, can be the solution for resolving extreme disparity between rich and poor, minimizing religious confrontations and restoring ecological balance for sustainable development.

In the current desire for good global governance we must also begin with Harmony Diplomacy. Harmony Diplomacy, as defined here, can be the Golden Rule of Global Governance. Harmony Diplomacy can be conceived as the common value of the most fluid-like, dynamic balance; encompassing tolerance, mutual respect, acceptance, equity and humility to achieve world harmony. Truth in world affairs, unlike mathematics, often is the Golden Mean between two opposite sides. When one powerful nation forcing its belief on other weak nations as the only absolute truth, it ignores the reality of diversity and defies reason. This is well documented by Al Gore in his most recent book, “The Assault on Reason.”

The above theory, advancing human common aspirations in today’s conflicted world, has been resonating worldwide. The author in resonance with world harmony has also published widely articles advocating Harmony Diplomacy. “Harmony Diplomacy Essential for World Development”, “Power Diplomacy Must Evolve Towards Harmony Diplomacy”, “Harmony Diplomacy in Work”, “Harmony Diplomacy: China’s Commitment to World Harmony” and many other related articles can be seen on Google, Yahoo search and Xinhua Net.

Good global governance is the foundation for a harmonious world. To pursue world harmony is the common destiny for the human race. Good global governance must include new world political and economic order to build international democracy. We must promote global cooperation through mutual win-win development and resolve conflicts through dialogue and consultation. We must strengthen the United Nation through needed reform to discourage unilateralism and extremism. All these global undertakings can only begin when major nations of the world start practicing Harmony Diplomacy.

A grand strategy of Harmony Diplomacy to build world harmony must be able to face the challenges of today’s unilateralism, extremism, rich and poor disparity and ecology unsustainability. The important elements of a grand Harmony Diplomacy strategy must include dialogue and consultation, win-win mutual development, unity in diversity, tolerance and openness, equity and humility. Harmony Diplomacy must act through equal, friendly and open dialogue and consultation to achieve mutual understanding, trust and respect. This is to accomplish the greatest possible harmony consensus among nations of the world.

Harmony Diplomacy is to seek commonality and minimize confrontational difference. In the desire to foster win-win common development we must take a long strategic view.
The reality of the world is multi cultural and not all in sync of the path and stage of development. We must accept and tolerate different economic and political development. Old colonial mentality and big power chauvinism will never be accepted again. By forcing our culture and value on weak nations is counter productive to Harmony Diplomacy. The best governance system is a nation’s own harmonious system developed from within in active interaction with globalization.

The objective of Harmony Diplomacy is to pursue a higher level of human accomplishment beyond European Renaissance through World Harmony Renaissance. Harmony is an ideal; Renaissance gives it life. The human race relieved of cultural conflicts, political infighting and religious strife will be invigorated by new creative energy. This new found vigor will bring humans to the next phase of true global development that we are waiting for.

To be more specific, through greater Harmony Consensus we will minimize the chances of war and bring about more lasting peace. Without Harmony Consensus, peace can only be temporary. When nations set their sights on win-win mutual development, common world prosperity can be realized. In so doing, the rich and poor disparity can be reduced and the North and South gap breached. The world will be more level. All nations can finally enjoy the fruits of our common cultural and economic accomplishments.

Harmony Consensus, encompassing harmony with nature is the order of nature. It will rally world citizenship to be more conscious and united to protect our common environment. For world sustainable development we must at last move in lock step to strive to conserve energy and resources and protect the environment. As severe as the effects of climate change may be, the world will run out of precious resources sooner because of the current wonton consumption.

Most of all, the current world order is far from democratic. Harmony Diplomacy, through the essential principle of dialogue, consultation, negotiation and harmony consensus, can pave the way for a more just and democratic world order. In Harmony Renaissance, we can finally rediscover the wisdom of tolerance, acceptance, mutual respect and humility. The harmony universal common value will give the human race the necessary true inner peace and strength, to face the diverse and daunting challenges of a world in catastrophic disharmony and extreme self- destruct- selfishness.

Francis C. W. Fung, PH.D.
Director General
World Harmony Organization

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

WORLD HARMONY RENAISSANCE CENTER AND RELATED WORLD HARMONY UNDERTAKINGS

WWW.WORLDHARMONYORG.NET
Dear Colleagues and Friends,

Harmony is the most comprehensive universal common value. It owns its origin from observation of nature and encompasses the fundamental principles of all human activities and interrelations. It evolved from human need to harmonize with nature(fengshui practices) to the broadest possible study of diverse human disciplines, including ecology, philosophy, religion, inner peace, family unity, governance systems and international relations. Harmony as a science, is the order of the universe and nature's order. That is why the world still exists after billion and billion years of evolution. The universe is unending because of harmony.

In today's confronting and unilateral world, Harmony Renaissance cannot be more timely to assure sustainable development. Harmony principles must be perceived as fluid- like dynamic balance of contending forces. The best governance system for any developing nation is its own harmony system, developed from within while interacting with globalization. Peace without harmony can at best be transient. Harmony is an ideal, renaissance gives it life. Mutual development, harmony development is the inevitable tide and future reality of mankind. Harmony Diplomacy is essential for world development.

Harmony belongs to the world. World Harmony Organization (WHO) invites your participation to pursue World Harmony Renaissance by establishing World Harmony Renaissance Centers (WHRC) and World Harmony Institutes (WHI) at promising and up and coming locations. We are dedicated to initiate World Harmony Renaissance Symposiums, World Harmony Cultural Festivals, World Harmony Preamble and Declaration, World Harmony Ambassadors and Volunteers Programs.

For our long term gradual implementation of programs we have taken out the above service trade marks to protect all participants. For more details on our programs and service mark registrations please visit our website http://www.worldharmonyorg.net/ To this end we have also published three harmony books and over 60 essays worldwide, listed by Google and Yahoo under World Harmony Renaissance, Chinese Harmony Diplomacy and Francis C W Fung.

The universe of possible studies opened up by Harmony Renaissance is unending and without limit. It is the ongoing progression of human civilization. It invites universal participation. European Renaissance since the Age of Enlightenment has brought us Freedom, Democracy and modern science. Its momentum of creative energy is still continuing after 400 years. Harmony Renaissance is the next wave of creative energy that humans have been waiting for. It will bring us to the next higher level of human accomplishment, surpassing the achievements of European Renaissance.

Our humble efforts to initiate Harmony Renaissance is only at the beginning. We invite worldwide participation. Your participation can be very valuable to human progress. We look forward to your inquiry and contribution.

May Harmony Prevail in the World!



Francis C. W. Fung, PH.D.
Director General
World Harmony Organization.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

HARMONY DIPLOMACY: CHINA'S COMMITMENT TO WORLD HARMONY

HARMONY DIPLOMACY: CHINA'S COMMITMENT TO WORLD HARMONY
By Francis C. W. Fung, PH.D.
http://www.worldharmonyorg.net/

World Harmony Organization is dedicated to the pursuit of harmony renaissance through seeking truth. We firmly believe that world harmony can be achieved when major nations practice Harmony Diplomacy, supported by multinational Harmony Watch. The compelling reasons are traceable to the profound and dramatic changes in the world's current political stage and to the need for a more democratic new world order.

As discussed in our Harmony Diplomacy Watch article, entitled "Power Diplomacy Must Evolve Towards Harmony Diplomacy", mutual development and harmony diplomacy are becoming more and more in tune with international relations than military conquest as an instrument of power behind Power Diplomacy. The use of war as means to advance national interests is rapidly becoming less attractive when the tremendous sacrifice and cost burden are considered.

The overwhelming desire for most of the developing world is common dialogue and mutual development. Over the last three decades the need for stifling cold war contention is rapidly vanishing. On final analysis nations' achievements in economics, culture, diplomacy and values are more beneficial to their population than absolute military superiority. All these contribute to the call for harmony as the major change for world politics. The need for world harmony is based on many developing countries' own experience in their peaceful development. For example the continuing development of the major developing countries such as China, India ,Brazil and others relies heavily on a peaceful environment, trade, negotiations and harmony diplomacy. The days of colonial conquest are long gone since the independence of China, India, African, South East Asian and many other nations.

Among much of the developing world, in the perspective of world harmony, the need to be involved in the peaceful improvement of the current international system through dialogue and harmony diplomacy is compelling. This new approach will be based on the hither to neglected higher harmony common values, mutual development, international organizations and the gradual evolvement of international system towards a more equal and less confrontational harmony world.

In the case of China, her national interests coincide with the international desire for mutual development. Her concerns appear to converge on the common interests of the international community as witnessed by her acceptance of the term "stake holder" proposed by Zollick, current president of World Bank, formerly U.S. State Department under secretary of state in Far East Affairs. From the Chinese perspective, the common value of harmony has roots in ancient history and way of life as in many nations. Harmony belongs to the world and its renaissance can not be more timely.

In modern experience, ever since the founding of the new Republic, China longed to belong to the world community. She was shunned by most Western nations because of ideology difference, which was magnified by cold war strategy under U.S. leadership. China was forced into partial isolation through no choice of her own. During those difficult times, China opened itself to the world by declaring there were three groupings of nations of the world and not just the Communist and anti Communist worlds. The three parts of the world must coexist and respect each other regardless whether they are economically developed, developing or under developed. The principles of peaceful coexistence were declared by the Bandung Conference. The Principles include mutual respect of each country's sovereignty and territory integrity, and non interference of each other's internal affairs. Today there are over one hundred nations signed on to these important peace principles. China was one of the original founder and major signer.

Today, harmony renaissance will provide the common value platform for mutual respect, acceptance, tolerance and forgiveness among nations regardless poor and rich, weak and strong, or developing and developed. Between any two nations there are complementary advantages for dialogue and win win mutual developments. Nations disagreeing with us such as Cuba, North Korea and Iran have been isolated by us for too long. It is time for the U.S. to practice forgiveness. In harmony belief, justice and forgiveness must be in dynamic equilibrium. Only through the eyes of forgiveness and the wisdom that has been gained, can we see justice. We are a culture of attack, confrontation and blame. A nation living in fear of other "evil nations" eventually will march down the path of war and violence. Fortunately, dialogue is beginning and signs of harmony diplomacy are rising on all sides, as detailed in our Harmony Diplomacy Watch papers entitled "Harmony Diplomacy in Work" and "Harmony Diplomacy Essential for World Development".

New China, during the last five decades, has gone through different stages of development. Having suffered for over a century as a semi colonial state, Chinese leaders rejected the condescending attitudes of big powers in international politics. For two generations, Chinese leaders upheld justice of the world order and believed in the principle of equality of all nations. They treated all countries rich or poor as equal and spoke out against big powers interfering in the internal affairs of developing nations.

During the early 1980s, after China initiated the Ping Pong diplomacy, U.S. normalized relations with China. In her reform and opening up during the last three decades, Chinese economy grow rapidly to become one of the major driving force of the world. China today is willing to be a responsible stake holder of the international system. All these interwoven factors constitute China's harmony outlook on the world. In a resolution to drop the by gone cold war rhetoric, China's belief in equity, tolerance, justice, humility and forgiveness is stronger than ever. These are the universal values of harmony.

Chinese people along with peoples of many continents suffered greatly under the exploitation of big power colonialism, ever since the age of European expansion, for over two hundred years. The world will never revert to this despised practice of exploitation of the weak again. For two generations after the founding of the new Republic, Chinese leaders upheld international justice, equity, practiced humility and forgiveness as their personal conviction. For peace and harmony, they swear they will never stoop to the low of bullying the weak. It was China's ancient tradition as well as modern day peaceful inclination not to occupy any foreign territory by force and will not leave even one soldier as occupation force after conflict. These are specific instructions left by the founder of the young Chinese Republic that must be remembered.

Today, having accomplished three decades of remarkable economic growth, current Chinese leaders take a long strategic view on international relations. China has resolved all its neighbouring territory disputes through peaceful dialogue and discussions. Those areas not resolved yet are tabled for future mutual development. In Deng Xiaoping 's words, "what we cannot resolve today, leave to the future generations....they can be wiser." As second generation leader of new China, Deng and his peers have strong aversion to international injustice from strong personal conviction, having suffered greatly in their anti colonial, and anti imperialism revolution. From their deep suffering of a war torn nation they left their legacy to the now third generation leaders. China is committed to Harmony Diplomacy for World Harmony.

Francis C. W. Fung, PH. D.

Director General
World Harmony Organization

Monday, July 2, 2007

POWER DIPLOMACY MUST EVOLVE TOWARDS HARMONY DIPLOMACY

Power diplomacy must evolve towards harmony diplomacy
http://www.chinaview.cn/index.htm 2007-07-03 10:32:38
http://www.worldharmonyorg.net/
By Francis C. W. Fung, PH.D.
BEIJING, June 3 (Xinhuanet) -- America as a young, dynamic, and endow ed nation earned its place as the leader of world democracy during and immediately after the Cold War. The after effects of America winning the Cold War remained today, good or bad. The good is that the world has enjoyed unprecedented prosperity due to relative peace and stability. On the other hand the American public is constantly being reminded by their media and government that we are destined to be the leader of the world because God is on our side.

This self defeating arrogance is in contrast to the universal harmony principle that the more powerful we are, the more we need humility. The damaging consequence of deviating from this all encompassing truism is evident by the dilemma of our embroiled involvement in unilateral Iraqi war. As a result of continuing our Cold War Power Diplomacy we have too often infringed on the dignity of many disadvantaged nations in the world. After 9/11 we declared war against terrorism and were eager to launch the unilateral war on Iraq without giving diplomacy a chance.

Our pride blinded us from seeing the need of dignity by the poor and disadvantaged. We have become immune to other nation's needs for development. Instead from our ethnocentric perspective, we continue to be critical of other striving nation's efforts to modernize. This lack of understanding of other nation's loss of dignity and desperate need of modernization did not go without notice by America's elite, and those experienced in foreign policy. In fact the extensive survey conducted by Pew Research Center involving 45,239 people and 46 nations from April 6 to May 29, 2007 found majorities in many countries reject the main planks of current U.S. foreign policy and express distaste for American style democracy.

According to the polled results, there is a wide spread perception that the U.S. acts unilaterally in making international policy decisions. And majorities in most every country polled, including 97 percent in France, 80 percent in Argentina, and 75 percent in Lebanon, said the United States promoted democracy mostly where it served U.S. interests. This, according to Pew, helps explain why U.S. ideas about democracy are rejected by vast numbers around the globe.

Caution for change to a softer and more understanding American world diplomacy is being sounded in unison by many notable and seasoned formal high ranking diplomats such as Kissinger, Brezezinski, Albright and Slaughter. New theories such as Faith Diplomacy, Value Diplomacy and Diplomacy by Deeds are being advanced.

In today's multilateral world, Power Diplomacy as preached by the bygone wisdom of "speak softly and carry a big stick" has lost most of its relevance. The unpopular unilateral Iraq War makes it clear that "speak loudly and carry a big stick" as practiced by the present administration has not worked so far either. In fact there are signs that Harmony Diplomacy is on the rise, witnessed by the softening of U.S. position in the Sixth Party denuclearization talk.
On the other hand, in catering to the interest of the uninformed and proud American public, the theme of Power Diplomacy is still echoed among U.S. 2008 presidential candidates. In a July/August 2007 Foreign Affairs Journal article titled "Renewing American Leadership," fore running U.S. Democratic Party presidential candidate, Barack Obama expounded Power Diplomacy as key U.S. foreign policy to revive American leadership.

According to Obama "we must harness American power to reinvigorate American diplomacy. Tough minded diplomacy backed by the whole range of instruments of American power-political, economic, and military-could bring success even when dealing with long standing adversaries such as Iran and Syria."

Through out Obama's foreign policy exposition, words such as "power, pushing, pressure, aggressive, tough, tough minded, American leadership and instrument of power" are used freely. Words such as dialogue, mutual understanding, trust, tolerance are noticeably absent. Instead, proud of our past Cold War confrontational expertise, the intensity of cold war diplomacy is called on to deal with a small band of extreme radicals. The war on terror advocated by Bush will certainly become an over kill that will unsettle world diplomacy for years to come.

The world certainly can not afford to have another debilitating cold war. The over enthusiastic inclination to use confrontation and ever increasing force without consideration of neutralizing force with dynamic balance, totally neglects the first principle strategy in counter terrorism or any warfare for that matter. Dynamic balance of harmony is more fluid like in nature.

A harmonious future for Asia and Europe hinges on wisdom that can steer the course of their interactions. So said delegates at the third annual Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Interfaith Dialogue, which wrapped up June 23, 2007 in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu Province. In the Nanjing Statement, issued at the conclusion of the event, participants from the two continents vowed to deepen and broaden the dialogue process to foster a peaceful and harmonious partnership. Building on the achievements of the first two meetings, in Bali in 2005 and Cyprus in 2006, the two-day dialogue co-hosted by China and Italy served as a platform for religious and political leaders and academics to address their diversity and commonality in faiths and deliberate on further tapping the potential of interfaith talks in enhancing mutual understanding in an era of globalization, a senior Chinese diplomats said.

"In Chinese culture, harmony is underpinned by diversity. Seeking harmony while acknowledging differences means that a country or an ethnic group, while preserving its own cultural heritage, should be open and tolerant to other civilizations," he added. In a world wrought with uncertainties, it is vital to pursue mutual understanding through dialogue, and achieve harmony through tolerance, he said. If nations collide because of different values, globalization may be giving a new spin to the multiple values involved in international relations.

A way to avoid conflict has long been sought. A seemingly uncomplicated approach is for nations to share peace and prosperity through dialogue and tolerance. The recipe of dialogue entails not imposing one's values or faith on others. It involves respecting different peoples' treasured values and beliefs. It is necessary to understand and appreciate, or at least tolerate, different cultures and religions. The ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Interfaith Dialogue, under the framework of the Asia-Europe Summit, is just such a platform. It brings nations together from two continents to address their diversity and commonality in faith and culture, with the hope of convergence for the sake of humanity.

Following is an excerpt of a recent article by World Harmony Organization's World Harmony Diplomacy Watch quoting People's Daily. President Hu Jintao made the speech on China's new foreign policy of building a harmonious world at the United Nations Summit marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the world body.

His words received wide approval and the policy is thought fruitful in 2005. The policy helped to lift China's international status, fundamentally because of its pursuit of balance. That is, to balance national development against international responsibilities, economic benefits against political and security interests, relations with world powers against those with various countries, and reform against the maintenance of world order.

In the spirit of "performing great deeds" China has decided to take responsibilities of a big nation. During his meeting with President Bush, President Hu said explicitly that the China-U.S. cooperation will be on global scale.
Editor: Pan Letian