FROM SCEINTIFIC DEVELOPMENT TO WORLD HARMONY RENAISSANCE
By Francis C. W. Fung, PH.D.
WWW.WORLDHARMONYORG.NET
The innovative Chinese development concept of scientific development as an overall strategy for nation building was heralded by the CPC in 2004 as major national policy. Its comprehensive nature has since led to remarkable events in China. The concept of scientific development followed the idea of systematic balanced development for a just and fair society. Besides the objective of building a civil and cultured society, it also included the plan for careful scientific ecology planning to conserve energy and resources. This awareness embraces the essence of Chinese culture summarized by the Chinese saying “Tien Ren He Yi”, meaning Man and Universe in harmony. The current 17th National Congress Meeting of the Chinese CPC is continuing the momentum of building a socialist society with Chinese characteristics. Scientific development by current general leadership consensus is naturally synonymous with socialist society with Chinese characteristics. Will this universal concept of development after its success in China become a model for other developing nations? It behooves the world to watch its current and continuing development as an alternative approach to future world development.
The author made a study of scientific development as his interest and occupation since the concept early conception in 2004 as a scientist, and believed in its necessity and inevitability. China’s phenomenal rise in the last 30 years is unprecedented both in scale and speed, in human history. The nation has been able to improve its economy by leaps and bounds to now become number four economic power in the world, fast catching up with Germany to become number three. In that short time, it has lifted almost 300 million people (the size of American population) from abject poverty. What is more remarkable, this was achieved without colonial exploitation of other developing nations, a well known formula for success by Western nations during the 19th and 20th centuries.
This break neck pace of development is magnified in a nation of 1.3 Billion (almost one quarter of the world’s population) where the problems of scale are expected. Can China look to the West for ready solution? In part perhaps, but on the whole, China must come up with solutions from her own cultural heritage. On Oct 8, 2006, The Sixth Plenum of the 16th CPC meeting announced to the world “The decision to build a harmonious socialist society by 2020”. Among the objectives are “ the socialist democratic and legal system is further improved; the fundamental principle of administering the country according to law is implemented in an all-around way; people’s rights and interests enjoy correct respect and guarantee; widening of gap between urban and rural development and development between different regions is gradually reversed; a reasonable and orderly income distribution pattern takes shape in general; wealth of households increases universally and people lead more affluent lives;------further progress is made in fostering a sound moral atmosphere and harmonious interpersonal relation;----efficiency of utilization of resources is enhanced markedly and visible improvement in ecology environment is achieved.”
Harmony is a universal common value and is also the essence of Chinese culture. It is a natural consequence for scientific development to lead to harmony society. The spirit of both 16th and 17th CPC National Congress clearly demonstrates harmony. Einstein once said “Mother Nature is not without order, from unbalance will come order.” Nature’s order is dynamic balance which is harmony. This is the essence of ancient Chinese wisdom and philosophy. Harmony is China’s contribution to world culture. Harmony denounces violence. It embraces the human virtues of tolerance, acceptance, respect, equity, forgiveness and humility. In rediscovering harmony, China rediscovers her own roots. No nation can stand up without her own roots.
In China’s 5000 years of recorded continuous history, there might be civil strife but harmony always returned to maintain continuity. Harmony imbued in the Chinese mind a sense of peace of mind. That is why China did not feel the urge to create a major religion of her own. Throughout her history she accepted all other major world religions and harmonized them as her own. In her long history, major religious war was noticeably absent. As we watch China’s scientific development again leading her to the grand goal of harmonious society, will the world follow? Perhaps as China builds its socialist society with harmony she will resonate with the world. Harmony propagates by resonance through mutual development; resonance is nature’s preferred way of propagation.
Whether China’s 16th and 17th CPC National Congress will lead China to a harmonious society remains to be seen. But the seeds of harmony will lead to world harmony renaissance. It is the wave of creative energy that human has been waiting for to bring us to the next level of accomplishment beyond European Renaissance. Harmony is universal common value and renaissance will give it life.
May harmony prevail in the world!
Francis C. W. Fung, PH.D.
Director General
World Harmony Organization
San Francisco, CA
Sunday, October 21, 2007
INTERVIEW OF WORLD HARMONY ORGANIZATION DIRECTOR GENERAL BY XINHUANET
世界和谐组织总干事高度评价中国和谐文化
2007年03月08日 15:59:05 来源：新华网
WWW.WORLDHARMONYORG.NET
中国弘扬和谐文化有助世界和平——访世界和谐组织总干事、美籍华人冯忠华
新华网洛杉矶３月７日电（记者高原）由中国倡导的创建“和谐社会”、实施“和谐外交”的理念在世界范围内引起强烈反响。美籍华人冯忠华博士于今年初成立了世界和谐组织，以推动世界持久和平与共同繁荣。
冯忠华日前接受新华社记者专访时，介绍了成立世界和谐组织的初衷。他说，中国的传统文化里就充满了和谐理念。单看“和谐”两字的构成，即禾、口、言、皆４部分，代表丰衣足食、人人皆言。
他指出，追求和谐、崇尚和美是中华文化的核心和要义。孔子强调“君子和而不同，小人同而不和”，所主张的“和”是多样性的统一。这句话充分表明了求同存异的重要性，即“海纳百川有容乃大”的胸怀。
冯忠华认为，和谐思想体现在诸多方面，小到人与自然、人与家庭、人与社会的关系，大至政府与民众、民族与民族、国家与国家的关系，都应提倡和谐共处，所谓“四海之内，皆兄弟也”。中华文化的这些和谐理念，是当今构建和谐社会、推动世界和平的重要思想文化资源。
冯忠华虽已旅居美国５０多年，但始终怀抱拳拳赤子之心。从大学时代开始，他从未间断对中国古典文化的学习与研究，并密切关注当代中国的政治经济发展。作为海外华人科学创新学会创始人，他曾于２０世纪８０年代访华，在中国科学工程院热物理所及上海交通大学等地讲学。
今年初，冯忠华在旧金山创办了世界和谐组织，并在成立大会上发表题为“世界必须知道中国的和谐复兴”的演讲。在他积极不懈的努力和宣传下，该组织得到美国社会各界人士的关注，以及旧金山州立大学等学术机构的支持。目前，该组织正积极筹备讨论会及一系列文化活动，并计划于今年秋天发起首个“世界和谐日”。
冯忠华的英文版著作《中国的和谐复兴》现已出版发行，美国主流媒体《外交事务》对此进行了介绍。冯忠华在书中写道：世界不和谐因素是多方面的，例如政治上的单边主义、经济发展不平衡、不同时期的发展及新与旧的矛盾等等，和谐理念将有助于人类解决这些问题。
XINHUANET INTERVIEW OF WORLD HARMONY ORGANIZATION DIRECTOR GENERAL
2007年03月08日 15:59:05 来源：新华网
WWW.WORLDHARMONYORG.NET
中国弘扬和谐文化有助世界和平——访世界和谐组织总干事、美籍华人冯忠华
新华网洛杉矶３月７日电（记者高原）由中国倡导的创建“和谐社会”、实施“和谐外交”的理念在世界范围内引起强烈反响。美籍华人冯忠华博士于今年初成立了世界和谐组织，以推动世界持久和平与共同繁荣。
冯忠华日前接受新华社记者专访时，介绍了成立世界和谐组织的初衷。他说，中国的传统文化里就充满了和谐理念。单看“和谐”两字的构成，即禾、口、言、皆４部分，代表丰衣足食、人人皆言。
他指出，追求和谐、崇尚和美是中华文化的核心和要义。孔子强调“君子和而不同，小人同而不和”，所主张的“和”是多样性的统一。这句话充分表明了求同存异的重要性，即“海纳百川有容乃大”的胸怀。
冯忠华认为，和谐思想体现在诸多方面，小到人与自然、人与家庭、人与社会的关系，大至政府与民众、民族与民族、国家与国家的关系，都应提倡和谐共处，所谓“四海之内，皆兄弟也”。中华文化的这些和谐理念，是当今构建和谐社会、推动世界和平的重要思想文化资源。
冯忠华虽已旅居美国５０多年，但始终怀抱拳拳赤子之心。从大学时代开始，他从未间断对中国古典文化的学习与研究，并密切关注当代中国的政治经济发展。作为海外华人科学创新学会创始人，他曾于２０世纪８０年代访华，在中国科学工程院热物理所及上海交通大学等地讲学。
今年初，冯忠华在旧金山创办了世界和谐组织，并在成立大会上发表题为“世界必须知道中国的和谐复兴”的演讲。在他积极不懈的努力和宣传下，该组织得到美国社会各界人士的关注，以及旧金山州立大学等学术机构的支持。目前，该组织正积极筹备讨论会及一系列文化活动，并计划于今年秋天发起首个“世界和谐日”。
冯忠华的英文版著作《中国的和谐复兴》现已出版发行，美国主流媒体《外交事务》对此进行了介绍。冯忠华在书中写道：世界不和谐因素是多方面的，例如政治上的单边主义、经济发展不平衡、不同时期的发展及新与旧的矛盾等等，和谐理念将有助于人类解决这些问题。
XINHUANET INTERVIEW OF WORLD HARMONY ORGANIZATION DIRECTOR GENERAL
Thursday, October 18, 2007
FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY AND HARMONY DIPLOMACY
FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY AND HARMONY DIPLOMACY
by FRANCIS C. W. FUNG, PH. D.
(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 GeneralWorld Harmony Organization
Editor: Xia Xiaopeng
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by FRANCIS C. W. FUNG, PH. D.
(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 GeneralWorld Harmony Organization
Editor: Xia Xiaopeng
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REVIEW BY MORGAN STEACY, ASEAN STUDIES DEPARTMENT, YORK UNIVERSITY
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 inhibit 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”.
Francis C. W. Fung’s most recent essay, “Harmony Essential for Human Rights” has struck a cord that I believe to be invaluable at this stage of human existence. His focus here is clear from the title but his approach to the topic is unique and insightful. With contributions to this topic as common as they are, it is difficult to find an article that sheds new light on the subject, but this is just what Fung has done.
Human rights are considered by most to be equal and inalienable for all people regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or nationality. Fung has posited that, while this is an ideal goal to strive for, it is necessary to understand that each individual nation has limitations that create obstacles in the path of human rights development. He further notes that it is possible that behaviour that could be perceived as a human rights violation in one place may well be a legitimate course of action in another. China’s one baby policy exemplifies his point perfectly because of the fact that this is a case where the seeming infringement of one’s human rights is, in fact, a boon to the greater good.
Creating the elaborate web of infrastructure necessary to operate a fully functional society bereft of so-called human rights violations requires discernment of the needs of that particular society along with a stable economy. Given the fact that China’s population crisis has created a situation wherein many are unable to provide the necessities of life for children due to a lack of facilities and resources, it seems unconscionable that the North American media should pass judgement so readily without sufficient knowledge or personal contact with the situation. The idea that a blanket of human rights, conceived by the Western world, is able to cover any situation is egocentric and more importantly inaccurate.
Having identified the problem as being an inability to understand the varied needs and values of nations as they relate to the implementation of human rights, Fung goes on to suggest that it is the imminent Harmony Renaissance that could reveal the solutions. Harmony requires that people allow for the differences between cultures without passing judgement. It requires that people take the time to ask questions and make decisions after they have heard the answers.
The concept of ritual is instrumental to Confucianism and may lend itself well to this discussion. The tenet holds that in carrying out ritual properly one becomes a human being. The performance of ritual requires genuine interaction with another individual or individuals. If we were to think of every moment as being ritualised, we would be forced to connect to the other that we intend to judge rather than simply imposing our own standards upon the other on whom those standards have no bearing.
Excusing nations for all violations of human rights is certainly not what is being called for. Nor is Fung necessarily claiming that each nation should independently determine the degree to which human rights can be provided. Rather the importance of what Fung is claiming lies in the acknowledgement and acceptance of difference. The manner in which a country behaves is determined by its history, its geography, its current socio-economic make-up and intangible cultural traits. Without a profound understanding of all factors involved it is impossible to understand decisions made. It is with this outlook that modern leaders and citizens must enter the global-political realm and replace careless judgements with calculated decisions based in the growing tide of harmony.
Morgan Steacy, York University, Department of 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 inhibit 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”.
Francis C. W. Fung’s most recent essay, “Harmony Essential for Human Rights” has struck a cord that I believe to be invaluable at this stage of human existence. His focus here is clear from the title but his approach to the topic is unique and insightful. With contributions to this topic as common as they are, it is difficult to find an article that sheds new light on the subject, but this is just what Fung has done.
Human rights are considered by most to be equal and inalienable for all people regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or nationality. Fung has posited that, while this is an ideal goal to strive for, it is necessary to understand that each individual nation has limitations that create obstacles in the path of human rights development. He further notes that it is possible that behaviour that could be perceived as a human rights violation in one place may well be a legitimate course of action in another. China’s one baby policy exemplifies his point perfectly because of the fact that this is a case where the seeming infringement of one’s human rights is, in fact, a boon to the greater good.
Creating the elaborate web of infrastructure necessary to operate a fully functional society bereft of so-called human rights violations requires discernment of the needs of that particular society along with a stable economy. Given the fact that China’s population crisis has created a situation wherein many are unable to provide the necessities of life for children due to a lack of facilities and resources, it seems unconscionable that the North American media should pass judgement so readily without sufficient knowledge or personal contact with the situation. The idea that a blanket of human rights, conceived by the Western world, is able to cover any situation is egocentric and more importantly inaccurate.
Having identified the problem as being an inability to understand the varied needs and values of nations as they relate to the implementation of human rights, Fung goes on to suggest that it is the imminent Harmony Renaissance that could reveal the solutions. Harmony requires that people allow for the differences between cultures without passing judgement. It requires that people take the time to ask questions and make decisions after they have heard the answers.
The concept of ritual is instrumental to Confucianism and may lend itself well to this discussion. The tenet holds that in carrying out ritual properly one becomes a human being. The performance of ritual requires genuine interaction with another individual or individuals. If we were to think of every moment as being ritualised, we would be forced to connect to the other that we intend to judge rather than simply imposing our own standards upon the other on whom those standards have no bearing.
Excusing nations for all violations of human rights is certainly not what is being called for. Nor is Fung necessarily claiming that each nation should independently determine the degree to which human rights can be provided. Rather the importance of what Fung is claiming lies in the acknowledgement and acceptance of difference. The manner in which a country behaves is determined by its history, its geography, its current socio-economic make-up and intangible cultural traits. Without a profound understanding of all factors involved it is impossible to understand decisions made. It is with this outlook that modern leaders and citizens must enter the global-political realm and replace careless judgements with calculated decisions based in the growing tide of harmony.
Morgan Steacy, York University, Department of East Asian Studies.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
HARMONY RENAISSANCE AND THE NECESSITY OF RENINVENTION
HARMONY RENAISSANCE AND THE NECESSITY OF REINVENTION
WWW.WORLDHARMONYORG.NET
By Francis C. W. Fung, PH.D.
Necessity is the mother of invention. This well known axiom is as applicable in all human activities and the scientific and technological world as well as in our ideologies or common values development. The three great cultural inventions of mankind : religion, harmony and democracy are leading examples. From their early inception at the beginning of human civil societies they have played dominant roles as cultural pillars of human civilization. From historical perspective, their eternal evolvement and interactions will be never ending. Extremism resulting from religion and democracy confrontations was largely due to consequences of claims to supremacy by different schools and the determined drive of human corruption and promotion.
Truism in important discoveries is bound to be rediscovered or reinvented at times of need also. Not to speak of the countless religious rebirths even to the modern day, the rebirth of democracy is one of the most meritorious human reinvention. Heralded by events of the European Age of Enlightenment, following the dire need for order after the European Dark Ages, democracy led to America’s own declaration of independence. In conjuncture with European Renaissance the ideal of democracy released the human creative energy that led to today’s modern scientific world.
The need of harmony as universal human value for order and stability came to being in China approximately 3000 years ago through the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period. It climaxed in Laotze’s Dao De Jing approximately 2500 years ago. The continuity of the 5000 years of Chinese history in part was due to Laotze and his follower’s harmony teaching. In his Dao De Jing, Laotze believed that the universe was created from the dark energy of the infinite firmament. He attributed harmony as the underlying operating principle of the universe. The order of the universe is harmony that is why it existed eternally. The order of nature is also the order of the universe thus nature’s order is also to seek harmony.
Laotze’s teaching can be summed up in one of Daoism’s famous sayings, “Tien Ren He Yi”. This means the universe and human are harmonious as one. This deep philosophical thought has provided the Chinese and Eastern civilization the spiritual fruit and peace of mind for centuries. This explains in part why China did not feel the strong drive to develop its own major religion; instead she accepted most major religions of the world. When one is at peace with the infinite power of the universe where all the creative dark energy came from one is at peace with oneself and the creator of the universe. There is no need to be overly dependent on humanized all mighty creator in most institutional religions. It is well known that major religious wars were notably absent despite many civil struggles in Chinese history. This relatively tolerant attitude of the Chinese was well demonstrated by Confucius. When asked by his students on the importance of religion, his reply was “Respect the Gods but stay detached”.
In times of difficulties China had at times resorted to civil and ideological struggles. Fortunately the ancient teachings of harmony, embracing the truth of forgiveness, tolerance and humility, eventually returned and triumphed over extremism. In the last 200 years of upheaval, China was at a loss facing the onslaught of an aggressive Western materialistic culture. For generations Confucius teaching had placed the merchant class at the lowest ladder of Chinese civil society. During the last 30 years of reform and opening up the break neck speed of development in China was unprecedented in human history. With its positive economic benefits it also brought conflicts between the rich and poor, the old and new and the powerful and the powerless. In short, rapid progress brings major societal disharmony, especially in the most populous nation of the world of 1.3 billion.
Harmony belief has been in the background in China and the world for too long. For the last two Western dominated centuries religion and democracy were in center stage. It is a good sign that China beginning in 2004, rediscovered harmony when the strong need was felt by her leaders. At the same time the need for world harmony through its renaissance is acute in today’s conflicting world, burdened with undue extremism and unilateralism. Harmony is a universal common value and renaissance is action. Together harmony comes to life. At the end of this essay is a draft world harmony preamble and declaration to call for world support and consensus. This call for harmony renaissance is the inevitable tide of reinvention by necessity. In rediscovering harmony, China also rediscovers its own roots. No nation can stand up unless it can grow on its own roots.
There have been numerous essays by the present author and others written on the need for harmony renaissance. The author’s experience in West to East technology transfer highlights the importance of East and West exchange, with particular significance in harmony renaissance. To illustrate the importance of a multilateral world and the future tide, we now venture to disclose the benefits of multilateral cultural exchange. America is very proud of its creativity and American know how. It is true that America, as a new nation has been very successful in technology commercialization. The rapid growth of commercial airliners, space ships, computers and the worldwide web, all great modern technologies, owe a great deal to America’s entrepreneur spirit and creativity. Actually in the thousands of years of accumulated human wisdom and experience there is little new useful discovery today but more of applications of ancient trial and proven technologies to the modern setting.
The great success of computer technology relies heavily on the world common heritage of Boolean algebra, logic programming, transistor technologies, and integrated circuits as well as mundane repeated photographic applications. Some of these technologies go back thousands of years and were discovered by ancient cultures. They are reinvented or rediscovered to apply to the great achievement of modern computer. Without the collective efforts of common human experience it may be safe to say that our computerized world may never have been realized. There lies the beauty of a multilateral world. Since the beginning of human interactions, diverse human wisdoms and inventions are continuously propagated by harmony through the spread of commerce.
With the advent of the most modern nano construction materials, time has come to build appropriate power turbine towers for rural and isolated regional electricity generation by utilizing solar energy, waste heat, biogas and geothermal energy. This low cost power generation technology using locally available fuel and energy is economically feasible because of the new MPC cement with high fly ash content. It is light weight, high strength, high temperature resistant at the same time easy to form and process. Its short setting time and strong bounding properties allows onsite construction with ease. The present vertical power turbine design can also easily team up with available VAT wind turbine technology for electricity generation. When applied in large scale this type of design, can be widely used to rapidly electrify the developing world for modern conveniences such as lights, radios, computers, microwave ovens and other small appliances. This reinvention of the power turbine for green electricity generation has a long human heritage that further illustrates the essential spirit of East and West cultural exchange.
The vertical simple power turbine in the form of a rotating lantern was first observed as early as two thousand years ago at the period of Three Kingdoms in China. Legend has it that it was invented by the famous military strategist and prime minister of Han Kingdom. Hence it was called Kung Ming lantern in honor of him. The idea of the Kung Ming lantern has a lit candle at the bottom and a turbine on top. The convection current driven by the buoyancy of the heated air turns the inner lantern that casts rotating human shadows on the wall. The military value of the lantern was said to deceive the enemy. The idea of the air driven power turbine resurfaced immediately after Second World War when Rolls Royce perfected the gas turbine engine for jet aircrafts. The design was made possible by the high strength and heat resistant properties of the titanium alloy power turbine. This heralded the jet airplane and the subsequent continental jet air travel. U.S. manufacturers Pratt and Whitney and General Electric again were quick to follow Rolls Royce in commercialization. Just as after the first Russian Sputnik, America was quick to commercialize the space and satellite communication age.
During the 1980’s the author was instrumental in assisting Cooper Rolls (a joint venture of U.S. Cooper Industries and British Rolls Royce) to convert China’s moth balled Spey aircraft gas turbine engines for oil field and off shore platform electricity generation, by using power turbine technology. The current low cost power turbine design patent for appropriate electricity comes in full circle by reinventing the power turbine technology first observed in China as Kung Ming lantern 2000 years ago. The present patent embodies the Bernoulli principle, buoyancy, atmospheric pressure difference and ideal gas law for power generation. If China commercializes this application because of strong need to provide low cost electricity to its rural and vast remote areas it could be a wind fall for most of the developing world. This is the beauty of a multilateral world cultural and technology exchange. Of more significance, the eventual world harmony renaissance initiated by China, can be the most meritorious cultural reinvention of human kind.
Harmony is a great human discovery that begs to be rediscovered. It embraces our common values of tolerance, acceptance, forgiveness, equity and humility. In the developed world today some of these virtues are in short supply. There lies in the importance of East and West cultural exchange. The world is not sustainable by thriving only on Western transfer of technology and ideology to the East. Harmony is an ancient Eastern philosophy that will prove to be the greatest Eastern cultural contribution to world civilization. It is the new wave of civil society that will release the world from the current burden of extremism and unilateralism. It will release the new innovative energy that the world has been waiting for to bring us to the next level of human accomplishment beyond European Renaissance.
HARMONY PREAMBLE
In the East harmony as a social science theory was evolved from natural science observation by Laotze. Human in harmony with the universe is called Tien Ren He Yi. Einstein was also quoted as saying the order of nature is not accidental. Harmony is the order of nature. Harmony belongs to the World and to the Universe.
WORLD HARMONY ORGANIZATION "HARMONY DECLARATION"
Harmony is the highest common value. Renaissance is action. Together they have life.
Harmony is the order of natural science and the fundamental law of the universe.
Harmony is dynamic energy balance and is also the principle of universe creation.
From the very beginning, the Universe is created by the infinite invisible energy in the firmament.
The invisible energy that created the universe can also be called DAO.
Laotze said "Dao created one, one created two, two created three, three created all things. All things carry Ying and embrace Yang. Dynamic balance creates harmony."
Laotze's harmony theory of universe is in unison with modern quantum physics.
Harmony renaissance is the guiding principle to be applied to natural and social sciences. It is the break through that will take us to the next level of human creativity and accomplishment beyond European Renaissance.
World Harmony Organization Signers
Francis C. W. Fung PH.D.
Director General
World Harmony Organization
WWW.WORLDHARMONYORG.NET
By Francis C. W. Fung, PH.D.
Necessity is the mother of invention. This well known axiom is as applicable in all human activities and the scientific and technological world as well as in our ideologies or common values development. The three great cultural inventions of mankind : religion, harmony and democracy are leading examples. From their early inception at the beginning of human civil societies they have played dominant roles as cultural pillars of human civilization. From historical perspective, their eternal evolvement and interactions will be never ending. Extremism resulting from religion and democracy confrontations was largely due to consequences of claims to supremacy by different schools and the determined drive of human corruption and promotion.
Truism in important discoveries is bound to be rediscovered or reinvented at times of need also. Not to speak of the countless religious rebirths even to the modern day, the rebirth of democracy is one of the most meritorious human reinvention. Heralded by events of the European Age of Enlightenment, following the dire need for order after the European Dark Ages, democracy led to America’s own declaration of independence. In conjuncture with European Renaissance the ideal of democracy released the human creative energy that led to today’s modern scientific world.
The need of harmony as universal human value for order and stability came to being in China approximately 3000 years ago through the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period. It climaxed in Laotze’s Dao De Jing approximately 2500 years ago. The continuity of the 5000 years of Chinese history in part was due to Laotze and his follower’s harmony teaching. In his Dao De Jing, Laotze believed that the universe was created from the dark energy of the infinite firmament. He attributed harmony as the underlying operating principle of the universe. The order of the universe is harmony that is why it existed eternally. The order of nature is also the order of the universe thus nature’s order is also to seek harmony.
Laotze’s teaching can be summed up in one of Daoism’s famous sayings, “Tien Ren He Yi”. This means the universe and human are harmonious as one. This deep philosophical thought has provided the Chinese and Eastern civilization the spiritual fruit and peace of mind for centuries. This explains in part why China did not feel the strong drive to develop its own major religion; instead she accepted most major religions of the world. When one is at peace with the infinite power of the universe where all the creative dark energy came from one is at peace with oneself and the creator of the universe. There is no need to be overly dependent on humanized all mighty creator in most institutional religions. It is well known that major religious wars were notably absent despite many civil struggles in Chinese history. This relatively tolerant attitude of the Chinese was well demonstrated by Confucius. When asked by his students on the importance of religion, his reply was “Respect the Gods but stay detached”.
In times of difficulties China had at times resorted to civil and ideological struggles. Fortunately the ancient teachings of harmony, embracing the truth of forgiveness, tolerance and humility, eventually returned and triumphed over extremism. In the last 200 years of upheaval, China was at a loss facing the onslaught of an aggressive Western materialistic culture. For generations Confucius teaching had placed the merchant class at the lowest ladder of Chinese civil society. During the last 30 years of reform and opening up the break neck speed of development in China was unprecedented in human history. With its positive economic benefits it also brought conflicts between the rich and poor, the old and new and the powerful and the powerless. In short, rapid progress brings major societal disharmony, especially in the most populous nation of the world of 1.3 billion.
Harmony belief has been in the background in China and the world for too long. For the last two Western dominated centuries religion and democracy were in center stage. It is a good sign that China beginning in 2004, rediscovered harmony when the strong need was felt by her leaders. At the same time the need for world harmony through its renaissance is acute in today’s conflicting world, burdened with undue extremism and unilateralism. Harmony is a universal common value and renaissance is action. Together harmony comes to life. At the end of this essay is a draft world harmony preamble and declaration to call for world support and consensus. This call for harmony renaissance is the inevitable tide of reinvention by necessity. In rediscovering harmony, China also rediscovers its own roots. No nation can stand up unless it can grow on its own roots.
There have been numerous essays by the present author and others written on the need for harmony renaissance. The author’s experience in West to East technology transfer highlights the importance of East and West exchange, with particular significance in harmony renaissance. To illustrate the importance of a multilateral world and the future tide, we now venture to disclose the benefits of multilateral cultural exchange. America is very proud of its creativity and American know how. It is true that America, as a new nation has been very successful in technology commercialization. The rapid growth of commercial airliners, space ships, computers and the worldwide web, all great modern technologies, owe a great deal to America’s entrepreneur spirit and creativity. Actually in the thousands of years of accumulated human wisdom and experience there is little new useful discovery today but more of applications of ancient trial and proven technologies to the modern setting.
The great success of computer technology relies heavily on the world common heritage of Boolean algebra, logic programming, transistor technologies, and integrated circuits as well as mundane repeated photographic applications. Some of these technologies go back thousands of years and were discovered by ancient cultures. They are reinvented or rediscovered to apply to the great achievement of modern computer. Without the collective efforts of common human experience it may be safe to say that our computerized world may never have been realized. There lies the beauty of a multilateral world. Since the beginning of human interactions, diverse human wisdoms and inventions are continuously propagated by harmony through the spread of commerce.
With the advent of the most modern nano construction materials, time has come to build appropriate power turbine towers for rural and isolated regional electricity generation by utilizing solar energy, waste heat, biogas and geothermal energy. This low cost power generation technology using locally available fuel and energy is economically feasible because of the new MPC cement with high fly ash content. It is light weight, high strength, high temperature resistant at the same time easy to form and process. Its short setting time and strong bounding properties allows onsite construction with ease. The present vertical power turbine design can also easily team up with available VAT wind turbine technology for electricity generation. When applied in large scale this type of design, can be widely used to rapidly electrify the developing world for modern conveniences such as lights, radios, computers, microwave ovens and other small appliances. This reinvention of the power turbine for green electricity generation has a long human heritage that further illustrates the essential spirit of East and West cultural exchange.
The vertical simple power turbine in the form of a rotating lantern was first observed as early as two thousand years ago at the period of Three Kingdoms in China. Legend has it that it was invented by the famous military strategist and prime minister of Han Kingdom. Hence it was called Kung Ming lantern in honor of him. The idea of the Kung Ming lantern has a lit candle at the bottom and a turbine on top. The convection current driven by the buoyancy of the heated air turns the inner lantern that casts rotating human shadows on the wall. The military value of the lantern was said to deceive the enemy. The idea of the air driven power turbine resurfaced immediately after Second World War when Rolls Royce perfected the gas turbine engine for jet aircrafts. The design was made possible by the high strength and heat resistant properties of the titanium alloy power turbine. This heralded the jet airplane and the subsequent continental jet air travel. U.S. manufacturers Pratt and Whitney and General Electric again were quick to follow Rolls Royce in commercialization. Just as after the first Russian Sputnik, America was quick to commercialize the space and satellite communication age.
During the 1980’s the author was instrumental in assisting Cooper Rolls (a joint venture of U.S. Cooper Industries and British Rolls Royce) to convert China’s moth balled Spey aircraft gas turbine engines for oil field and off shore platform electricity generation, by using power turbine technology. The current low cost power turbine design patent for appropriate electricity comes in full circle by reinventing the power turbine technology first observed in China as Kung Ming lantern 2000 years ago. The present patent embodies the Bernoulli principle, buoyancy, atmospheric pressure difference and ideal gas law for power generation. If China commercializes this application because of strong need to provide low cost electricity to its rural and vast remote areas it could be a wind fall for most of the developing world. This is the beauty of a multilateral world cultural and technology exchange. Of more significance, the eventual world harmony renaissance initiated by China, can be the most meritorious cultural reinvention of human kind.
Harmony is a great human discovery that begs to be rediscovered. It embraces our common values of tolerance, acceptance, forgiveness, equity and humility. In the developed world today some of these virtues are in short supply. There lies in the importance of East and West cultural exchange. The world is not sustainable by thriving only on Western transfer of technology and ideology to the East. Harmony is an ancient Eastern philosophy that will prove to be the greatest Eastern cultural contribution to world civilization. It is the new wave of civil society that will release the world from the current burden of extremism and unilateralism. It will release the new innovative energy that the world has been waiting for to bring us to the next level of human accomplishment beyond European Renaissance.
HARMONY PREAMBLE
In the East harmony as a social science theory was evolved from natural science observation by Laotze. Human in harmony with the universe is called Tien Ren He Yi. Einstein was also quoted as saying the order of nature is not accidental. Harmony is the order of nature. Harmony belongs to the World and to the Universe.
WORLD HARMONY ORGANIZATION "HARMONY DECLARATION"
Harmony is the highest common value. Renaissance is action. Together they have life.
Harmony is the order of natural science and the fundamental law of the universe.
Harmony is dynamic energy balance and is also the principle of universe creation.
From the very beginning, the Universe is created by the infinite invisible energy in the firmament.
The invisible energy that created the universe can also be called DAO.
Laotze said "Dao created one, one created two, two created three, three created all things. All things carry Ying and embrace Yang. Dynamic balance creates harmony."
Laotze's harmony theory of universe is in unison with modern quantum physics.
Harmony renaissance is the guiding principle to be applied to natural and social sciences. It is the break through that will take us to the next level of human creativity and accomplishment beyond European Renaissance.
World Harmony Organization Signers
Francis C. W. Fung PH.D.
Director General
World Harmony Organization
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
HARMONY RENAISSANCE DECLARATION
WWW.WORLDHARMONYORG.NET
HARMONY PREAMBLE
In the East harmony as a social science theory was evolved from natural science observation by Laotze. Human in harmony with the universe is called Tien Ren He Yi. Einstein was also quoted as saying the order of nature is not accidental. Harmony is the order of nature. Harmony belongs to the World and to the Universe.
WORLD HARMONY ORGANIZATION "HARMONY DECLARATION"
Harmony is the highest common value. Renaissance is action. Together they have life.
Harmony is the order of natural science and the fundamental law of the universe.
Harmony is dynamic energy balance and is also the principle of universe creation.
From the very beginning, the Universe is created by the infinite invisible energy in the firmament.
The invisible energy that created the universe can also be called DAO.
Laotze said "Dao created one, one created two, two created three, three created all things. All things carry Ying and embrace Yang. Dynamic balance creates harmony."
Laotze's harmony theory of universe is in unison with modern quantum physics.
Harmony renaissance is the guiding principle to be applied to natural and social sciences. It is the break through that will take us to the next level of human creativity and accomplishment beyond European Renaissance.
World Harmony Organization Signers
和谐序言
作为社会科学理论，东方和谐源于老子对自然科学的观察。人类与自然和谐，为天人合一。爱因斯坦说过，自然有其规律，而非偶然。和谐是自然的规律。和谐属于世界，属于自然。
世界和谐组织
【和谐宣言】
和谐是人类最高的共同价值。复兴是行动。彼此和睦共处。
和谐是自然科学的法则，是宇宙的基本定律。
和谐是动态能量的平衡，是创造自然的法则。
混沌于始，广袤无边的无形能量创造了宇宙。
这种创造宇宙的无形能量，为道。
老子曰：“道生一、一生二、二生三、三生万物。万物负阴而抱阳，冲气以为和。”
老子的自然和谐理论与现代的量子力学异曲同工。
和谐复兴是自然科学和社会科学的指导纲领。必将突破现状，使人类的创造力提高到一个新的水平，超越欧洲文艺复兴的成就。
HARMONY PREAMBLE
In the East harmony as a social science theory was evolved from natural science observation by Laotze. Human in harmony with the universe is called Tien Ren He Yi. Einstein was also quoted as saying the order of nature is not accidental. Harmony is the order of nature. Harmony belongs to the World and to the Universe.
WORLD HARMONY ORGANIZATION "HARMONY DECLARATION"
Harmony is the highest common value. Renaissance is action. Together they have life.
Harmony is the order of natural science and the fundamental law of the universe.
Harmony is dynamic energy balance and is also the principle of universe creation.
From the very beginning, the Universe is created by the infinite invisible energy in the firmament.
The invisible energy that created the universe can also be called DAO.
Laotze said "Dao created one, one created two, two created three, three created all things. All things carry Ying and embrace Yang. Dynamic balance creates harmony."
Laotze's harmony theory of universe is in unison with modern quantum physics.
Harmony renaissance is the guiding principle to be applied to natural and social sciences. It is the break through that will take us to the next level of human creativity and accomplishment beyond European Renaissance.
World Harmony Organization Signers
和谐序言
作为社会科学理论，东方和谐源于老子对自然科学的观察。人类与自然和谐，为天人合一。爱因斯坦说过，自然有其规律，而非偶然。和谐是自然的规律。和谐属于世界，属于自然。
世界和谐组织
【和谐宣言】
和谐是人类最高的共同价值。复兴是行动。彼此和睦共处。
和谐是自然科学的法则，是宇宙的基本定律。
和谐是动态能量的平衡，是创造自然的法则。
混沌于始，广袤无边的无形能量创造了宇宙。
这种创造宇宙的无形能量，为道。
老子曰：“道生一、一生二、二生三、三生万物。万物负阴而抱阳，冲气以为和。”
老子的自然和谐理论与现代的量子力学异曲同工。
和谐复兴是自然科学和社会科学的指导纲领。必将突破现状，使人类的创造力提高到一个新的水平，超越欧洲文艺复兴的成就。
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
XINHUA ARTICLE ON WORLD HARMONY ORGANIZATION AND DIRECTOR GENERAL
世界和谐组织总干事高度评价中国和谐文化
2007年03月08日 15:59:05 来源：新华网
【字号 大 中 小】 【我要打印】
WWW.WORLDHARMONYORG.NET
中国弘扬和谐文化有助世界和平——访世界和谐组织总干事、美籍华人冯忠华
新华网洛杉矶３月７日电（记者高原）由中国倡导的创建“和谐社会”、实施“和谐外交”的理念在世界范围内引起强烈反响。美籍华人冯忠华博士于今年初成立了世界和谐组织，以推动世界持久和平与共同繁荣。
冯忠华日前接受新华社记者专访时，介绍了成立世界和谐组织的初衷。他说，中国的传统文化里就充满了和谐理念。单看“和谐”两字的构成，即禾、口、言、皆４部分，代表丰衣足食、人人皆言。
他指出，追求和谐、崇尚和美是中华文化的核心和要义。孔子强调“君子和而不同，小人同而不和”，所主张的“和”是多样性的统一。这句话充分表明了求同存异的重要性，即“海纳百川有容乃大”的胸怀。
冯忠华认为，和谐思想体现在诸多方面，小到人与自然、人与家庭、人与社会的关系，大至政府与民众、民族与民族、国家与国家的关系，都应提倡和谐共处，所谓“四海之内，皆兄弟也”。中华文化的这些和谐理念，是当今构建和谐社会、推动世界和平的重要思想文化资源。
冯忠华虽已旅居美国５０多年，但始终怀抱拳拳赤子之心。从大学时代开始，他从未间断对中国古典文化的学习与研究，并密切关注当代中国的政治经济发展。作为海外华人科学创新学会创始人，他曾于２０世纪８０年代访华，在中国科学工程院热物理所及上海交通大学等地讲学。
今年初，冯忠华在旧金山创办了世界和谐组织，并在成立大会上发表题为“世界必须知道中国的和谐复兴”的演讲。在他积极不懈的努力和宣传下，该组织得到美国社会各界人士的关注，以及旧金山州立大学等学术机构的支持。目前，该组织正积极筹备讨论会及一系列文化活动，并计划于今年秋天发起首个“世界和谐日”。
冯忠华的英文版著作《中国的和谐复兴》现已出版发行，美国主流媒体《外交事务》对此进行了介绍。冯忠华在书中写道：世界不和谐因素是多方面的，例如政治上的单边主义、经济发展不平衡、不同时期的发展及新与旧的矛盾等等，和谐理念将有助于人类解决这些问题。
2007年03月08日 15:59:05 来源：新华网
【字号 大 中 小】 【我要打印】
WWW.WORLDHARMONYORG.NET
中国弘扬和谐文化有助世界和平——访世界和谐组织总干事、美籍华人冯忠华
新华网洛杉矶３月７日电（记者高原）由中国倡导的创建“和谐社会”、实施“和谐外交”的理念在世界范围内引起强烈反响。美籍华人冯忠华博士于今年初成立了世界和谐组织，以推动世界持久和平与共同繁荣。
冯忠华日前接受新华社记者专访时，介绍了成立世界和谐组织的初衷。他说，中国的传统文化里就充满了和谐理念。单看“和谐”两字的构成，即禾、口、言、皆４部分，代表丰衣足食、人人皆言。
他指出，追求和谐、崇尚和美是中华文化的核心和要义。孔子强调“君子和而不同，小人同而不和”，所主张的“和”是多样性的统一。这句话充分表明了求同存异的重要性，即“海纳百川有容乃大”的胸怀。
冯忠华认为，和谐思想体现在诸多方面，小到人与自然、人与家庭、人与社会的关系，大至政府与民众、民族与民族、国家与国家的关系，都应提倡和谐共处，所谓“四海之内，皆兄弟也”。中华文化的这些和谐理念，是当今构建和谐社会、推动世界和平的重要思想文化资源。
冯忠华虽已旅居美国５０多年，但始终怀抱拳拳赤子之心。从大学时代开始，他从未间断对中国古典文化的学习与研究，并密切关注当代中国的政治经济发展。作为海外华人科学创新学会创始人，他曾于２０世纪８０年代访华，在中国科学工程院热物理所及上海交通大学等地讲学。
今年初，冯忠华在旧金山创办了世界和谐组织，并在成立大会上发表题为“世界必须知道中国的和谐复兴”的演讲。在他积极不懈的努力和宣传下，该组织得到美国社会各界人士的关注，以及旧金山州立大学等学术机构的支持。目前，该组织正积极筹备讨论会及一系列文化活动，并计划于今年秋天发起首个“世界和谐日”。
冯忠华的英文版著作《中国的和谐复兴》现已出版发行，美国主流媒体《外交事务》对此进行了介绍。冯忠华在书中写道：世界不和谐因素是多方面的，例如政治上的单边主义、经济发展不平衡、不同时期的发展及新与旧的矛盾等等，和谐理念将有助于人类解决这些问题。
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