WORLD HARMONY PRESENTATION BY FRANCIS C.W.FUNG TO ROTARY CLUB AT MILL VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB, CA
WWW.WORLDHARMONYORG.NET
INTRODUCTION BY ERIC CHIPPS
In today’s world of international conflicts, religious strife, North and South disparities, terrorism, extremism and unilateralism, harmony renaissance is the only common value universal solution. The tide of Harmony Renaissance is inevitable. All present will become pioneers of Harmony Renaissance. Harmony advocates non-violence. Its’ premises are tolerance, acceptance, respect, equity, patience and humility. As powerful as we are we will not have nobility and hope unless we practice humility. This is the new global awareness. Harmony is the conduit to facilitate multi-directional cultural flow not just from West to East and North to South. Harmony is the all-embracing unifying force for unity in diversity.Dr. Fung has initiated the World Harmony Organization in North America and has already attracted interest and support. It is a growing influence in North America, Europe and China from important figures in academic and social circles, economics and politics, as well as a growing number of concerned citizens in many countries.Clearly, the policies of confrontation currently contributing so much to world tensions are unproductive, as well as damaging to the progress of society. By developing the ancient Chinese promotion of harmony, the Organization hopes to become again the third pillar in supporting democracy and religious principle as the foundation of a more peaceful and productive world.More information can be obtained from the Organization’s website at WorldHarmonyorg.net which allows a measure of the extent to which harmony is increasingly an influence. You may also contribute opinion via WorldHarmonyforum.blogspot.com By his talk today, Dr. Fung hopes to generate recognition among influential people of the role that a young, dynamic America, endowed with resources should be advocating harmony renaissance.The first World Harmony Cultural Festival will be launched on September 16th, co-sponsored by the San Francisco University and other distinguished organizations and individuals.Eric Chipps, Chipps and Associates
Excerpt from Jan 2007 speech by Hon. John Prescott, Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State, United Kingdom:
There's been a great deal of talk about harmony in recent times. In fact, the academic, Francis Fung, has argued in his recent paper "Chinese Harmony Culture: Old and New - Promise for a Less Confrontational World" that China is witnessing a harmony renaissance.
He claims that great debates are happening today in China over whether Socialism with Chinese characteristics can be Socialism with harmony. And Fung maintains that China's harmony socialism will provide an alternative model, as the leading system of governance in the 21st Century.
Indeed, I note that in October the Chinese Communist Party launched a national campaign to build a more harmonious society. In doing so, China appears to be reaffirming its own rich cultural tradition of harmony.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
REVIEW BY MORGAN STEACY, YORK UNIVERSITY, TORONTO, EAST ASIAN STUDIES DEPARTMENT
Freedom, Democracy and Harmony Diplomacy: A Review by Morgan Steacy, York University, Toronto, East Asian Studies Department.
Have you ever heard someone say, “Can’t we all just get along?”, and thought that it sounded reasonable? This is exactly what I believe happened to Dr. Francis Fung, Director General of the World Harmony Organisation. Dr. Fung has written an article entitled, Freedom Democracy and Harmony Diplomacy that essentially asks this very question. The difference here is that he answers with a resounding, yes.
Up until now no one has ventured to explore the reasons that people have so often asked this question, but have never actually dealt with why the answer that should be YES seems determined to remain NO. So, how does this article evade the puerile nature of the question that it deals with?
Dr. Fung has chosen the USA, as the major world power, to be the primary focus of his urgings. He links historical downfalls of people quite succinctly with the current situation of the world. He describes a world that is so overcome with the notion of “spreading freedom” that there is never a moment to stop and think about the hypocrisy of deciding to “bring freedom” to another nation.
He describes this as “freedom diplomacy”, a process which is detrimental to societies because of the fact that they are not determining their own freedom, making it inherently flawed. He further points out that while terrorists have acted in order to destroy our freedom, their success in actually doing so has been ineffective. He claims that it is our reaction to terrorism that has actually limited our freedom. He is not claiming that countries should eliminate counter-terror measures. The point he is making is that we are dealing with the symptoms of a problem rather than the problem itself.
Some believe that the answer to the problem lies in the style of governance that persists in regions where terrorists are able to survive. The answer, to these people, is simple. Spread democracy. If democracy’s impact has been felt to the extent that it has in so many other parts of the world, then surely there is no reason for it to fail elsewhere. The truth, unfortunately, lies far from this simplistic view. It is impossible to deny that democracy has been a boon to many societies, and has even been the backbone of success in the modern world, but there are differences in the way that each nation practices democracy. The flexibility that democracy allows within a defined structure is one thing that makes democracy such an amazing concept. Unfortunately, it is often the case that narrow-mindedness and a lack of true cultural understanding inhibits the propagation of actual democracy, and it is only imperialism that perseveres.
Finally, Dr. Fung, having illuminated many of the problematic approaches currently being undertaken, leads the reader to the solution. Harmony is an approach that supports rather than censures, it is tolerant rather than judgemental and it is inclusive instead of being exclusive. Harmony is meant to encompass the fundamental principles that one ought to adhere to in all facets of life. Decision-making processes would be geared towards harmony, rather than personal gain, from an individual level all the way to a global plain.
Dr. Fung has taken a concept that is so seemingly simplistic and breathed a palpable life into it in this essay. The statement that he is making is direly needed and I hope that he continues to make statements like these so that people will start to realise that the solutions that are currently failing to solve the contentious issues of global peace will continue to fail until we realise that it is our very goal that is misguided. We need to establish global harmony before thinking about global peace. Harmony does not imply agreement, only tolerance. It is possible to bring harmony about quickly through education and compliance. Once the people of the world commit to harmony as a means to solve problems, the problems of the world will finally become manageable, and maybe then we will all “just get along”.
WORLD HARMONY PRESENTATION BY FRANCIS C.W.FUNG TO ROTARY CLUB AT MILL VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB, CAINTRODUCTION BY ERIC CHIPPS
Have you ever heard someone say, “Can’t we all just get along?”, and thought that it sounded reasonable? This is exactly what I believe happened to Dr. Francis Fung, Director General of the World Harmony Organisation. Dr. Fung has written an article entitled, Freedom Democracy and Harmony Diplomacy that essentially asks this very question. The difference here is that he answers with a resounding, yes.
Up until now no one has ventured to explore the reasons that people have so often asked this question, but have never actually dealt with why the answer that should be YES seems determined to remain NO. So, how does this article evade the puerile nature of the question that it deals with?
Dr. Fung has chosen the USA, as the major world power, to be the primary focus of his urgings. He links historical downfalls of people quite succinctly with the current situation of the world. He describes a world that is so overcome with the notion of “spreading freedom” that there is never a moment to stop and think about the hypocrisy of deciding to “bring freedom” to another nation.
He describes this as “freedom diplomacy”, a process which is detrimental to societies because of the fact that they are not determining their own freedom, making it inherently flawed. He further points out that while terrorists have acted in order to destroy our freedom, their success in actually doing so has been ineffective. He claims that it is our reaction to terrorism that has actually limited our freedom. He is not claiming that countries should eliminate counter-terror measures. The point he is making is that we are dealing with the symptoms of a problem rather than the problem itself.
Some believe that the answer to the problem lies in the style of governance that persists in regions where terrorists are able to survive. The answer, to these people, is simple. Spread democracy. If democracy’s impact has been felt to the extent that it has in so many other parts of the world, then surely there is no reason for it to fail elsewhere. The truth, unfortunately, lies far from this simplistic view. It is impossible to deny that democracy has been a boon to many societies, and has even been the backbone of success in the modern world, but there are differences in the way that each nation practices democracy. The flexibility that democracy allows within a defined structure is one thing that makes democracy such an amazing concept. Unfortunately, it is often the case that narrow-mindedness and a lack of true cultural understanding inhibits the propagation of actual democracy, and it is only imperialism that perseveres.
Finally, Dr. Fung, having illuminated many of the problematic approaches currently being undertaken, leads the reader to the solution. Harmony is an approach that supports rather than censures, it is tolerant rather than judgemental and it is inclusive instead of being exclusive. Harmony is meant to encompass the fundamental principles that one ought to adhere to in all facets of life. Decision-making processes would be geared towards harmony, rather than personal gain, from an individual level all the way to a global plain.
Dr. Fung has taken a concept that is so seemingly simplistic and breathed a palpable life into it in this essay. The statement that he is making is direly needed and I hope that he continues to make statements like these so that people will start to realise that the solutions that are currently failing to solve the contentious issues of global peace will continue to fail until we realise that it is our very goal that is misguided. We need to establish global harmony before thinking about global peace. Harmony does not imply agreement, only tolerance. It is possible to bring harmony about quickly through education and compliance. Once the people of the world commit to harmony as a means to solve problems, the problems of the world will finally become manageable, and maybe then we will all “just get along”.
WORLD HARMONY PRESENTATION BY FRANCIS C.W.FUNG TO ROTARY CLUB AT MILL VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB, CAINTRODUCTION BY ERIC CHIPPS
FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY AND HARMONY DIPLOMACY
FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY AND HARMONY DIPLOMACY
(I) INTRODUCTION
Noble ideals do not occur as isolated incidents in human civilization. Rather, they result from our collective inspiration and wisdom. They are derived of keen observation of the interactions between humans themselves as well as with nature. Often they become important movements of necessity calling for correction of inequity in our midst. More often than not, because of the universal truths they contain, they propagate by resonance and become the common human heritage.
When the pressure of inequity builds up unchecked to unbearable proportions, these ideals are bound to release the human energy necessary for correction. This system of cause and consequence is similar to the balance between wind and waves correcting for differences in air and water pressure. It is nature’s way to seek dynamic equilibrium and human activities cannot escape the order of nature, as intelligent as we are. Our misguided intellect has, from time to time, actually created more dynamic disturbances, such as wars, slavery and economic imbalances that are more destructive than any natural calamities like hurricanes, earthquakes or tsunamis.
Freedom, Democracy and Harmony are three ancient universal human ideals that belong to the world and not to any one single nation. They are not entirely independent but intimately related. As a matter of fact, there exist fascinating relations among them that warrant immediate global study. Some may wonder why freedom and democracy have been so widely promoted during the last 400 years of human history, while harmony was barely noted on the world stage.
In fact, Freedom and Democracy have been the most successfully used tools to promote international diplomacy in the 20th Century. The scenario for the fall of the Soviet Empire at the end of the last century was due mostly to the effective propagation of Western freedom and democracy diplomacy as well as the Soviet’s economic collapse. Harmony, as a great unifying force in the on rush of globalization, has now come of age. Harmony is mankind’s greatest common value. The conflicted world of today urgently calls for international democracy through the practice of harmony diplomacy. To grasp the importance of harmony diplomacy a review of freedom and democracy diplomacy can be most revealing.
(II) FREEDOM DIPLOMACY
Nature imbues us with the instinctive knowledge that we are born free. The mountains, the wind and the lions are born free, not to mention any other of the myriad animals that remain free until captured. Despite being born free, powerful groups desperately yearn to enslave us. More than 2500 years ago the most ancient cultures scattered about different continents prohibited slavery seeing it as hideous. The institutionalized slave trade was most egregiously practiced in the new world until the American civil war put an end to it. During the Cold War Era freedom became a convenient slogan used by much of the capitalist world, right or wrong, especially by those countries that felt the threat of Communism.
The world then was arbitrarily divided into the Free World and the Communist world. It was during this Cold War Era that the word freedom got more mileage in the media than at any other time in human history. Freedom whipped up the world to such a fever pitch that half of the world was willing to die for it whether it was called for or not. I recall as a young child in Hong Kong, when our American teacher gave our senior class the topic “The best things in life are free” the whole class dutifully wrote how great freedom was and that it was worth dying for without fully understanding the topic.
Immediately following 9/11, George W. Bush conveniently thrust freedom centre stage to rally Americans with the resounding cry. The logic was that the terrorists hate our freedom and they are intent on taking it away. To be fair, American democracy as put forth by our forefathers, guarantees each citizen freedom from undue infringement through law and order. Freedom as an ideal is politically neutral, neither good nor bad. However, modern democracy is designed to prevent minority individuals from exceeding their rights granted by freedom.
Bush’s call for freedom diplomacy after 9/11 is neither necessary nor appropriate. Terrorists have not been empowered to take away our freedom, but the resulting regulation to counter-terrorism has. As warned by President Eisenhower, the military complex created by war may seriously threaten our democracy and hence our individual freedom. The greatest threat to our freedom today is our enslavement to the military and the industrial complex through their hijacking of democracy.
(III) DEMOCRACY DIPLOMACY
Since time immemorial, the protection of human rights has occupied our consciousness. The fear of the all mighty unknown that sparked religious teaching was likely the catalyst for this type of thought. Teaching morals and common values developed along with harmony while democracy followed behind. Democratic systems as a means to guarantee individual rights and freedoms reached new heights when the American Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights were signed, giving way to the system of laws being enacted. Western diplomacy spread far and wide and profoundly changed the world during the 20th century.
During the cold war era U.S. democracy diplomacy successfully faced down Soviet expansionism. Its influence on foreign policy has now diminished as fear of communism has significantly decreased. Democracy, in different forms, has now become a generally accepted governance system. Democracy grows best in the fertile soil of each individual nation without outside interference or occupation. American chastisement of other nations only offends their dignity. Many developing nations, after years of domination by imperialism, have nothing to cling to other than the very dignity being spoken of.
Democracy is also no longer an import export item, as pointed out by Ban Ke-moon, the current Secretary General of the U.N. Due to the debacle of the U.S. occupation of Iraq, democracy as an instrument of foreign policy has lost its lustre and appeal. Diplomacy works best in these conflicted times when harmony principles are employed. Harmony diplomacy is a win-win, no-fault conflict resolution approach. It is time to minimize confrontations in today’s conflicted world by using harmony diplomacy. It certainly is worth a try. Mutual win-win development can be more economically viable than war. We have spent close to 400 billion dollars on the Iraq war, fast approaching our expenditure on the Vietnam War, with no end in sight.
When unity is needed human beings have proven quite capable. International unity can be reached only through international democracy, not unilateralism. International democracy will be the end result of major nations practicing harmony diplomacy. In her recent book “The Mighty and the Almighty” Madeleine Albright suggested that world harmony is the end goal of a more peaceful world. To achieve world harmony her solution was for major nations to practice faith diplomacy based on the tradition of Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition. Faith diplomacy is an extension of U.S. democracy diplomacy to win the Islamic world.
(IV) HARMONY DIPLOMACY
George H. W. Bush senior, in a speech before a joint session of Congress, on September 11, 1990 said “A new partnership of nations has begun, and we stand today at a unique and extraordinary moment….. Out of these troubled times…. A new world order can emerge…. In which the nations of the world east and west, north and south, can prosper and live in harmony.”
Major religions of the world all practice harmony, as discussed in my previous papers. As noble as any religion may be, faith diplomacy has fallen short of uniting the world in harmony evidenced by the countless tragic faith-based wars of the past as well as the current conflict between the West and the Muslim world. Faith diplomacy on unity in diversity was most noticeably practiced by the Bahai faith for over 163 years with limited success. Despite attempts by the Bahai faith to be inclusive of all religions, its propagation is slowing. Religions as we know them today all expect blind faith and acceptance of ethnocentric almighty images, quite often unique to a specific culture. Neither the Bahai faith nor religions based on Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition can escape this prerequisite of blind faith.
No matter how broad religion’s attempts to be all embracing, as proposed by the Bahai faith and Madeleine Albright in her book, faith diplomacy will not be a universal solution for the world’s conflicts because of religion’s inherent violation of the sensitivity of the spirit of individual truth seeking. Harmony’s premise is tolerance, acceptance and respect for other cultures. It is all embracing, endearing and enduring. It neither dictates blind faith nor does it force acceptance of an institutionalized and ethnocentric image of the almighty. No particular personal attachment to the almighty is prescribed either. Personal attachment to the almighty is a double-edged sword. It draws those with faith closer, while alienating those without.
Harmony is discovered through observation of nature as discussed in my other papers. It is nature’s preferred way of propagation. Nature is all embracing and human beings are very much part of nature. It is possible to believe in as wide a universe as one chooses without adhering to blind faith. Our very survival and sustainable development is now urgently dependent on our harmonious relationship with nature. We deny our very existence by not working to improve our threatened ecology. Most of us agree about the vision of world harmony and international democracy. We can all participate in the harmony movement by speaking and practicing harmony diplomacy in all facets of our daily lives. We can practice goodness for goodness sake without preaching religion. Why use faith diplomacy, an indirect approach, when the direct approach, harmony diplomacy, is readily available? Harmony’s resonance is growing and propagating. The Harmony Renaissance is the unavoidable tide. It is time to reawaken our innate human desire for harmony and to begin urging others to recognise the value of this noble ideal.
(V) HARMONY DIPLOMACY CONSENSUS
I have discussed world harmony and harmony societies in some detail in our website www.worldharmonyorg.net and blogsite www.worldharmonyforum.blogspot.com . The basic idea of world harmony is in common with all popular theories of world governance. It hopes to build a more understanding world through tolerance, respect, equity and acceptance of diverse cultures and governance systems as destiny for all mankind.
Through harmony diplomacy major nations will support a stronger UN. A more democratic world will advocate the solution of world conflicts through consultation and harmony consensus. Unilateralism is to be rejected and peaceful resolution will replace war and violence. Harmony diplomacy will be the foundation of lasting peace. Without harmony peace will not last.
In the pursuit of world harmony it is important to narrow the gap of the North-South/rich-poor disparity through win-win mutual development. This will create a world with a level playing field, which will enable the citizens of the world to enjoy all of the achievements of our great societies.
In the democratization of international relations, just and equitable international political and economic orders can be established through dialogue, negotiation and reaching consensus. The end result of international democracy will release a new wave of world creative energy. Human accomplishments can thus reach a new height of development beyond European Renaissance.
The Order of Nature is Harmony and Harmony is the Order of Nature. A harmony world is essential to save our ecology. To rally major nations to commit to a cleaner and better environment, harmony diplomacy must advocate a common ecology consensus. Central to harmony diplomacy consensus is built in awareness to curb global insatiable appetite for consumption. Continuation of current trend is not sustainable. Without harmony consensus, the resulting catastrophic global fight for resources will be more immediate than the effect of climate change. It is time for all to advocate less confrontational harmony diplomacy. May Harmony Prevail in the World.
Francis C. W. Fung, PH.D.
Director General
World Harmony Organization
Freedom, Democracy and Harmony Diplomacy: A Review by Morgan Steacy, York University, Toronto, East Asian Studies.
Have you ever heard someone say, “Can’t we all just get along?”, and thought that it sounded reasonable? This is exactly what I believe happened to Dr. Francis Fung, Director General of the World Harmony Organisation. Dr. Fung has written an article entitled, Freedom Democracy and Harmony Diplomacy that essentially asks this very question. The difference here is that he answers with a resounding, yes.
Up until now no one has ventured to explore the reasons that people have so often asked this question, but have never actually dealt with why the answer that should be YES seems determined to remain NO. So, how does this article evade the puerile nature of the question that it deals with?
Dr. Fung has chosen the USA, as the major world power, to be the primary focus of his urgings. He links historical downfalls of people quite succinctly with the current situation of the world. He describes a world that is so overcome with the notion of “spreading freedom” that there is never a moment to stop and think about the hypocrisy of deciding to “bring freedom” to another nation.
He describes this as “freedom diplomacy”, a process which is detrimental to societies because of the fact that they are not determining their own freedom, making it inherently flawed. He further points out that while terrorists have acted in order to destroy our freedom, their success in actually doing so has been ineffective. He claims that it is our reaction to terrorism that has actually limited our freedom. He is not claiming that countries should eliminate counter-terror measures. The point he is making is that we are dealing with the symptoms of a problem rather than the problem itself.
Some believe that the answer to the problem lies in the style of governance that persists in regions where terrorists are able to survive. The answer, to these people, is simple. Spread democracy. If democracy’s impact has been felt to the extent that it has in so many other parts of the world, then surely there is no reason for it to fail elsewhere. The truth, unfortunately, lies far from this simplistic view. It is impossible to deny that democracy has been a boon to many societies, and has even been the backbone of success in the modern world, but there are differences in the way that each nation practices democracy. The flexibility that democracy allows within a defined structure is one thing that makes democracy such an amazing concept. Unfortunately, it is often the case that narrow-mindedness and a lack of true cultural understanding inhibits the propagation of actual democracy, and it is only imperialism that perseveres.
Finally, Dr. Fung, having illuminated many of the problematic approaches currently being undertaken, leads the reader to the solution. Harmony is an approach that supports rather than censures, it is tolerant rather than judgemental and it is inclusive instead of being exclusive. Harmony is meant to encompass the fundamental principles that one ought to adhere to in all facets of life. Decision-making processes would be geared towards harmony, rather than personal gain, from an individual level all the way to a global plain.
Dr. Fung has taken a concept that is so seemingly simplistic and breathed a palpable life into it in this essay. The statement that he is making is direly needed and I hope that he continues to make statements like these so that people will start to realise that the solutions that are currently failing to solve the contentious issues of global peace will continue to fail until we realise that it is our very goal that is misguided. We need to establish global harmony before thinking about global peace. Harmony does not imply agreement, only tolerance. It is possible to bring harmony about quickly through education and compliance. Once the people of the world commit to harmony as a means to solve problems, the problems of the world will finally become manageable, and maybe then we will all “just get along”.
(I) INTRODUCTION
Noble ideals do not occur as isolated incidents in human civilization. Rather, they result from our collective inspiration and wisdom. They are derived of keen observation of the interactions between humans themselves as well as with nature. Often they become important movements of necessity calling for correction of inequity in our midst. More often than not, because of the universal truths they contain, they propagate by resonance and become the common human heritage.
When the pressure of inequity builds up unchecked to unbearable proportions, these ideals are bound to release the human energy necessary for correction. This system of cause and consequence is similar to the balance between wind and waves correcting for differences in air and water pressure. It is nature’s way to seek dynamic equilibrium and human activities cannot escape the order of nature, as intelligent as we are. Our misguided intellect has, from time to time, actually created more dynamic disturbances, such as wars, slavery and economic imbalances that are more destructive than any natural calamities like hurricanes, earthquakes or tsunamis.
Freedom, Democracy and Harmony are three ancient universal human ideals that belong to the world and not to any one single nation. They are not entirely independent but intimately related. As a matter of fact, there exist fascinating relations among them that warrant immediate global study. Some may wonder why freedom and democracy have been so widely promoted during the last 400 years of human history, while harmony was barely noted on the world stage.
In fact, Freedom and Democracy have been the most successfully used tools to promote international diplomacy in the 20th Century. The scenario for the fall of the Soviet Empire at the end of the last century was due mostly to the effective propagation of Western freedom and democracy diplomacy as well as the Soviet’s economic collapse. Harmony, as a great unifying force in the on rush of globalization, has now come of age. Harmony is mankind’s greatest common value. The conflicted world of today urgently calls for international democracy through the practice of harmony diplomacy. To grasp the importance of harmony diplomacy a review of freedom and democracy diplomacy can be most revealing.
(II) FREEDOM DIPLOMACY
Nature imbues us with the instinctive knowledge that we are born free. The mountains, the wind and the lions are born free, not to mention any other of the myriad animals that remain free until captured. Despite being born free, powerful groups desperately yearn to enslave us. More than 2500 years ago the most ancient cultures scattered about different continents prohibited slavery seeing it as hideous. The institutionalized slave trade was most egregiously practiced in the new world until the American civil war put an end to it. During the Cold War Era freedom became a convenient slogan used by much of the capitalist world, right or wrong, especially by those countries that felt the threat of Communism.
The world then was arbitrarily divided into the Free World and the Communist world. It was during this Cold War Era that the word freedom got more mileage in the media than at any other time in human history. Freedom whipped up the world to such a fever pitch that half of the world was willing to die for it whether it was called for or not. I recall as a young child in Hong Kong, when our American teacher gave our senior class the topic “The best things in life are free” the whole class dutifully wrote how great freedom was and that it was worth dying for without fully understanding the topic.
Immediately following 9/11, George W. Bush conveniently thrust freedom centre stage to rally Americans with the resounding cry. The logic was that the terrorists hate our freedom and they are intent on taking it away. To be fair, American democracy as put forth by our forefathers, guarantees each citizen freedom from undue infringement through law and order. Freedom as an ideal is politically neutral, neither good nor bad. However, modern democracy is designed to prevent minority individuals from exceeding their rights granted by freedom.
Bush’s call for freedom diplomacy after 9/11 is neither necessary nor appropriate. Terrorists have not been empowered to take away our freedom, but the resulting regulation to counter-terrorism has. As warned by President Eisenhower, the military complex created by war may seriously threaten our democracy and hence our individual freedom. The greatest threat to our freedom today is our enslavement to the military and the industrial complex through their hijacking of democracy.
(III) DEMOCRACY DIPLOMACY
Since time immemorial, the protection of human rights has occupied our consciousness. The fear of the all mighty unknown that sparked religious teaching was likely the catalyst for this type of thought. Teaching morals and common values developed along with harmony while democracy followed behind. Democratic systems as a means to guarantee individual rights and freedoms reached new heights when the American Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights were signed, giving way to the system of laws being enacted. Western diplomacy spread far and wide and profoundly changed the world during the 20th century.
During the cold war era U.S. democracy diplomacy successfully faced down Soviet expansionism. Its influence on foreign policy has now diminished as fear of communism has significantly decreased. Democracy, in different forms, has now become a generally accepted governance system. Democracy grows best in the fertile soil of each individual nation without outside interference or occupation. American chastisement of other nations only offends their dignity. Many developing nations, after years of domination by imperialism, have nothing to cling to other than the very dignity being spoken of.
Democracy is also no longer an import export item, as pointed out by Ban Ke-moon, the current Secretary General of the U.N. Due to the debacle of the U.S. occupation of Iraq, democracy as an instrument of foreign policy has lost its lustre and appeal. Diplomacy works best in these conflicted times when harmony principles are employed. Harmony diplomacy is a win-win, no-fault conflict resolution approach. It is time to minimize confrontations in today’s conflicted world by using harmony diplomacy. It certainly is worth a try. Mutual win-win development can be more economically viable than war. We have spent close to 400 billion dollars on the Iraq war, fast approaching our expenditure on the Vietnam War, with no end in sight.
When unity is needed human beings have proven quite capable. International unity can be reached only through international democracy, not unilateralism. International democracy will be the end result of major nations practicing harmony diplomacy. In her recent book “The Mighty and the Almighty” Madeleine Albright suggested that world harmony is the end goal of a more peaceful world. To achieve world harmony her solution was for major nations to practice faith diplomacy based on the tradition of Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition. Faith diplomacy is an extension of U.S. democracy diplomacy to win the Islamic world.
(IV) HARMONY DIPLOMACY
George H. W. Bush senior, in a speech before a joint session of Congress, on September 11, 1990 said “A new partnership of nations has begun, and we stand today at a unique and extraordinary moment….. Out of these troubled times…. A new world order can emerge…. In which the nations of the world east and west, north and south, can prosper and live in harmony.”
Major religions of the world all practice harmony, as discussed in my previous papers. As noble as any religion may be, faith diplomacy has fallen short of uniting the world in harmony evidenced by the countless tragic faith-based wars of the past as well as the current conflict between the West and the Muslim world. Faith diplomacy on unity in diversity was most noticeably practiced by the Bahai faith for over 163 years with limited success. Despite attempts by the Bahai faith to be inclusive of all religions, its propagation is slowing. Religions as we know them today all expect blind faith and acceptance of ethnocentric almighty images, quite often unique to a specific culture. Neither the Bahai faith nor religions based on Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition can escape this prerequisite of blind faith.
No matter how broad religion’s attempts to be all embracing, as proposed by the Bahai faith and Madeleine Albright in her book, faith diplomacy will not be a universal solution for the world’s conflicts because of religion’s inherent violation of the sensitivity of the spirit of individual truth seeking. Harmony’s premise is tolerance, acceptance and respect for other cultures. It is all embracing, endearing and enduring. It neither dictates blind faith nor does it force acceptance of an institutionalized and ethnocentric image of the almighty. No particular personal attachment to the almighty is prescribed either. Personal attachment to the almighty is a double-edged sword. It draws those with faith closer, while alienating those without.
Harmony is discovered through observation of nature as discussed in my other papers. It is nature’s preferred way of propagation. Nature is all embracing and human beings are very much part of nature. It is possible to believe in as wide a universe as one chooses without adhering to blind faith. Our very survival and sustainable development is now urgently dependent on our harmonious relationship with nature. We deny our very existence by not working to improve our threatened ecology. Most of us agree about the vision of world harmony and international democracy. We can all participate in the harmony movement by speaking and practicing harmony diplomacy in all facets of our daily lives. We can practice goodness for goodness sake without preaching religion. Why use faith diplomacy, an indirect approach, when the direct approach, harmony diplomacy, is readily available? Harmony’s resonance is growing and propagating. The Harmony Renaissance is the unavoidable tide. It is time to reawaken our innate human desire for harmony and to begin urging others to recognise the value of this noble ideal.
(V) HARMONY DIPLOMACY CONSENSUS
I have discussed world harmony and harmony societies in some detail in our website www.worldharmonyorg.net and blogsite www.worldharmonyforum.blogspot.com . The basic idea of world harmony is in common with all popular theories of world governance. It hopes to build a more understanding world through tolerance, respect, equity and acceptance of diverse cultures and governance systems as destiny for all mankind.
Through harmony diplomacy major nations will support a stronger UN. A more democratic world will advocate the solution of world conflicts through consultation and harmony consensus. Unilateralism is to be rejected and peaceful resolution will replace war and violence. Harmony diplomacy will be the foundation of lasting peace. Without harmony peace will not last.
In the pursuit of world harmony it is important to narrow the gap of the North-South/rich-poor disparity through win-win mutual development. This will create a world with a level playing field, which will enable the citizens of the world to enjoy all of the achievements of our great societies.
In the democratization of international relations, just and equitable international political and economic orders can be established through dialogue, negotiation and reaching consensus. The end result of international democracy will release a new wave of world creative energy. Human accomplishments can thus reach a new height of development beyond European Renaissance.
The Order of Nature is Harmony and Harmony is the Order of Nature. A harmony world is essential to save our ecology. To rally major nations to commit to a cleaner and better environment, harmony diplomacy must advocate a common ecology consensus. Central to harmony diplomacy consensus is built in awareness to curb global insatiable appetite for consumption. Continuation of current trend is not sustainable. Without harmony consensus, the resulting catastrophic global fight for resources will be more immediate than the effect of climate change. It is time for all to advocate less confrontational harmony diplomacy. May Harmony Prevail in the World.
Francis C. W. Fung, PH.D.
Director General
World Harmony Organization
Freedom, Democracy and Harmony Diplomacy: A Review by Morgan Steacy, York University, Toronto, East Asian Studies.
Have you ever heard someone say, “Can’t we all just get along?”, and thought that it sounded reasonable? This is exactly what I believe happened to Dr. Francis Fung, Director General of the World Harmony Organisation. Dr. Fung has written an article entitled, Freedom Democracy and Harmony Diplomacy that essentially asks this very question. The difference here is that he answers with a resounding, yes.
Up until now no one has ventured to explore the reasons that people have so often asked this question, but have never actually dealt with why the answer that should be YES seems determined to remain NO. So, how does this article evade the puerile nature of the question that it deals with?
Dr. Fung has chosen the USA, as the major world power, to be the primary focus of his urgings. He links historical downfalls of people quite succinctly with the current situation of the world. He describes a world that is so overcome with the notion of “spreading freedom” that there is never a moment to stop and think about the hypocrisy of deciding to “bring freedom” to another nation.
He describes this as “freedom diplomacy”, a process which is detrimental to societies because of the fact that they are not determining their own freedom, making it inherently flawed. He further points out that while terrorists have acted in order to destroy our freedom, their success in actually doing so has been ineffective. He claims that it is our reaction to terrorism that has actually limited our freedom. He is not claiming that countries should eliminate counter-terror measures. The point he is making is that we are dealing with the symptoms of a problem rather than the problem itself.
Some believe that the answer to the problem lies in the style of governance that persists in regions where terrorists are able to survive. The answer, to these people, is simple. Spread democracy. If democracy’s impact has been felt to the extent that it has in so many other parts of the world, then surely there is no reason for it to fail elsewhere. The truth, unfortunately, lies far from this simplistic view. It is impossible to deny that democracy has been a boon to many societies, and has even been the backbone of success in the modern world, but there are differences in the way that each nation practices democracy. The flexibility that democracy allows within a defined structure is one thing that makes democracy such an amazing concept. Unfortunately, it is often the case that narrow-mindedness and a lack of true cultural understanding inhibits the propagation of actual democracy, and it is only imperialism that perseveres.
Finally, Dr. Fung, having illuminated many of the problematic approaches currently being undertaken, leads the reader to the solution. Harmony is an approach that supports rather than censures, it is tolerant rather than judgemental and it is inclusive instead of being exclusive. Harmony is meant to encompass the fundamental principles that one ought to adhere to in all facets of life. Decision-making processes would be geared towards harmony, rather than personal gain, from an individual level all the way to a global plain.
Dr. Fung has taken a concept that is so seemingly simplistic and breathed a palpable life into it in this essay. The statement that he is making is direly needed and I hope that he continues to make statements like these so that people will start to realise that the solutions that are currently failing to solve the contentious issues of global peace will continue to fail until we realise that it is our very goal that is misguided. We need to establish global harmony before thinking about global peace. Harmony does not imply agreement, only tolerance. It is possible to bring harmony about quickly through education and compliance. Once the people of the world commit to harmony as a means to solve problems, the problems of the world will finally become manageable, and maybe then we will all “just get along”.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
WORLD HARMONY ORGANIZATION INTRODUCTION BY ERIC CHIPPS
www.worldharmonyorg.net
WORLD HARMONY PRESENTATION BY FRANCIS C.W.FUNG TO ROTARY CLUB AT MILL VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB, CA.
INTRODUCTION BY ERIC CHIPPS
In today’s world of international conflicts, religious strife, North and South disparities, terrorism, extremism and unilateralism, harmony renaissance is the only common value universal solution. The tide of Harmony Renaissance is inevitable. All present will become pioneers of Harmony Renaissance. Harmony advocates non-violence. Its’ premises are tolerance, acceptance, respect, equity, patience and humility. As powerful as we are we will not have nobility and hope unless we practice humility. This is the new global awareness. Harmony is the conduit to facilitate multi-directional cultural flow not just from West to East and North to South. Harmony is the all-embracing unifying force for unity in diversity.Dr. Fung has initiated the World Harmony Organization in North America and has already attracted interest and support. It is a growing influence in North America, Europe and China from important figures in academic and social circles, economics and politics, as well as a growing number of concerned citizens in many countries.Clearly, the policies of confrontation currently contributing so much to world tensions are unproductive, as well as damaging to the progress of society. By developing the ancient Chinese promotion of harmony, the Organization hopes to become again the third pillar in supporting democracy and religious principle as the foundation of a more peaceful and productive world.More information can be obtained from the Organization’s website at WorldHarmonyorg.net which allows a measure of the extent to which harmony is increasingly an influence. You may also contribute opinion via WorldHarmonyforum.blogspot.com By his talk today, Dr. Fung hopes to generate recognition among influential people of the role that a young, dynamic America, endowed with resources should be advocating harmony renaissance.The first World Harmony Cultural Festival will be launched on September 16th, co-sponsored by the San Francisco University and other distinguished organizations and individuals.Eric Chipps, Chipps Associates
Excerpt from Jan 2007 speech by Hon. John Prescott, Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State, United Kingdom:
There's been a great deal of talk about harmony in recent times. In fact, the academic, Francis Fung, has argued in his recent paper "Chinese Harmony Culture: Old and New - Promise for a Less Confrontational World" that China is witnessing a harmony renaissance.
He claims that great debates are happening today in China over whether Socialism with Chinese characteristics can be Socialism with harmony. And Fung maintains that China's harmony socialism will provide an alternative model, as the leading system of governance in the 21st Century.
Indeed, I note that in October the Chinese Communist Party launched a national campaign to build a more harmonious society. In doing so, China appears to be reaffirming its own rich cultural tradition of harmony.
And now, opening the Sheffield Confucius Institute, I reflect on the fact that this emphasis on harmony between man and nature is part of a tradition of Chinese thought going back 2,500 years. This tradition has, of course, evolved and changed over time."
Class of 1960wrote:
The next best thing to being on campus at commencement time, is to reunite with your classmates on line. Brown's commencement activities are on May 26-27, check the Brown University home page for the full calendar. If you can't be there in person, please go to our class website and enjoy browsing the wealth of class information posted there. (http://www.alumni.brown.edu/classes/1960/)
Barb and Ed Nicholson
WORLD HARMONY PRESENTATION BY FRANCIS C.W.FUNG TO ROTARY CLUB AT MILL VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB, CA.
INTRODUCTION BY ERIC CHIPPS
In today’s world of international conflicts, religious strife, North and South disparities, terrorism, extremism and unilateralism, harmony renaissance is the only common value universal solution. The tide of Harmony Renaissance is inevitable. All present will become pioneers of Harmony Renaissance. Harmony advocates non-violence. Its’ premises are tolerance, acceptance, respect, equity, patience and humility. As powerful as we are we will not have nobility and hope unless we practice humility. This is the new global awareness. Harmony is the conduit to facilitate multi-directional cultural flow not just from West to East and North to South. Harmony is the all-embracing unifying force for unity in diversity.Dr. Fung has initiated the World Harmony Organization in North America and has already attracted interest and support. It is a growing influence in North America, Europe and China from important figures in academic and social circles, economics and politics, as well as a growing number of concerned citizens in many countries.Clearly, the policies of confrontation currently contributing so much to world tensions are unproductive, as well as damaging to the progress of society. By developing the ancient Chinese promotion of harmony, the Organization hopes to become again the third pillar in supporting democracy and religious principle as the foundation of a more peaceful and productive world.More information can be obtained from the Organization’s website at WorldHarmonyorg.net which allows a measure of the extent to which harmony is increasingly an influence. You may also contribute opinion via WorldHarmonyforum.blogspot.com By his talk today, Dr. Fung hopes to generate recognition among influential people of the role that a young, dynamic America, endowed with resources should be advocating harmony renaissance.The first World Harmony Cultural Festival will be launched on September 16th, co-sponsored by the San Francisco University and other distinguished organizations and individuals.Eric Chipps, Chipps Associates
Excerpt from Jan 2007 speech by Hon. John Prescott, Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State, United Kingdom:
There's been a great deal of talk about harmony in recent times. In fact, the academic, Francis Fung, has argued in his recent paper "Chinese Harmony Culture: Old and New - Promise for a Less Confrontational World" that China is witnessing a harmony renaissance.
He claims that great debates are happening today in China over whether Socialism with Chinese characteristics can be Socialism with harmony. And Fung maintains that China's harmony socialism will provide an alternative model, as the leading system of governance in the 21st Century.
Indeed, I note that in October the Chinese Communist Party launched a national campaign to build a more harmonious society. In doing so, China appears to be reaffirming its own rich cultural tradition of harmony.
And now, opening the Sheffield Confucius Institute, I reflect on the fact that this emphasis on harmony between man and nature is part of a tradition of Chinese thought going back 2,500 years. This tradition has, of course, evolved and changed over time."
Class of 1960
The next best thing to being on campus at commencement time, is to reunite with your classmates on line. Brown's commencement activities are on May 26-27, check the Brown University home page for the full calendar. If you can't be there in person, please go to our class website and enjoy browsing the wealth of class information posted there. (http://www.alumni.brown.edu/classes/1960/)
Barb and Ed Nicholson
Monday, May 14, 2007
OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PETER C TIEN'S MEMORIAL
Mon, 14 May 2007 09:25:20 -0700 (PDT)
From:
"Francis Fung"
Subject:
Re: Fwd: Peter Tien's Memorial, our Executive Director
To:
"Jack Tien"
Hi Jack,
My heart felt condolence. It is with great deal of sorrow to hear of Peter's departure. There are so much Peter could contribute to World Harmony Organization. His support will always be remembered. As Director General of WHO I will be at his Wake this Saturday to pay my last respect.
Francis.Jack Tienwrote:
Hi Dr Fung,Thank you very much for all of your support andassistance during my father's illness. Attached is myfather's wake planned on Saturday. Sincerely,JackNote: forwarded message attached.
From:
"Francis Fung"
Subject:
Re: Fwd: Peter Tien's Memorial, our Executive Director
To:
"Jack Tien"
Hi Jack,
My heart felt condolence. It is with great deal of sorrow to hear of Peter's departure. There are so much Peter could contribute to World Harmony Organization. His support will always be remembered. As Director General of WHO I will be at his Wake this Saturday to pay my last respect.
Francis.Jack Tien
Hi Dr Fung,Thank you very much for all of your support andassistance during my father's illness. Attached is myfather's wake planned on Saturday. Sincerely,JackNote: forwarded message attached.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
HARMONY UNIVERSAL WORLD COMMON HERITAGE
Harmony universal world common heritage
www.chinaview.cn 2007-05-09 10:57:18 www.worldharmonyorg.net
By Francis C. W. Fung, PH.D.
BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Since ancient times Religion, Democracy and Harmony were passed down to us by our forefathers as the three main cultural pillars. I have shared this fundamental observation with you often in previous essays. In today's conflicted world full of extremism and unilateralism, the call for harmony renaissance is a unifying global movement. It is essential to sustain this spirit of harmony as our common heritage. Harmony belongs to the world. In human development of civilization, only truth can stand the test of history. Truth and common values belong to the world regardless of their source and origin.
For many, we can practice democracy and religions as belonging to the world, yet we are unaware of harmony as our common human heritage. Lasting cultures do not develop by accident. Through long patient development they were born of necessity, observation of nature, collective wisdom, and worldwide propagation by resonance. The philosophy of Harmony is all embracing, enduring and endearing. It advocates non-violence and problem-solving by means of consensus. Its premises include equity, tolerance, patience, acceptance, humility and respect for other cultures.
Equity and humility are the cornerstones of harmony practice. In the eyes of harmony there is no nobility without humility. Individuals practicing harmony require discipline, humility and the strongest conviction in gentleness, especially when challenged by force and unilateralism. Every major civilization practices harmony in one form or the other.
The roots of democracy can be seen in all cultures to some degree or other. The rediscovery of the Greek and Roman Democratic tradition during the age of European Enlightenment and Renaissance propelled democracy to its world importance today. The movement also released our collective energy that brought us modern science for the betterment of mankind. The world is mature enough now to know that democracy is an important element in modern governance. This is evidenced in the fact that almost all new nations of today regard themselves democracies.
Today's challenges to world development are sustainability in a worsening ecology, limitation of resources, and the extreme disparity between rich and poor. In a world of cultural and historical diversity one must allow different forms of democracy. The timely harmony renaissance will create the spirit of unity in diversity and the collective consensus to solve the urgent problems that face the world today. This will release a new wave of creative energy for higher human accomplishments beyond what the European renaissance brought.
With communication wonders today, harmony propagates by resonance with Internet speed as stated in my essays "Harmony Propagates by Resonance" and "Universal Wave Theory and Harmony Consensus". In today's globalization, no nation can afford to insist on the self limiting "not invented here" notion. Universally proven wisdom will outlast shortsightedness. What is proven to be good is to be adopted and improved by each nation as their own regardless of whether its source is east west or north south.. Simply put, harmony is our common value and common human heritage. It will prevail.
It is clear that throughout human history even before there were defined national boundaries; harmony was practiced as the oldest form of collective philosophy. It is the inspiration for major belief systems. Religion was practiced to keep harmony with the all mighty unknown, regardless of the form in which we glorify the unknown. Democracy was instituted to keep harmony between the government and its citizens. Moral values and legal systems were elaborately developed in different countries to promote harmony in human interactions. Family and social orders are also forms of harmony. The noticeable lack of an emphasis on religion and legal systems in the ancient Far East was undoubtedly due to the dominance of moral teachings by Laotze and Confucius. Both relied on popularization of moral education to bring harmony to human existence.
With the onslaught of globalization created by the wonders of communication, there is veritably no excuse not to understand the diversity of cultures left by 5000 years of major regional cultural developments. Now that we are facing the challenges of diversity in religious beliefs and development of democratic governance systems, it is time for us to return to harmony philosophy in order to create balance. There is every logical reason to examine harmony practices in major cultures to bring some consensus to our troubled world.
From an analytical viewpoint, there appears to be definite differences in regional emphasis and trends in harmony practice just as there will always be differences in the inevitable adoption of democracy by all nations. Because harmony is even more embracing than democracy as a human management system we must accept diversity. Fortunately, different harmony cultural practices are complementary in the sense of a total engineering system that will enable prioritized world consensus to be reached. In the process we will intuitively accept the simple truth that the best governance system for any nation is its own harmony system. Harmony also embraces democracy.
In broad strokes subject to further in depth global studies, I venture to offer for discussion the following major emphasis or trends in worldwide harmony practices. For harmony practices to stand the test of time it must be a universally acceptable common value and include nobility and humility as a basic prerequisite.
(1) Major religions of today all include belief in harmony, otherwise they would not have survived the test of history. It is taught by scriptures and reinforced by preachers in houses of worship with few exceptions. The practice of harmony is based, in part, on a fear of punishment by the almighty unknown and the reward of going to heaven, rather than for the goodness of harmony itself.
The further spread of religion is limited by two major factors. The first is the fixation of modern religion to exclusively accept its own institutionalized conception of the almighty unknown. The second is the waning authority of the clergy within the community. Faith in the almighty as the savior of mankind and submission to his will continue as the modus operandi of nobility and humility to drive religion.
(II) Since the age of the European Enlightenment the concept of democracy has spread far and wide. It is universally accepted as the foundation of good governance. Nations in the midst of inevitable transformation all agree. True democracy must blend in with each individual nation's cultural heritage and its various stages of development. It takes evolution to truly bring harmony to a society. Democracy must adapt to the harmony of dynamic balance in changing times. The western democratic tradition, with America as the driving force, relies heavily on complex legal practice and penal punishment. Law and order has worked to bring harmony in that particular society.
No democratic system prescribed by one nation for another can be perfect for our diverse world with systems developed regionally over 5000 years. Unfortunately the noble goal of spreading democracy by any means necessary, including overt political action and occupation, has greatly tarnished the image of Western democracy. As Pan Ke-Moon, the current U.N. Secretary General, stated in front of the recent Asian Development Forum "Democracy is not an import export item". Still, empty marketing slogans bereft of consideration for cultural diversity and history is drumming to the call of war cries.
The noticeable lack of humility of past proselytizing processes of Euro-centric democracy and colonialism left an irreparable chasm dividing developed and developing countries. This suggests alternate approaches for the developed world to help the needy. An approach of harmony, with its gentleness and respect for all cultures, appears more palatable to the needy world for mutual development. It is time for America, the young dynamic democracy with abundant resources, to rise to the occasion.
(III) In the Far East harmony was practiced with heavy doses of moral education. The system promulgated comprehensive moral teachings reinforced by family unity and civil service examinations. This examination system reached its extreme during the 19th century. A harmonious society is supported more by family order and unity, than by law and order. Nobility and humility are reinforced by education and morality and sacrifices are extolled by all. Law was the bottom line with moral values taking precedence. A focus on harmony creates a society where materialism and commercialism can acceptably be placed in low priority positions.
With the onslaught of Western individualism and commercialism, the flood gates of self indulgence and corruption were forced wide open. The venerable ancient system of relying on education of nobility and humility was shaken to the core. Today Far East nations including Japan and Korea have adopted law and order to complement their moral value system, followed closely by China in its reform and opening up. The successful transformation of Japan and Korea from systems based on moral values and family unity to their own individualistic modern democratic societies is worthy of attention. Despite the fact that both societies were heavily influenced by foreign cultures East and West, these modern societies have combined the best of both worlds and their choices have flourished. Until very recent times, both nations' histories were recorded in Chinese characters. Today both Japan and Korea are proud of their own innovations culturally and scientifically.
This lends to the optimism that diverse culture, despite opposite ideals, can be blended together resulting in modern, competitive and harmonious societies. China today is determined and motivated to combine the best of East and West to forge a harmonious society with its own characteristics, sans outside occupation. The result is very encouraging and to be commended by the outside world.
When the economic and scientific conditions are mature enough, and the historical moment comes, politics will change. Nations will become harmonious societies by their own resonance with external influence. Outside force and constant chastisement can be counter-productive given the probable impact on national dignity. Today, many parts of the world have suffered the collective mental anguish of a loss of dignity under Western dominance for far too long.
The truth can be seen that in this rapidly changing materialistic world, no ready-made system is perfect in bringing harmony to the world. For unity in diversity we need to call for world harmony renaissance and advocate consensus through dynamic balance. Many of my previous essays have expounded on this. Please visit our website www.worldharmonyorg.net and blog site www.worldharmonyforum.blogspot.com By adhering to the true spirit of equity and humility, perhaps the world can work together through individual harmony practices to bring about a better and more understanding world. By doing so, a new wave of innovation will release our creative energy to bring human beings to the next level of accomplishment. Failing to do so will cast the sustainability of expanding world development very much into doubt.
May Harmony Prevail in the World!
Editor: Xia Xiaopeng
www.chinaview.cn 2007-05-09 10:57:18 www.worldharmonyorg.net
By Francis C. W. Fung, PH.D.
BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Since ancient times Religion, Democracy and Harmony were passed down to us by our forefathers as the three main cultural pillars. I have shared this fundamental observation with you often in previous essays. In today's conflicted world full of extremism and unilateralism, the call for harmony renaissance is a unifying global movement. It is essential to sustain this spirit of harmony as our common heritage. Harmony belongs to the world. In human development of civilization, only truth can stand the test of history. Truth and common values belong to the world regardless of their source and origin.
For many, we can practice democracy and religions as belonging to the world, yet we are unaware of harmony as our common human heritage. Lasting cultures do not develop by accident. Through long patient development they were born of necessity, observation of nature, collective wisdom, and worldwide propagation by resonance. The philosophy of Harmony is all embracing, enduring and endearing. It advocates non-violence and problem-solving by means of consensus. Its premises include equity, tolerance, patience, acceptance, humility and respect for other cultures.
Equity and humility are the cornerstones of harmony practice. In the eyes of harmony there is no nobility without humility. Individuals practicing harmony require discipline, humility and the strongest conviction in gentleness, especially when challenged by force and unilateralism. Every major civilization practices harmony in one form or the other.
The roots of democracy can be seen in all cultures to some degree or other. The rediscovery of the Greek and Roman Democratic tradition during the age of European Enlightenment and Renaissance propelled democracy to its world importance today. The movement also released our collective energy that brought us modern science for the betterment of mankind. The world is mature enough now to know that democracy is an important element in modern governance. This is evidenced in the fact that almost all new nations of today regard themselves democracies.
Today's challenges to world development are sustainability in a worsening ecology, limitation of resources, and the extreme disparity between rich and poor. In a world of cultural and historical diversity one must allow different forms of democracy. The timely harmony renaissance will create the spirit of unity in diversity and the collective consensus to solve the urgent problems that face the world today. This will release a new wave of creative energy for higher human accomplishments beyond what the European renaissance brought.
With communication wonders today, harmony propagates by resonance with Internet speed as stated in my essays "Harmony Propagates by Resonance" and "Universal Wave Theory and Harmony Consensus". In today's globalization, no nation can afford to insist on the self limiting "not invented here" notion. Universally proven wisdom will outlast shortsightedness. What is proven to be good is to be adopted and improved by each nation as their own regardless of whether its source is east west or north south.. Simply put, harmony is our common value and common human heritage. It will prevail.
It is clear that throughout human history even before there were defined national boundaries; harmony was practiced as the oldest form of collective philosophy. It is the inspiration for major belief systems. Religion was practiced to keep harmony with the all mighty unknown, regardless of the form in which we glorify the unknown. Democracy was instituted to keep harmony between the government and its citizens. Moral values and legal systems were elaborately developed in different countries to promote harmony in human interactions. Family and social orders are also forms of harmony. The noticeable lack of an emphasis on religion and legal systems in the ancient Far East was undoubtedly due to the dominance of moral teachings by Laotze and Confucius. Both relied on popularization of moral education to bring harmony to human existence.
With the onslaught of globalization created by the wonders of communication, there is veritably no excuse not to understand the diversity of cultures left by 5000 years of major regional cultural developments. Now that we are facing the challenges of diversity in religious beliefs and development of democratic governance systems, it is time for us to return to harmony philosophy in order to create balance. There is every logical reason to examine harmony practices in major cultures to bring some consensus to our troubled world.
From an analytical viewpoint, there appears to be definite differences in regional emphasis and trends in harmony practice just as there will always be differences in the inevitable adoption of democracy by all nations. Because harmony is even more embracing than democracy as a human management system we must accept diversity. Fortunately, different harmony cultural practices are complementary in the sense of a total engineering system that will enable prioritized world consensus to be reached. In the process we will intuitively accept the simple truth that the best governance system for any nation is its own harmony system. Harmony also embraces democracy.
In broad strokes subject to further in depth global studies, I venture to offer for discussion the following major emphasis or trends in worldwide harmony practices. For harmony practices to stand the test of time it must be a universally acceptable common value and include nobility and humility as a basic prerequisite.
(1) Major religions of today all include belief in harmony, otherwise they would not have survived the test of history. It is taught by scriptures and reinforced by preachers in houses of worship with few exceptions. The practice of harmony is based, in part, on a fear of punishment by the almighty unknown and the reward of going to heaven, rather than for the goodness of harmony itself.
The further spread of religion is limited by two major factors. The first is the fixation of modern religion to exclusively accept its own institutionalized conception of the almighty unknown. The second is the waning authority of the clergy within the community. Faith in the almighty as the savior of mankind and submission to his will continue as the modus operandi of nobility and humility to drive religion.
(II) Since the age of the European Enlightenment the concept of democracy has spread far and wide. It is universally accepted as the foundation of good governance. Nations in the midst of inevitable transformation all agree. True democracy must blend in with each individual nation's cultural heritage and its various stages of development. It takes evolution to truly bring harmony to a society. Democracy must adapt to the harmony of dynamic balance in changing times. The western democratic tradition, with America as the driving force, relies heavily on complex legal practice and penal punishment. Law and order has worked to bring harmony in that particular society.
No democratic system prescribed by one nation for another can be perfect for our diverse world with systems developed regionally over 5000 years. Unfortunately the noble goal of spreading democracy by any means necessary, including overt political action and occupation, has greatly tarnished the image of Western democracy. As Pan Ke-Moon, the current U.N. Secretary General, stated in front of the recent Asian Development Forum "Democracy is not an import export item". Still, empty marketing slogans bereft of consideration for cultural diversity and history is drumming to the call of war cries.
The noticeable lack of humility of past proselytizing processes of Euro-centric democracy and colonialism left an irreparable chasm dividing developed and developing countries. This suggests alternate approaches for the developed world to help the needy. An approach of harmony, with its gentleness and respect for all cultures, appears more palatable to the needy world for mutual development. It is time for America, the young dynamic democracy with abundant resources, to rise to the occasion.
(III) In the Far East harmony was practiced with heavy doses of moral education. The system promulgated comprehensive moral teachings reinforced by family unity and civil service examinations. This examination system reached its extreme during the 19th century. A harmonious society is supported more by family order and unity, than by law and order. Nobility and humility are reinforced by education and morality and sacrifices are extolled by all. Law was the bottom line with moral values taking precedence. A focus on harmony creates a society where materialism and commercialism can acceptably be placed in low priority positions.
With the onslaught of Western individualism and commercialism, the flood gates of self indulgence and corruption were forced wide open. The venerable ancient system of relying on education of nobility and humility was shaken to the core. Today Far East nations including Japan and Korea have adopted law and order to complement their moral value system, followed closely by China in its reform and opening up. The successful transformation of Japan and Korea from systems based on moral values and family unity to their own individualistic modern democratic societies is worthy of attention. Despite the fact that both societies were heavily influenced by foreign cultures East and West, these modern societies have combined the best of both worlds and their choices have flourished. Until very recent times, both nations' histories were recorded in Chinese characters. Today both Japan and Korea are proud of their own innovations culturally and scientifically.
This lends to the optimism that diverse culture, despite opposite ideals, can be blended together resulting in modern, competitive and harmonious societies. China today is determined and motivated to combine the best of East and West to forge a harmonious society with its own characteristics, sans outside occupation. The result is very encouraging and to be commended by the outside world.
When the economic and scientific conditions are mature enough, and the historical moment comes, politics will change. Nations will become harmonious societies by their own resonance with external influence. Outside force and constant chastisement can be counter-productive given the probable impact on national dignity. Today, many parts of the world have suffered the collective mental anguish of a loss of dignity under Western dominance for far too long.
The truth can be seen that in this rapidly changing materialistic world, no ready-made system is perfect in bringing harmony to the world. For unity in diversity we need to call for world harmony renaissance and advocate consensus through dynamic balance. Many of my previous essays have expounded on this. Please visit our website www.worldharmonyorg.net and blog site www.worldharmonyforum.blogspot.com By adhering to the true spirit of equity and humility, perhaps the world can work together through individual harmony practices to bring about a better and more understanding world. By doing so, a new wave of innovation will release our creative energy to bring human beings to the next level of accomplishment. Failing to do so will cast the sustainability of expanding world development very much into doubt.
May Harmony Prevail in the World!
Editor: Xia Xiaopeng
Saturday, May 5, 2007
COVENANT, LAW AND ORDER AND CONSENSUS
Dear Friends,
Thank you for inviting us to yesterday's evening of devotion and harmony discussion. The good feelings are warm and mutual.
Covenant, law and order are central and important in religion and modern democracy. As one of the three pillars of human main cultural development however, harmony has not been given its proper place in modern history. Central to harmony is consensus. Harmony was the dominant philosophy in the ancient East 2500 years ago. Harmony renaissance is timely for a less confrontational and more ecology friendly world.
In practicing harmony, we find consensus, patience and humility are important guide lines. By its very premise of equity, tolerance, acceptance and respect for other cultures, harmony can be more universal than religion and national democracy. Harmony propagates by resonance, nature's prefered way. We advocate appropriate dynamic balance between religion, democracy and harmony in today's conflicting world.
May Harmony Prevail in the World.
Francis C. W. Fung, PH.D.
Director General
World Harmony Organization
www.worldharmonyorg.net
Thank you for inviting us to yesterday's evening of devotion and harmony discussion. The good feelings are warm and mutual.
Covenant, law and order are central and important in religion and modern democracy. As one of the three pillars of human main cultural development however, harmony has not been given its proper place in modern history. Central to harmony is consensus. Harmony was the dominant philosophy in the ancient East 2500 years ago. Harmony renaissance is timely for a less confrontational and more ecology friendly world.
In practicing harmony, we find consensus, patience and humility are important guide lines. By its very premise of equity, tolerance, acceptance and respect for other cultures, harmony can be more universal than religion and national democracy. Harmony propagates by resonance, nature's prefered way. We advocate appropriate dynamic balance between religion, democracy and harmony in today's conflicting world.
May Harmony Prevail in the World.
Francis C. W. Fung, PH.D.
Director General
World Harmony Organization
www.worldharmonyorg.net
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