HARMONY DIPLOMACY CONVEYS ULTIMATE UNIVERSAL SOFT POWER

HARMONY DIPLOMACY CONVEYS
ULTIMATE UNIVERSAL SOFT POWER

INTRODUCTION

U.S. President Barrack Obama used his first visit to Africa to call for religious harmony (see Appendix A). On his October, 2009 visit to Asia, he was practicing Harmony Diplomacy. He treated Asian nations big or small as equals with America and with respect. For this, he was blamed by some U.S. media and politicians as weak and not preaching enough of our values. But, Harmony Diplomacy advocates the value of universal harmony. It has a mutual cultural attraction when practiced. In Harmony Diplomacy, there is no need for any nation to preach its values. Just set an example, as President Obama did.

Harmony as a universal common value has been taught by ancient philosophers and major world religions (see the Golden Rules of world religions and philosophy in Appendix B). As a world common value, it has been practiced since time memorial. The Twelve Harmony Virtues consist of TOLERANCE, ACCEPTANCE, RESPECT, KINDNESS, FORGIVENESS, HUMILITY, GENTLENESS, PATIENCE, EQUITY, NONVIOLENCE, GREEN ECOLOGY, AND CONSERVATION (See Appendix C). The understanding of harmony as a world culture is deep rooted in that it includes all human relations in the family, in society, within oneself, between countries, and with nature. It is also commonly expressed in art and music. Harmony in music is the highest form of expression, which reaches a crescendo in symphonic composition. In the union of men and women, the highest climax is achieved when both physically resonate together. This is when men and women reach the highest state of harmony. We are all born with innate souls attuned for harmony.

HARMONY DIPLOMACY CONVEYS ULTIMATE UNIVERSAL SOFT POWER

Harvard Professor Joseph Nye first coined the phrase “soft power” in foreign relations a decade ago. He proposed it as a foreign policy tool to complement the inadequacy of hard military power during the Iraq war. Since then, soft power has been widely discussed and adopted by various governments as an essential part of national foreign policies. The U.S. is a prime example of a nation that has vast soft power because of its economic, cultural, and political accomplishments. However, less endowed developing nations are also tuning in to national soft power by virtue of their cultural heritage.

The practice of diplomacy by means of harmony virtues will inevitably restore the true meaning of diplomacy. In its most simple form, Harmony Diplomacy means giving respect to other nations and treating them as equals. By giving others dignity, Harmony Diplomacy makes friends and not enemies. We need to understand that our Moslem brothers are yearning for the dignity to which all men are entitled.

Harmony Diplomacy can convey universal cultural soft power to rally the world around our cause without resorting to war. In this concerted way, any extremist movement can be neutralized and eventually vanish due to lack of support by any of the world’s peoples. Harmony advocates non-violence, but it is not passive. Harmony is a natural force that keeps opposing forces in dynamic balance to avoid extremes. The whole universe is expanding and is in a dynamic balance of all the invisible energy. Without harmony, the universe will self-destruct. Harmony is the order of nature.

Harmony Diplomacy advocates a dynamic balance of the extremes. It is definitely not passivism, as some may think. As an ultimate universal soft power, it will rally the world to neutralize the extremists. When harmony reigns, the cause for extremism self-evaporates. Harmony Diplomacy will win the support of the world to generate the necessary momentum as the most effective soft power in a multilateral world.

In practicing Harmony Diplomacy, there is no need to preach our own values. Harmony is the most universal common value and an attractive world cultural value. Harmony regulates all human relations plus our relation with nature and the universe. Harmony Renaissance propagates best by resonance, nature’s preferred way of propagation.

WHAT ARE THE OTHER FORMS OF SUCCESSFUL DIPLOMACY IN THE PAST?

The most notable diplomacy of the past was the Gun Boat Diplomacy, by which the European powers victimized many nations and reduced many developing nations to colonial or semi-colonial states. Later, Gun Boat Diplomacy evolved into the Power Diplomacy of the early 1900s. For almost half a century after World War II, the U.S. and U.S.S.R. were locked in the so-called Cold War; the most successful diplomacy during the Cold War era was the Cultural, Freedom, and Democracy Diplomacy that led to the collapse of the Soviet Empire without a major nuclear war. Since then, America has been a unilateral world power without contest. However, despite America’s supreme military power and soft power, the Iraq Wars have proved that neither Power Diplomacy nor Democracy Diplomacy is consistently effective.

Now, at the beginning of 21st Century, democracy is well recognized as the governance system of choice, as witnessed by the many new nations or political parties that profess democracy. However, different world nations are in different stages of historical development. Democracy is not an exportable commodity. Iraq has proved that, without harmony, an ancient culture does not readily evolve into a modern democracy. A nation can grow its own democracy only when it is in harmony within itself. After all, harmony regulates all human relations, including our relationship with nature. Democracy, in essence, is just harmony between the government and its citizens.

The lessons learned by America from the Iraq War led to the propositions of Faith Diplomacy, Value Diplomacy, and Smart Diplomacy. Two U.S. Secretaries of State, Madeline Albright and Hilary Clinton, are behind these new paradigms. While Faith Diplomacy went by the wayside, due to the simple fact that religions are divisive without harmony, the suggestions of Value Diplomacy and Smart Diplomacy are smart but are too vague to have lasting meaning.

HARMONY DIPLOMACY IS IN —
OTHER FORMS OF OLD DIPLOMACY ARE OUT

The 21st Century heralds the arrival of a true multilateral world due to the rise of developing countries. None of the previous different forms of diplomacy is adequate or acceptable to the brave new world. Only Harmony Diplomacy is all-inclusive enough to be acceptable. Institutionalized religions are inherently divisive unless unified by harmony. While Faith Diplomacy will not work unless all religions are unified in harmony, all religions teach harmony (see the Golden rules of world religions in Appendix A). A simple search on Google will find harmony is in; “Harmony among Religions”, “Harmony between Science and Religion”, “Harmony with Nature”, “Harmony among Brothers”, and “Harmony among Nations” are widely sung and praised by diverse cultures and religions.

I believe that soon harmony will surpass freedom and democracy as the most cited and embraced universal common value in international relations. The lightning development speed of the 21st century communication information highway opens to an inevitable multilateral world. Harmony is the most universal and inclusive common value that is relevant to all human interactions. Our Harmony Renaissance is upon us. It is the next creative energy wave that mankind is waiting for to lead us out of religious and ideological strife. Harmony Diplomacy is in. President Obama’s Harmony Diplomacy in Copenhagen greatly enhanced climate change cooperation and made an agreement possible.

In the 20th century, America, as the most endowed and dynamic country, was very successful in promoting our Freedom and Democracy values. In the 21st century multilateral world, wouldn’t it be rational for America to advocate a world Harmony Renaissance? Harmony, as the most inclusive common value, is culturally attractive to all diverse cultures. Harmony Renaissance, with all-embracing values, will lead the world to unity in diversity. That is the best way for a multilateral world to progress together. Rather than play follow up, America has a unique opportunity under President Obama, our multicultural leader, to lead the world to achieve unity in diversity. This Harmony Renaissance is the inevitable tide of the 21st century. It is the next wave of creative energy that mankind is waiting for.

Francis C W Fung, Ph.D.
Director General
World Harmony Organization Dec.2009 \
Edited by James C Townsend
info@worldharmonyorg.net

Appendix A. News Article posted by Catholic Information Service for Africa on June 10, 2009 (boldface added)
President Obama calls for greater inter-faith harmony

Posted: Friday, June 5, 2009 7:08 pm


US President Barrack Obama used his first visit to Africa to call for religious harmony and an end to Islamic extremism often expressed violently. In his speech in Cairo yesterday, President Obama emphasized that “the people of the world can live together in peace. We know that is God's vision. Now, that must be our work here on Earth.”People should come together regardless of religious and racial differences and root out extremists who threaten world peace, the President said.He declared that the US is interested in raising the economic, education scientific status of Muslim communities around the world through exchange programs.“I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect; and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles - principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.”His speech comes at a time that relations between the United States and the Muslim world are strained. After the September 9/11 continued efforts by extremists to engage in violence against civilians has led some Americans to view Islam as inevitably hostile.President Obama acknowledged the fact that there are nearly 7 million Muslims in America and was happy that today they enjoyed incomes and education that are higher than average.The US President called for religious tolerance, recalling his childhood experience in Indonesia, where devout Christians worshiped freely in an overwhelmingly Muslim country.“That is the spirit we need today. People in every country should be free to choose and live their faith based upon the persuasion of the mind, heart, and soul. This tolerance is essential for religion to thrive, but it is being challenged in many different ways.”President Obama castigated the tendency among some Muslims to measure one's own faith by the rejection of another's. “The richness of religious diversity must be upheld – whether it is for Maronites in Lebanon or the Copts in Egypt. And fault lines must be closed among Muslims as well, as the divisions between Sunni and Shia have led to tragic violence, particularly in Iraq.”The President also urged Western countries to avoid impeding Muslim citizens from practicing religion as they see fit - for instance, by dictating what clothes a Muslim woman should wear. “We cannot disguise hostility towards any religion behind the pretence of liberalism.”On the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East, President Obama expressed his deep desire for lasting peace.“Too many tears have flowed. Too much blood has been shed. All of us have a responsibility to work for the day when the mothers of Israelis and Palestinians can see their children grow up without fear; when the Holy Land of three great faiths is the place of peace that God intended it to be; when Jerusalem is a secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims, and a place for all of the children of Abraham to mingle peacefully together as in the story of Isra, when Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed (peace be upon them) joined in prayer.”
APPENDIX B. Golden Rule quotes from different religions
You may be interested in these Golden rule quotes from different religions and philosophies. The list is taken from the Christian Science Monitor, Oct. 9, 1975. Harmony faith goes even further. We treat each other with humility, tolerance, respect, acceptance, gentleness, equity, and forgiveness.
Christianity
All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
King James version: Matt. 7:12
Islam
None of you is a believer if he does not desire for his brother that which he desires for himself.
Sunna
Judaism
That which you hold as detestable, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Law: the rest is but commentary.
Talmud, Sabbat, 21a
Brahmanism (orthodox Hinduism)
Such is the sum of duty: do not do to others that which, to you, would do harm to yourself.
Mahabharta, 5, 1517
Buddhism
Injure not others in the manner that would injure you.
Udana-Varga, 3, 18
Confucianism
Here certainly is the golden maxim: do not do to others that which we do not want them to do to us.
Analects, 15, 23
Taoism
Consider that your neighbor gains your gain and that your neighbor loses that which you lose.
T'ai Shang Kan Ying Pien
Zoroastrianism
That nature alone is good which checks itself from doing to others that which would not be good for itself.
Dadistan-i-dinik, 94, 5
Reprinted with permission from Christian Science Monitor, Oct. 9, 1975.

Appendix C. TWELVE VIRTUES OF HARMONY RENAISSANCE

Harmony is the most common value of mankind. All ancient cultural heritages include harmony faith. Twentieth century history has been dominated by Western ideals of Freedom, Liberty, and Democracy. These ideals revolutionized the relations between citizens and their governments. These changes resulted in today’s modern Western government systems. Harmony is an ancient ideal of more than two thousand years old. It is a system of beliefs that include all relations between individuals, within oneself, within the family, between citizen and government, between nations, and down to between humans and nature. As an all-inclusive faith for conflict resolution, harmony belief has been neglected for over two centuries. The modern society, in its departure from harmony faith, tends to be very materialistic. Evolution by the survival of the fittest has been inordinately emphasized.

Today’s conflicted world of religious and ideological confrontations calls for the revival of harmony faith. The World Harmony Organization is dedicated to the pursuit of Harmony Renaissance. Our mission is to work with the United Nations to support a modern harmony culture that can begin to harmonize relations between nations as well as between man and nature. There is no higher healing between faiths than Harmony Renaissance. Harmony Renaissance reconciles all faiths, religions, and ideologies when it is upheld by the international community as a New World Order.

Harmony is the order of nature and the operating principle of the universe. Harmony Faith, as the order of universe, is proclaimed in our Harmony Renaissance Preamble and Declaration. This was delivered as a speech at the April 25, 2008 U.N. Spring Festival. A further disclosure of Harmony Faith is also attached in the article titled “Harmony Faith, the Order of the Universe”, or click www.scribd.com/fcwfung for our over 200 Harmony essays.

Harmony Renaissance is the inevitable tide humans are waiting to bring us to the next level of accomplishment beyond European Renaissance. To participate in this second wave of dynamic harmony movement, follow the twelve virtues of Harmony Renaissance that are presented here. They are: TOLERANCE, ACCEPTANCE, RESPECT, KINDNESS, FORGIVENESS, HUMILITY, GENTLENESS, PATIENCE, EQUITY, NONVIOLENCE, GREEN ECOLOGY, AND CONSERVATION. The last two are actions we now must collectively take urgently to harmonize with nature in order to avoid catastrophe on earth.

We propose that the United Nations every year organize an international artists’ contest for the best combination of poetry and art work to extol the twelve Harmony Renaissance virtues. Each year, the selected first ten submissions will be published worldwide as that year’s calendars for world distribution. In this way, it will become an important tradition for mankind to start each year with harmony inspirations. So, Harmony Renaissance and the 12 virtues of harmony will live in the hearts of mankind. We can also proclaim the first month of each year as Harmony Renaissance month to advocate the twelve virtues of harmony culture.

Francis C W Fung, Ph.D.
Director General,
World harmony Organization
Edited by James C Townsend
Francis@worldharmonyorg.net