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Trumpeting the “Be Veg. Go Green. Save the Planet”
Message at the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Conference
Compiled by Formosa News Group (Originally in Chinese and
English)
[Copenhagen] From December 7 to 18, Golden Year 6 (2009),
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s 15th
Session of the Conference of Parties, UNFCCC COP15, took place in Copenhagen,
Denmark. Listed as one of the 600 observer NGOs, the Supreme Master Ching
Hai International Association took part in the two-week summit to spread
the vegan message. Initiates from Bulgaria, Canada, England, Formosa,
Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Korea, Macau, Sweden, Switzerland,
the United States and other countries came together and worked enthusiastically
for the noble goal of saving the planet.
It was anticipated that the number of conference participants
would reach 20,000 this year, so the initiates prepared the same amount
of gift tote bags with the SOS slogan on them, each containing one of
Master’s best-selling books: The Noble Wilds, The Birds
in My life or The Dogs in My Life, an SOS DVD, a report of
Master’s climate change interviews, as well as various flyers, and
distributed them at popular areas in Copenhagen and outside the Bella
Center where the summit took place.
Despite the freezing temperatures, our fellow initiates worked
from early morning to late at night. Their sincere concern for the world
and joyful spirit won admiration from many guests including the Danish
policemen who came to ask for our information package and expressed support
for Master’s ideals of peace, love and the vegan diet as a solution
to save the Earth. During the final few days, they also set up a flat
screen to play Master’s talk on the importance of the vegan lifestyle
and related Supreme Master Television programs.
Even though only a few of our Association members were able
to enter the conference in Copenhagen, through God’s loving arrangement,
they encountered many VIPs, including: the United States President Barack
Obama, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the United Nations Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon, and the newly elected European Union President Herman Van
Rompuy. Each was personally given Master’s press kit and SOS flyers.
Mrs. Angela Merkel, showing her inner respect for Master, embraced her
copy of the press kit with Master’s photo on the front, as she walked
into one of the conference halls.
In addition, the Association-produced film clip of Master calling
on all citizens of the world to turn vegan was aired on Danish television
channel TV2. Articles of Master explaining the vegan diet as the fastest
solution to the climate crisis were also published in the most widely
read English newspaper in Denmark, and the COP15 Post, a newspaper
which was especially edited for the Climate Summit and was given out freely
at the venue on a daily basis throughout the conference.
Large posters with the themes of “Peace,” “Love,”
“Joy,” and the “Vegan Lifestyle” became the center
of attraction, giving our Association members the opportunity to share
Master’s ideals and the vegan message. Their discussions received
large media coverage and many of our fellow initiates were even interviewed
by media from different countries, such as the Swedish TV station, French
TV station and Porto Rican TV station, thus enabling the message to reach
further corners of the world. Before the official closing of the summit,
the consensus amongst the media, regarding all the NGOs, was that the
Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association was the most dedicated!
On December 12, together with NGOs from all over the world,
our initiates joined a six-kilometer walk, demanding of the world leaders
to adopt efficient solutions to the global warming dilemma. Wearing yellow
jackets and animal costumes, they carried posters and shouted, “Be
Veg! Go Green! Save the Planet!” Again they attracted the media’s
attention, and some people from other groups even walked with them to
show their support for the ideal. It was estimated that about 100,000
people participated in the parade. It was so touching to see the unity
of purpose among everyone there—to work together and save our precious
planet.
Seeing many IGO and NGO delegates waiting outside for several
hours in the cold weather to enter the venue, the initiates lovingly prepared
free vegan sandwiches for them. The pure and delicious food was much appreciated
by all—Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists alike; and within just a few
days, they distributed 10,000 sandwiches. On the last day, special vegan
meals and cupcakes were given to the Swiss delegates, who were quite touched.
The initiates also helped prepare a vegan buffet at a five-star hotel
where they served more than 100 guests and showed a Supreme Master Television
climate change film clip on a giant screen, delivering the Earth-saving
vegan message.
By way of the Copenhagen summit, “Be Veg! Go Green! Save
the Planet!” echoed throughout the northern countries and the world.
Our Association members’ peaceful and loving demeanor as well as
their dedication to this work left a deep impression on others, especially
the Copenhagen policemen who assisted them greatly during the event. Let’s
pray that with God’s grace, the world leaders will hasten to make
laws that promote the compassionate vegan lifestyle so that this amazing
planet and all its inhabitants will venture into a harmonious golden era.
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as well as a sense of urgency, Supreme Master Ching Hai shares Her great wisdom through a new leaflet that awakens people to the imperative need to adopt an alternative lifestyle that will help reverse the changing weather patterns. The “SOS – Go Veg! Be Green!” leaflet not only presents the hard facts, it more importantly lights the way to sustainable living in a balanced world. Master has sent a clear message: The vegetarian diet, sustainable energy and green technologies are choices that all must act upon now.
