Indeed, George Washington was a man of peace and had accepted his role only to serve his nation during its critical time. On December 23, 1783, he resigned as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and returned to his beloved civilian life at Mount Vernon. In 1787, the Constitutional Convention to decide how the American nation would be governed began in Philadelphia, and George Washing

George Washington was born in 1732, a fourth generation Virginian. His father passed away when he was just 11, and his education was modest. The first position he held was as a land surveyor. In 1752, following the death of one of his brothers, George Washington inherited the family estate at Mount Vernon, on the banks of the Potomac River. This would be his home for the rest of his life. He also

“And their philosophy of their founders, which I quote often when I’m speaking in America, is summed up in three words, which is written on the American cent. And if you can’t read the cent, go to the grave of Abraham Lincoln, and there is that powerful message in three Latin words: ‘E pluribus unum’ – ‘From many, we are one.’ The essence of our unity is respect for diversity, not fighting about i

An Irish politician, John Hume spent his life in the tireless pursuit of a peaceful solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland. He was widely regarded as one of the most important figures of the Northern Ireland peace process. As the Catholic leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, he was one of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement, which was signed in 1998 by Northern Ireland’s

Melania Trump, or Melanija Knavs, was born in 1970. A native of the Yugoslav republic of Slovenia, she is the wife of His Excellency Donald Trump, 45th US President, who is also a Shining World Peace Leader Award and Shining World Leadership Award for Compassion Laureate.Melania Trump has used her life for the betterment of humanity, especially in the care of children and the plight of wome

Born on January 7, 1891, in Notasulga, Alabama, of the United States of America, Zora Neale Hurston became one of the most significant and successful female African American writers of the 20th century. Her writing career spanned 30 years, during which she published two books on folklore, four novels, numerous short stories, essays, plays, and an autobiography. Zora Neale Hurston possessed a great

Mr. Dashdondog has written his works in all genres of children’s literature, such as lyrics, verses, poems, short stories, tales, picture books, non-fictions, plays, operas, screenplays, translations, etc. He also drew the illustrations for some of his books and set his poems to music. The internationally acclaimed pop singer, Nominjin, released her first-ever single “Children of Mother Nature” wh

We are very honored to have Mr. Borolzoi Dashdondog, the son of Dashdondog Jamba, share with us his father’s story. “Another thing he was doing was the children’s library. How it was started is that, during the period when my father was young and lived actively creating his creations, it was a socialist period, before 1990. He said that it started from the year 1991. From then till the year 2016,

Mr. Dashdondog Jamba was born in the Bulgan province of Mongolia and achieved fame as a children’s writer at just 17 years of age. He published more than 100 books for young readers, and 24 of these have been published overseas. He also translated more than 50 books by foreign authors; for example, the stories by Hans Christian Andersen. Dashdondog Jamba served as an editor of children’s newspaper

“Before he came to Leipzig and became Thomaskantor, he was employed at a court, at a royal court, as a musician with Prince Leopold in Köten. He then became Thomaskantor and, in our opinion, perhaps the most important Protestant church musician of all. Only he himself knows that; we cannot say, but he was a deeply religious, Lutheran Christian, and was commissioned by God to compose his church mus

A German composer, harpsichordist, organist, and violinist of the Baroque period, as well as an expert on organ-building, Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, on March 21, 1685. Generally regarded as one of the most prolific and greatest composers of all time, he is known for the Brandenburg Concertos and the Goldberg Variations, as well as the Mass in B minor. Bach explored every major style and musical genre of his time. He also developed these styles and blended them together in new ways, combining the emotional with the intellectual. In 1700, young Bach was offered a choral scholarship to the prestigious Saint Michael’s school in Luneburg. He enrolled with his lifelong friend Georg Erdmann. During his two years at the school, Johann Sebastian Bach was exposed to the diversity of European culture. He played the school’s organ and harpsichords, and also sang in the choir. In 1707, Johann Sebastian Bach was appointed organist at the Blasius Church in Mühlhausen, Thuringia, with good remuneration and improved working conditions. Four months later, Johann Sebastian Bach married Maria Barbara Bach.During his time in Mühlhausen, he produced several church cantatas based on biblical texts. The first of Johann Sebastian Bach’s compositions to be published was Cantata No.71, “Gott ist mein Konig,” in 1708. At Mühlhausen, he encouraged music in the villages. He persuaded his employers to rebuild the organ and supervised the restoration. Johann Sebastian Bach composed most of his great organ works during the time he spent as an organist to William Ernest, the Duke of Saxe-Weimar. In 1714, he was made concertmaster and had to write a cantata every month for church services. He took part in musical activities at the Gelbes Schloss, or Yellow Castle, where Duke Ernest’s nephews were staying and taught both of them. During the years 1708 to 1714, Johann Sebastian Bach’s style underwent a profound change. He had been influenced by the new styles of the contemporary Italian opera and by Italian concerto composers such as Antonio Vivaldi.

In July 2018, His Excellency Dr. Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President, His Excellency Isaias Afwerki, also a Shining World Leadership Award for Peace Laureate, re-established peaceful relations that ended two decades of unstable relationship between Ethiopia and Eritrea. In the following months, Ethiopia withdrew its troops from the Ethiopian-Eritrean borders and diplomatic relations were restored. Air and telecommunication services were reestablished and joint infrastructure and development projects developed. Families separated for two long decades were also joyously reunited. Dr. Abiy Ahmed believes that harmony restores faith in humanity and renews hope and confidence for the future. This historic rapprochement has certainly yielded abundant rewards. Additionally, His Excellency Dr. Abiy Ahmed and his government have contributed to other efforts for peace and reconciliation in East and Northeast Africa. In September 2018, His Excellency Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Eritrea’s President, His Excellency Isaias Afwerki, and Somalia’s President, His Excellency Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo,” also a Shining World Leadership Award for Peace Laureate, signed the Joint Declaration on Comprehensive Cooperation. Soon after, Ethiopian Airlines resumed flights to Somalia after a 41-year halt of air travel between the two neighboring countries. His Excellency Dr. Abiy Ahmed also played an important role in welcoming a new dawn of peace in South Sudan. In October 2018, His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit, South Sudan’s President, and the opposition leader, former vice president, His Excellency Dr. Riek Machar, both Shining World Leadership Award for Peace Laureates, met in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. There, they signed a final and comprehensive peace agreement that formally ended a five-year conflict. Upon hearing of this wonderful peace news, “With all best auspicious wishes in God’s Grace,” Supreme Master Ching Hai joyously presented the Shining World Leadership Award for Peace to Their Excellencies Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Salva Kiir Mayardit, and Dr. Riek Machar, “with high salute and gratitude for making peace and saving lives.”

His Excellency Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, a Shining World Leadership Award for Peace Laureate, is the fourth Prime Minister of Ethiopia. Through his leadership, His Excellency Dr. Abiy Ahmed has taken significant strides towards advancing peace to his fellow citizens and in the African continent. For his work to restore harmony with Eritrea, he was awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. “I believed peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea was within reach. I was convinced that the imaginary wall separating our two countries for much too long needed to be torn down. And in its place, a bridge of friendship, collaboration and goodwill has to be built to last for ages.” Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali dedicated the award as “a prize given to Africa, given to Ethiopia, and I can imagine how the rest of Africa’s leaders will take it positively, to work on the peace-building process in our continent.” They lived by a truism called “Medemer,” a diction that resonates to the tenet, “I am my brother’s keeper. I am my sister’s keeper.” Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali learned the horrors of conflict early on. His experiences furthered his determination to restore peace in his country and in the African continent. Through his relentless drive and determination, he came into office as Ethiopia’s prime minister in 2018. During his inaugural address, he said: “Justice should be our main principle; love and respect for all human beings ought to be our moral compass.” As a liberal politician, His Excellency Dr. Abiy Ahmed seeks to nurture a culture of political pluralism. With a vision of the Horn of Africa becoming a treasury of peace and progress, he has already implemented a number of reforms. Under Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali’s premiership, detention centers have closed and all political prisoners and journalists have been released. There is freedom of the press. Opposition leaders are free to engage in political activity of a peaceful nature. The public can take the government to task without fear since the judiciary is governed by the rule of law. A free and fair election is scheduled for 2021.

In “Anastasia,” Vladimir Megre’s personal spiritual development unfolds throughout the pages of this compelling tale. Reading this series of books, we are inspired by the story of one ordinary man’s unravelling as he is challenged by the soul-driven radiance of Anastasia. Anastasia, who only knows truth, and who lives and breathes purity, observes a special quality within Vladimir, an otherwise conventional businessman. She arranges a three-day process in which he undergoes molecular rearrangement and experiences firsthand the underlying principles of nature. Vladimir Megre finds himself having to dispel doubt and judgement to move beyond his typically rigid and theoretical mindset. Sufficiently intrigued by Anastasia’s wisdom, lightness, and apparent contentment, he endeavors to sincerely understand what many others in this world might consider a radical departure from normality. “God is the interplanetary Mind, or intelligence. He is not to be found in a single mass. Half of Him is in the non-material realm of the Universe. This is the sum total of all energies. The other half of Him is dispersed across the Earth, in every individual, in every Man. The dark forces strive to block these particles.” “Everything – but everything – on Earth, every blade of grass, every insect, has been created for Man, and everything has its individual appointed task to perform in the service of Man. The multitude of medicinal plants are a confirmation of this. But people in your world know very little about how to benefit from the opportunities they are presented with – about how to take full advantage of them.” Anastasia’s insight into the human condition is aided, we learn, by her ability to “observe” anyone at will through the use of an inner telepathic ray, a facility she says that everyone possesses, and which she also encourages Vladimir to develop. According to Anastasia, it is very important for the person who will eat the fruits and vegetables to grow them from seedlings, taking an intimate role in the plant’s development. In this way, the plants can silently assimilate information about the person’s bodily needs and heal them accordingly.

Today, we will be exploring the life and vision of Vladimir Megre, who won the Gusi Peace Prize in 2011 and has been listed by the Watkins “Mind Body Spirit” magazine as one of “100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People.” The Ukrainian-born Russian author and entrepreneur is known for his best-selling chronicle series entitled “The Ringing Cedars of Russia.” 02：59）Vladimir Megre presents Anastasia, a reclusive woman of the Siberian forest with timeless wisdom encompassing life, nature, and the universe. The books have inspired an ever-expanding group of adherents that explore a way of life in tune with the universal principles of balance and harmony. These readers have dedicated themselves to understanding the spiritual relationship between themselves and nature. On his next expedition up the river, he hoped more than anything to find out more about the ringing cedars phenomenon. In his now famous book “Anastasia,” Vladimir Megre describes the amazing meeting with a hermit woman who agrees to show him the prized healing cones of the ringing cedars. This is the incredible beginning of the introduction to Anastasia’s wisdom, which becomes the central thread of “The Ringing Cedars of Russia” series. The book, “Anastasia,” is not only a personal odyssey, but a manifesto in pure natural living, proposing a scenario in which humanity returns to a “Garden of Eden” state by disentangling itself from the ineffective ways of the material world. Anastasia explains that only by living in accordance with harmonious universal principles can humanity finally achieve lasting peace and prosperity. Her wisdom, through Vladimir Megre’s books, has inspired countless people to return to a self-sufficient lifestyle through small scale-farming of plant-based produce that is wholistic, healthy, and also reconnects people with nature. Anastasia has an exceptional way of life, living totally within nature, with just a few items of clothing and dwelling in harmony with all of the forest inhabitants. Lovingly, the squirrels not only provide her with a supply of cedar nuts, but also collect berries and mushrooms for her to eat. Anastasia’s state of total purity attunes her with the natural elements, enabling tremendous natural powers that leave Vladimir at times overwhelmed…

As we learned in Part 1, the Reverend Dr. Albert Schweitzer and his wife, Helene Bresslau Schweitzer, established a hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon. The region had been struck by numerous tropical maladies, and the people were living in meager conditions with insufficient healthcare. During their first nine months, the Schweitzer's treated over 2,000 patients. While traveling by boat on the Ogooué River to visit a patient, a profound phrase occurred to Dr. Albert Schweitzer: “Reverence for Life.” This became Dr. Schweitzer's “unifying term for a concept of ethics.” Dr. Albert Schweitzer became a vegetarian and refused to kill any living thing, including insects. He said: “We must fight against the spirit of unconscious cruelty with which we treat the animals. Animals suffer as much as we do. It is our duty to make the whole world recognize it. Until we extend our circle of compassion to all living things, humanity will not find peace.” After going back to Europe and staying there for several years, Dr. Albert Schweitzer returned to Lambaréné in 1924 to rebuild the hospital on a new site. Treatment was always free of charge. The entire project was financed with the money Dr. Schweitzer earned himself by regularly giving benefit concerts and lectures on culture and ethics in Europe, as well as with donations that came to him from across the world. From the early 1950s onward, Dr. Schweitzer worked tirelessly to abolish nuclear weapons, adding his voice to the likes of fellow Nobel Laureate and vegetarian, Dr. Albert Einstein. In 1952, Dr. Albert Schweizer was awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize for his philosophy of “Reverence for Life.” Dr. Schweitzer used the Nobel Prize money of approximately US$33,000 to help build the much-needed leprosarium at Lambaréné for his 250 leprosy patients. The Reverend Albert Schweitzer left this world on September 4, 1965, at the age of 90. His daughter, Rhena, and his medical associates continued developing the Albert Schweitzer Hospital, modernizing the facilities with about 70 buildings, and attracting dedicated and talented medical staff from around the world.

In 1949, he was featured on the front cover of Time magazine, which dubbed him the “Greatest Man in the World.” Former prime minister of the UK, His Excellency Sir Winston Churchill called him “a genius of humanity.” In 1952, he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Indeed, the Reverend Dr. Albert Schweitzer was a brilliant polymath whose personal philosophy revolved around what he called “Reverence for Life.” A vegetarian, theologian, musician, author, missionary, and medical doctor, he dedicated his life and his remarkable abilities to serve those in need and to speak up for peace. Little Dr. Schweitzer was eager to learn more about Lord Jesus Christ and asked to read the New Testament when he was just eight years old. Having observed the struggle for existence and the abuse of helpless animals by negligent humans, he was deeply touched by the commandment: “Thou shalt not kill.” At night, he would pray: “O, heavenly Father, protect and bless all things that have breath; guard them from all evil, and let them sleep in peace.” When he was 21, Dr. Schweitzer resolved to devote his life to preaching, science, and music until the age of 30. He would take this time to accomplish what he hoped to in these fields while learning how he could be of service to others. The Reverend Dr. Albert Schweitzer began his theology and philosophy studies at the Kaiser Wilhelm University of Strasbourg in 1893. He obtained his doctorate in philosophy in 1899 at the University of Strasbourg, and received his licentiate in theology in 1900. He began his career as a preacher at St. Nicholas Church in Strasbourg, then served in several high-ranking administrative positions at the Theological College of St. Thomas. In 1906, he published a book “The Quest of the Historical Jesus,” which established him as a respected theological scholar. The later publication of “The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle” in 1931 reinforced this status and his great renown. …so let’s enjoy this precious recording of Dr. Albert Schweitzer practicing Bach at his pedal-piano in Lambaréné with his cat.

Erasmus, better known as Erasmus or Erasmus of Rotterdam, is considered to be one of the greatest scholars of the northern Renaissance. A Dutch humanist and priest, Erasmus was a leading activist and thinker. Referred to as the “crowning glory of the Christian humanists,” Erasmus defined the humanist movement in Northern Europe and sought to reform the Church. He was also the first editor of the New Testament. The brilliant scholar was passionate about moral philosophy and proposed what he called the “philosophy of Christ,” an ethical commitment and way of life which he displayed throughout his work and his precious time on Earth. Erasmus was born circa 1466 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Erasmus, meaning “beloved,” was his christened name. Throughout his life, he would visit and live in many countries, including England, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. While in England, Erasmus taught at Cambridge University and lectured in theology. Around 1500, Erasmus began writing on theological and secular topics. He would become a prominent figure in classical and patristic literature. His early literary pieces criticized the dogma, superstition, and corruption he witnessed in the Church. The writings of Erasmus not only illustrated his profound intellect and scholastic talent, but also his exceptional humanity, wit, and optimism. In his book, Erasmus encourages readers to “inject into the vitals” Christ’s teaching through the study of meditation and scriptures. He pointed out that going to war goes against Christ’s peaceful example, and spoke out against preachers who encouraged superstition amongst their followers. He said, “If the Gospel were truly preached, the Christian people would be spared many wars.” While preparing to move to the Netherlands, Erasmus became ill and passed away on July 12, 1536, in Basel, Switzerland. Until the end, Erasmus believed in his direct relationship with God, and his last words were “Lieve God” in Dutch, meaning “Dear God.” May the words of Erasmus remind each of us to turn inward through meditation in order to develop our own connection with God. May we live a life of respect, peace, and love towards all human and animal co-inhabitants on our beautiful planet. Thank you, God, for your divine grace and blessings as we continue to strive for a more harmonious world.

Florence Nightingale, affectionately called “The Lady with the Lamp,” was an exceedingly compassionate nurse who reformed healthcare. She founded a hospital and nurse training school and wrote over 200 books and articles on health-related issues. Divinely inspired and strongly motivated, Florence Nightingale would ultimately fulfill her dream to serve humanity in her best possible way. During a conflict in 1854, British troops were faced with a lack of medical supplies, overcrowded facilities, and unsanitary conditions. Tasked by the Minister Sidney Herbert, Florence Nightingale agreed to superintend a government-sponsored team of nurses to remedy the situation. She diligently worked late into the night, carrying a lamp in the evenings as she tended to patient after patient, earning her the nickname “Lady with the Lamp.” And in six months, it was reported that the mortality rate had been decreased from 40% to a modest 2%. It was a monumental achievement. Florence Nightingale became a cultural icon.

Dr. Seiei Toyama studied the desert throughout his life and mastered the technology of greening desert. Led by Dr. Toyama, volunteers from Japan, China, and all over the world worked together for more than 10 years. Finally, the 20,000-hectare Engebei area, which was once almost uninhabited, became restored to a vibrant area with 70 percent vegetation coverage. Thus, desertification has been effectively controlled. This led to the development of agriculture in the desert area and has promoted tourism here. It was selected as the National Eco-tourism Demonstration Zone in 2016. Dr. Seiei Toyama passed away on February 27, 2004, at the age of 97. Dr. Toyama often said, “Green represents life; green is the road to peace.” His deep concern and hope for the ecological beautification of nature and a peaceful human society was reflected in his life’s work. Dr. Seiei Toyama resolved to revitalize deserts in China and his native country of Japan, and in so doing, he became a here protecting the planet’s ecology and a well-deserved envoy for human peace. In 2003, he received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding.