Animal Defenders International (ADI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for justice, long-term protection, and alleviation of suffering for living beings used in entertainment, research experiments, fashion, livestock raising, and other industries. Founded in 1990 by Jan Creamer and Tim Phillips, ADI takes a holistic approach to advocacy, investigating and gathering evidence, conducting scientific and economic research, raising awareness through education, and advising legal protection for animal-people. “Our kind of modus operandi is quite unique really, in that we will take an issue from finding out the first things about it, going undercover, exposing it, all the way through to getting legislation. Like Jan says, the core of it is giving people the facts, letting them make their own mind up, giving them the evidence, whether that's our videos of animal abuse behind the scenes, or whether it's scientific research and economic papers, we present that to the public. We then present it to politicians.” “I think the ADI Stop Circus Suffering campaign will be seen as one of the landmarks in animal rights history because there's now almost 50 countries [that] have banned the abuse of animals in circuses.” As animal-people-loving vegans, they leave us with empowering words on how everyone of us can make a positive change in the world. “My best advice to anyone who cares about animals as a species, the environment, is to take action today.” With appreciation for their altruistic and life-saving work, our gracious Supreme Master Ching Hai thankfully presented the Shining World Compassion Award to ADI, plus a humble contribution of US$20,000, as a token of support. “For your exceptional management, untiring unconditional love and exemplary activism, wisdom and munificence, with all love, high salute and warm gratitude, we are privileged to acclaim the great compassionate deeds of Animal Defenders International. May you and all involved be forever shielded in Heaven’s light. With Immense Honor and Blessings in God’s Boundless Love Supreme Master Ching Hai”

Mr. Ken Craft is the founder and CEO of Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission, an exemplary caring housing and homeless service agency with 220 staff and 17 locations across Los Angeles, California, in the United States. Opened in 2009, this noble organization’s mission is to prevent poverty, hunger, and homelessness by extending dignified housing and life transforming services to the less fortunate. Responding to the deepening homeless crisis during the Covid-19 pandemic, Hope of the Valley collaborated with the city government in launching “Tiny Home, Big Hope” initiatives, which provide tiny homes and key services to some of the most vulnerable people in Greater Los Angeles. “It provides a place for people to start over. It's safe, we have four security guards on site at all times. And then we also have a place where people can store their belongings and a place for those that might have pets. You'll notice the bright colors, and that's intentional. We want this to be a place of life and good energy. If you look inside of here, you'll notice that there are two beds, there's air conditioning, there's heating, there's shelving, there's two electrical outlets so people can charge their cell phone and other electronics. And most importantly, there is a front door that locks. And this is so important, especially for so many women who have been traumatized and sexually abused living on the streets. This is what's known as interim housing. And the next step from here is to then move people into permanent housing.” Upon hearing about Hope of the Valley’s caring work, Our Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai: “Gratefully present the Shining World Compassion Award to the Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission, plus a humble US$10,000 to further your caring endeavors, with special thanks to the Los Angeles city government for your loving support.” “In recognition of exemplary kindness, providing housing services to the vulnerable, courageously advocating for dignified living while nurturing hope, building shelters and a caring home, enriching spirits and saving lives through unconditional love. With compliments and gratitude for your wise, compassionate and benevolent commitment to uplift citizens.”

In 2013, Robbie Bartington and David Wallis moved to Gower in South Wales, United Kingdom, to retire with only a few animal-individuals on their property. That soon changed much to both their surprise! “We came here to retire, we’d been here about six months, and we could see that there was a need for a sanctuary because there was so many wild, feral ponies on the moors and mountains that were being neglected. And a lot of them have been abandoned there by their owners. So we took a few in, and then gradually, very quickly, it became known that we were taking ponies in and they then started arriving at our gate, quite large numbers too it started with a trickle and then very quickly came to, large numbers.” “We had so many rescue ponies coming into us and then starting to rescue unwanted lambs. We realized that we had a challenge, we'd have to try and build more stables and build more fields and paddocks and so many things needed to be done.” Woodfield Sanctuary offers people an opportunity to share their love for people from the animal kingdom by volunteering on the sanctuary. The volunteers can stay on the farm or work short hours per week assisting with all the errands, maintenance and repair work needed, and naturally assisting with taking care of all the lovely animal-people that have been rescued, healed, and homed by the sanctuary. Upon hearing about this loving haven for animal-people, Supreme Master Ching Hai: “Gladly present Woodfield Animal Sanctuary with the Shining World Compassion Award along with US$15,000 in humble support of your caring work, with many thanks and lots of love, in God’s mercy. May you and your adored residents be abundantly blessed by the Divine.” “Dear David and Roberta, now we would like to present you with a donation from Supreme Master Ching Hai, US$15,000 in honour to your glorious work for the beautiful animal-people and for making this planet a better place for everybody. Thank you.”

In today’s program, we travel to United Kingdom to meet kind-hearted James Anderson, founder of non-profit organization DEPHER (Disabled & Elderly Plumbing & Heating Emergency Repair). Mr. Anderson started DEPHER in 2017 as a tribute to his son, William, who having passed away at a tender age, had inspired him to share his great love with the world. DEPHER provides free of charge heating and plumbing services, including boiler and bathroom installations, gas safety and 24-hour life-saving support to those in need, especially the elderly, vulnerable and disabled members of the community. Since its start, DEPHER has helped over 10,200 families in need throughout the UK. “It's our duty as humanity to look after the people who need us. So that's the main basis of DEPHER, is to give love and care to everybody in the community, especially the elderly, vulnerable and disabled.” Mr. Anderson’s generous service and care to the less fortunate was met with heartfelt appreciation from Supreme Master Ching Hai, who conferred the Shining World Compassion Award, plus a US$10,000 contribution, in humble support of his noble work. The Award letter and the crystalline plaque read as follow. “Dear Mr. Anderson, It is with great admiration and gratitude that we present to DEPHER the ‘Shining World Compassion Award’ for bringing smiles or relief to vulnerable individuals, by providing free plumbing services during emergencies. This Award is presented in recognition of DEPHER's heartfelt, benevolent kindness, lovingly caring for those in need, exemplifying the community spirit that has united England and given hope to the underserved. For untiring commitment, helping the less fortunate, and for your sagely wisdom endowed with a noble heart of gold, with much appreciation, we praise the great compassionate deeds of the angelic team members of DEPHER. May Heaven bless and protect you and all involved. In God’s Love and Blessings. Supreme Master Ching Hai.”

Alejandro Ayala Polanco is a writer, an educator, an animal-loving advocate, and a meditation teacher. Utilizing a mind, body, and spirit approach, Alejandro works to save and protect noble beings of the animal kingdom, create a better understanding of veganism, and elevate people to a higher consciousness. Alejandro is the creator of the vegan information website, HomoVegetus, and serves as the long-time editor of the website, which provides rich information for interested readers on different aspects of veganism. Not only does Alejandro write books, but he also appears in person to convey the vegan message to children, where his books are well-received by both children and their parents alike, with the parents showing keen interest in the alternative plant-based lifestyle. A wonderful result of his efforts is that animal-people rights material is incorporated in the school education curriculum to further spread the message of veganism. Our Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai gratefully presented Alejandro with the Shining World Compassion Award while our Association members in Santiago, Chile, organized an award presentation ceremony. “Dear Alejandro, It is with great admiration and gratitude that we present to you the ‘Shining World Compassion Award’ for nurturing kindness towards animal-people. This Award is presented in recognition of your exemplary advocacy to save and protect people from the animal kingdom. May Heaven always bless you. With Great Honor, Love and Blessings in God’s Mercy Supreme Master Ching Hai”Let’s hear from Alejandro as he expresses his gratitude for the award and his commitment to continue advocating for the plight of our precious animal-people co-inhabitants. “I would like to tell Master that from the moment Her award was communicated to me, I experienced a very deep blessedness. It is a renewed drive and a restoration of my confidence when the service I do doesn't go unnoticed. That it is valued, and together with other activists around the world, one can open the way to great transformations. How wonderful is the state of mind of compassion and how much it will benefit our planet if we continue spreading it through meditation, literature, and art.”

What kind of businesses can help animal-individuals, support ecology, and stimulate local markets all at once? Anika Beren, a ten-year-old tree and animal-people lover from Kerikeri, New Zealand, found the answer by creating an eco-seedling business that generates gifts to animal-people welfare. With the help of her grandpa, Anika collected the seeds of native trees from her family property and grew them into seedlings. Caring for people of the animal kingdom, Anika planned to sell her seedlings at $10 each on market day to support Bay of Islands Animal Rescue, a volunteer group that re-homes lots of mistreated and abandoned animal-individuals. “This is my Grandad, Koko, and he has really helped me a lot with this project, kept me on top of watering, fertilizing, re-potting, and it’s just really helped. And he’s the best.” “I did suggest that we plant trees that would be tremendously helpful for our native birds, our wood pigeons, our tuis, and all the other birds that fly around our home. Without our trees we’re not going to have rainfall, without our trees, our birds will die. Virtually all the trees that we have grown are either designed to help with the rainfall, hence the kahikatea; these other plants will enhance our bird life and hopefully quadruple their population within the next 5 to 10 years.”Last December, our Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai: “Joyfully present the Shining World Compassion Award to Anika Beren, plus a US$10,000 loving contribution to support this noble cause, with thanks and love.”“Dear Anika, It is with great admiration and gratitude that we present to you the ‘Shining World Compassion Award’ for making a difference in the lives of animal-people by raising money for a rescue charity. This Award is presented in recognition of your pure-hearted love for our furry friends, wanting the best for them and setting a moral example in the community of how important it is to respect and care for innocent people of the animal kingdom. May you be graced with Heaven’s light and protection, always. In God’s Loving Embrace Supreme Master Ching Hai”

Today’s Shining World Award program features a compassionate motorbike mechanic who devotes his time to assisting road accident victims in Quảng Trị Province, Âu Lạc, also known as Vietnam. Lê Văn Đinh has a workshop located near a busy national highway where accidents frequently occur. Knowing that, he used his savings to buy a car so that he can quickly transport the accident victims to the hospital without charging them any money. Taking calls at all hours of the day and night, whenever there is someone who needs help, he rushes to the scene to provide first aid and CPR if needed and then transports them to a medical care facility as quickly as possible. The compassionate mechanic talked about some memorable moments during the time he has done this life-saving work. He also humbly shared his heartfelt message to all viewers. “Regarding the voluntary work, it’s something that should be very necessary in life. And in my opinion, since there is modern communication and fast spreading of information, I dearly wish that this kind of voluntary work and ambulance model should be doubled and multiplied.”Upon hearing about his compassionate deeds, our Most Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai offered Lê Văn Đinh the “Shining World Compassion Award and a loving contribution of US$10,000 in support of your benevolent work, with all love, gratitude and high regard for your generous and caring spirit. May you and all involved be forever shielded and blessed in Heaven’s embrace.”“Dear Lê Văn Đinh, It is with great admiration and gratitude that we present to you the ‘Shining World Compassion Award’ for your passionate commitment to assist road victims and the less fortunate in Âu Lạc (Vietnam). This Award is presented in recognition of your loving kindness and support of the community. You are a shining example of the gentle, beautifully natured people of Âu Lạc (Vietnam). May you and all involved be forever shielded in Heaven’s embrace. With Love and Blessings in Buddha’s Protection Supreme Master Ching Hai”In addition to helping the road accident victims, the compassionate man also wishes to build an orphanage to support disadvantaged youngsters in his area. Deeply touched by his noble and caring heart, Master arranged “to gift another extra fund of US$15,000 towards the building of the orphanage, with a big hug and love in Heaven’s Mercy.”

The iconic Ben Nevis, famously known as “mountain with its head in the clouds” in ancient Gaelic language, attracts 125,000 mountain walkers every year. Few would have thought, though, that trekking on this tallest peak in the British Isles would inspire a sparkling dream in a young boy with cerebral palsy. Caeden Thomson from Northamptonshire, UK, was born 12 weeks premature eight years ago, and was thought to be unable to sit, walk and talk for the rest of his life. However, with great courage and perseverance he climbed to the summit of Ben Nevis on August 29, 2020. Caeden and his group started at 9 am that day and returned to the ground after dark. His legendary endeavor was motivated by his pure-hearted desire to “give back” for all the support he’s had throughout his life. Brave young Caeden and his family conceived of the climb up Ben Nevis during the pandemic lockdowns as a way to raise funds for Scope, a disability equality charity, and the National Health Service of the UK. Upon hearing of Caeden’s inspiring actions, our Benevolent Supreme Master Ching Hai: “Joyfully present the Shining World Compassion Award to Caeden Thomson and US$10,000 in loving support of his heroic, big-hearted endeavor, with a big hug, lots of love and praises.” "Dear Caeden, It is with great admiration and gratitude that we present to you the 'Shining World Compassion Award' for overcoming adversity and shining as a beacon of hope for the community. This Award is presented in recognition of your courage to go beyond boundaries for the benefit of others, and for uplifting our world with your inspiring story which has touched the heart of the nation. For your pure-hearted kindness in support of medical workers and support staff, and for being a model citizen, with much joy, we praise the benevolent, heroic deeds of Caeden Thomson. May Heaven forever grace and shield you, your family and all involved. In God’s Loving Embrace and Divine Guidance, Supreme Master Ching Hai"

Dr. Amir Khalil, a wildlife veterinarian, and head of missions at animal-people welfare organization, Four Paws International, headquartered in Austria, has devoted his life to saving animal-people in such situations. For more than 25 years, Dr. Khalil has led animal-people rescue operations during crises, including hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, fires, and war zones; and also created sanctuaries around the world, providing food, medical treatment, rehabilitation, loving care, and a new life to thousands of the quickly forgotten victims from the animal kingdom. “I am not afraid, to be honest, because bad things can happen or accidents can happen even in Vienna, where I am living, or in the United States. So bad things can happen everywhere. But I believe in my work, and I believe also, when we do good things, it will come back to us. And when our intention is to do, to rescue, and we have the prayers of thousands of people, who pray to us to help the animals, I should not have fear. I believe in God.” Deeply touched by his selfless and heroic deeds, Supreme Master Ching Hai bestowed the Shining World Compassion Award to Dr. Khalil, plus a humble contribution of US $20,000 to Fours Paw-International, in loving support. “This Award is presented in recognition of your courageous, heroic acts of love, risking your own life to enter dangerous areas to save neglected citizens of the animal kingdom. Your exemplary acts of nobility are testament of the saintly souls born to uplift humanity. Thank you, Doctor, you are a modern-day hero sent on sacred pilgrimages to save innocent souls, our precious friends from the animal kingdom. For selfless altruism, sacrificing just for the animal-individuals, for exceptional negotiating skills, and for your wisdom to unite all sides with a common, noble goal, we hereby applaud and celebrate the great compassionate deeds of Dr. Amir Khalil.” “I want to thank the Supreme Master Ching Hai for this trust and for this great, great, great award. It is not only the money and the award, it means so much for me as a person, and I also want to say that this will give me a lot of motivation to do more work in the future, to rescue more animals, and to be the voice for the voiceless animals in conflict zones and war zones.”

“We nicknamed her ‘Peanut’.” “With Peanuts Wellbeing Sanctuary, anyone that suffers any trauma or anything bad in their life, they can come here, and they can use the property to overcome those traumatic experiences.” Children who unfortunately experienced some sort of mistreatment, are encouraged to play, interact, and take care of the earthly co-inhabitants by feeding them and playing with them. These interactions encourage the children to learn and discover other creative ways of experiencing love, giving love, and treating other beings with care, love, and affection. These interactions also assist the children in absolving their anger towards humanity for the pain they have suffered and in turn they are able to develop into loving adults, so that they may break the cycle of maltreatment. In January 2021, Mick Still and Tracey Keenen received the Shining World Compassion Award from Supreme Master Ching Hai, for their benevolent work at Peanuts Wellbeing Sanctuary. Along with this wonderful award Supreme Master Ching Hai humbly donated $10,000 to Peanuts Wellbeing Sanctuary. “Peanuts Wellbeing Sanctuary is a 40-hectare peaceful space where rescued animal-individuals are given a caring forever home; a nurturing and fun-filled haven established to help end the cycle of abuse. Children from dysfunctional and neglected backgrounds visit and interact with the furry residents, which is where therapeutic magic takes place. For exemplifying the remarkable benefits and divine intelligence of our animal-people co-inhabitants, for fostering trust, self-confidence and allowing children to experience the joy of childhood, and for your kind-hearted benevolence, with high praise, we salute the great caring deeds of Peanuts Wellbeing Sanctuary. May Heaven always shield you and all involved. In Gods Immense Love, Blessings and Eternal Thanks Supreme Master Ching Hai” “We would like to say thank You to Supreme Master Ching Hai. It's so moving to have You recognize what we do. We love what we do, we're very passionate about everything and so gracious to accept these awards.” “For us, being vegan, it's part of the whole cycle of things; so we don't want to harm animals because we protect our animals, we love our animals.”

Today, we journey to Cần Thơ, a city in southern Âu Lạc (Vietnam), to meet a great Oriental Medicine Doctor, Lê Văn Hả, who devotedly takes care of vulnerable seniors and those with no relatives at his facility, free of charge. He also gives them a comfortable shelter unconditionally and runs a completely free vegan eatery nearby his house. “I saw that most of the people here are destitute, who live by the riverside. Then I suggested to the Township Governmental Board to allow me to open a vegan kitchen. I wanted to help feed the poor people so they feel less suffering, less spending for food, so that they can labor without too much worries. Therefore, I wanted to operate the vegan kitchen here.” “Most of the people who come here to receive the vegan meals are meat eaters. So, when they are eating vegan food, we have the reason to do it. Any day that they don’t eat meat, they reduce their bad karma. And the people who work here will gain merits. And when we do the charitable work, we also reduce our bad karma. Therefore, that’s why I operate a vegan kitchen in this lifetime. Even though I work hard and strenuously, with no money, I still do it. If having no money, I can borrow from other people, and then I work multiple jobs to repay them.” “I went to work different kind of jobs so that I could earn money to be able to do charitable works and give medicine to others at no cost. Everywhere I went, I encouraged people to be vegan. And because of being a nurse, it is easier for me to advise people to be vegan. As a Buddhist myself, I always try to have compassion, and spread the Dharma.” Deeply touched by his compassionate deeds, Supreme Master Ching Hai, “with grateful tears” presented the affectionate physician the Shining World Compassion Award, “plus US$50,000 to lovingly support his noble work, in Heaven’s mercy. May the Buddhas embrace your soul and those you care for with powerful spiritual upliftment and love.” Our Association members in Âu Lạc (Vietnam) happily held a ceremony and presented Dr. Lê Văn Hả with the Award. Besides the Award letter, he also received a beautiful crystalline plaque, Master’s monetary contribution, as well as several of Master’s publications.

A former Miss Italia Paraguay 2008 and Miss World Paraguay 2012, charismatic Fiorella Migliore is an actress, model, television presenter, plant-based chef and vegan activist who wishes to use her platform for spreading love and urgent messages that benefit humanity and the world. Her dream of connecting with and uniting people of different cultures and languages through art is manifest through her actions as she helps to remind others of our interconnectedness with all beings, including our loving animal co-inhabitants. Alongside the tremendous impacts our daily dietary choices have on the climate crisis, Fiorella hopes to relate to our innate compassion by opening our eyes and hearts to the suffering, sentience, and loving nature of animals. “My mission is, to try to expose the look of those beings who want to live, the look of those loving beings that do not hurt anyone. That they only want to give love.” For her caring and noble work, Supreme Master Ching Hai gratefully bestowed Fiorella Migliore the Shining World Compassion Award. “Dear Ms. Migliore, It is with great admiration and gratitude that we present to you the ‘Shining World Compassion Award’ for raising awareness about how food choices impact the environment and health. Working with Award-winning vegan producer Kip Anderson, you produced the documentary ‘From Paraguay, With Love,’ to inform citizens that what’s on their plate has a direct impact on the Gran Chaco Forest, the second largest jungle in South America next to the Amazon. For using your stellar fame to awaken the public, revealing the truth behind the animal raising industry, for advocating the vegan way of life and that ‘Todos somos uno,’ and for heroically defending nature and your Country, With high esteem we salute the great compassionate deeds of Fiorella Migliore. May Heavens forever bless and safeguard you and your loved ones. In God's protection, love and blessings.”

Mr. Aylam Orian is a devoted animal rights activist, who founded and directs the organization Our Planet. Theirs Too. from the United States. The non-profit group’s noble work is to enlighten people about their unconscious biases and oppressive attitude towards animals. Aylam is also the founder of the National Animal Rights Day (NARD), an annual event celebrated in many cities around the world in June.“NARD functions mostly as a memorial day for animals. So we commemorate the billions and billions of animals that die every year by human hands and we honor the individuals that we sometimes have with us, the deceased animals that we have. We also commemorate their millions, billions of brothers and sisters that are lamenting at the same time in labs and circuses, farms, and slaughterhouses in factory farms.”Aylam talked about his vision which he strongly believes could be accomplished in the near future. “I have no doubt in my mind that the world, will go plant-based one day. People will realize that it's wrong to eat animals. They will realize how damaging it is to the planet. Our vision is that the world's going to that direction, whether the world likes it or not. And we're just trying to expedite the process with our activism.”Upon learning about his noble work, our Cherished Supreme Master Ching Hai: “Happily present Aylam Orian with the Shining World Compassion Award, with a loving gift of US$10,000 towards your noble organization, Our Planet. Theirs Too. With lots of love, praises and prayers for your success, in God’s Mercy.”“Dear Aylam, It is with great admiration and gratitude that we present to you the ‘Shining World Compassion Award’ for passionate activism, constantly striving to safeguard precious animal lives. This Award is presented in recognition of your visionary, altruistic benevolence, advocating for a vegan world where all beings share our bountiful planet in Divine bliss.”

Today we will learn about another great woman, who dedicates her life to these cute marsupial friends. Yolandi Vermaak used to volunteer at Sleepy Burrows Wombat Sanctuary at New South Wales, Australia, where she was part of a good team working with the sanctuary’s founder Donna Stepan, a Shining World Caring Award Recipient who we met earlier during the show. However, wanting to do more, Yolandi founded Wombat Rescue in 2018 and began to drive to habitat areas searching for injured and orphaned wombats to rescue them. She also started a campaign of eradicating mange, a life-threatening infection for wombats. Her heart’s passion of rescuing and protecting the beloved marsupial has turned into her life’s mission ever since. Wombat Rescue started an extensive mange eradication program in late 2018. It adopted a new regime of intensive treatment by installing the medicine device “burrow-flap” at entrances of the burrows. Wombat Rescue also worked hard to enter into dialogue with the legislator and to spread the word into communities. For such a noble life keeping service, our Beneficent Supreme Master Ching Hai "thankfully present Wombat Rescue the Shining World Caring Award plus US$15,000 financial gift." "Dear Yolandi. It is with great admiration and gratitude that we present to Wombat Rescue the Shining World Caring Award for your loving dedication and tireless efforts to care for these iconic marsupials. The award is presented in recognition of your caring spirit driving vast distances between dusk and dawn to save and rehabilitate distressed wombats until they can be released back into the wild. Your unconditional love heralds a new era of empathy making our world a kinder home for all. For your selfless commitment and courage, for your positive never give up attitude, and for your benevolence and warm-hearted concern, with high esteem we salute the great compassionate deeds of Wombat Rescue and its saintly founder Yolandi Vermaark. May Heaven forever smile on you and all involved. With great honour, love and blessings. In God’s grace. Supreme Master Ching Hai"

Sleepy Burrows Wombat Sanctuary was founded in 2004, and is dedicated in helping injured, orphaned, and traumatized wombats. Each year, more than 300 wombats in need of urgent care are brought to the sanctuary in rural New South Wales, where Ms. Stepan works more than 18 hours a day nurturing up to several dozen rescued wombats. Adorable by look, wombats are solitary territorial animals by nature. Donna and her team make every effort to prepare the rescued wombats to be eventually released into suitable areas in nature. Since its founding day, the sanctuary has successfully rehabilitated more than 700 wombats. For those wombats that would have difficulty surviving in the wild, the sanctuary provides a safe permanent home. In 2017, Donna Stepan received the prestigious Medal of the Order of Australia for her selfless service to the welfare of one of the nation’s most adored animals. For Donna’s untiring dedication for the care of the precious wombats, our Beneficent Supreme Master Ching Hai “thankfully present Sleepy Burrows Wombat Sanctuary the Shining World Caring Award plus US$15,000, with heartfelt love, praises and gratitude.” “This Award is presented in recognition of your tireless efforts in rescuing and rehabilitating these shy and vulnerable creatures and preparing for their release back to the wild. Your unconditional love heralds a new era of empathy, making our world a kinder home for all. Sleepy Burrows not only saves animal lives, but also serves the community by educating groups about conservation, empathy, and the importance of protecting our biodiversity by living in harmony and sustainably. For your untiring, selfless commitment, for being a wombat warrior passionately campaigning for animal justice, and for your benevolence and wisdom, with much appreciation we praise the great compassionate deeds of Sleepy Burrows Wombat Sanctuary and its saintly founder, Donna L. Stepan, OAM. May Heaven forever smile on you and all involved. With Great Honor, Love and Blessings in God’s Grace, Supreme Master Ching Hai” “Thank You so much. Well, it’s allowed us to be able to finish the Wombat Hospital studio which we’ve been raising funds for close to two years, That is invaluable to the sanctuary! And after 15 years, it’s now a reality.”

In part 1 of our two-part series, we learned about the Honorable Judge Elena Liberatori from Argentina, whose noble and tireless efforts culminated with a legal ruling that orangutans be considered as “non-human” persons. Today, we continue with her story of compassion and love towards Sandra, the first orangutan with a right to be respected as a “non-human” sentient being. Judge Liberatori’s experience when meeting Sandra for the first time was one of heartfelt emotion that will surely give others the inspiration to do more for the protection of our non-human companions. Elena shared with us her encounter with Sandra and also, some obstacles she had to overcome, as a judge, when helping the adorable orangutan.Supreme Master Ching Hai was so deeply touched by the noble act of Elena Liberatori and gratefully presented her with the Shining World Leadership Award for Justice, “with high esteem, praises and gratitude in God’s mercy. Also, to the Center for Great Apes, a humble contribution of US$15,000 in support of their caring work.” Judge Liberatori graciously accepted the crystalline award plaque, as well as Master’s publications and DVDs and a letter of appreciation from our Cherished Supreme Master Ching Hai.“Your Honor, It is with great admiration and gratitude that we present to you the ‘Shining World Leadership Award for Justice’ for recognizing the divine intelligence of animals and granting them legal rights. Your pioneering judgement helps to blaze a path of compassion through legal circles providing unbiased, scientifically based factual information about their sentience. Your boundless love and understanding heralds a new era of empathy for our co-inhabitants. We pray all courts quickly follow your exemplary, noble decision ensuring a vegan-world where all beings live in harmony and peace. May all involved in the just recognition and preservation of our animal friends, be forever protected by the Providence. With Great Honor, Love and Blessings in God’s Grace Supreme Master Ching Hai”

Argentina with its wide open fields, large mountain ranges and gracious glaciers has truly reformed the judicial system by creating recognised laws for non-humans since 2015. This landmark ruling is achieved thanks to a compassionate, dedicated lawyer Elena Liberatori, who since the age of 14 wanted to become a lawyer so that she may protect the innocent and pure citizens of this planet, our loving animal companions and friends.Elena also shared with us some insights into the scientific concept of sentient beings’ consciousness. “Because it was thanks to his auspice and sponsorship that in 2012, in Cambridge, a lot of neurological scientists came together, and concluded and told the world that the neurological substrates by which animals and humans feel joy and feel pain are exactly the same. It is important to remember that in France at the beginning of 2015, the concept of sentience is included in the Civil Code. And recently, this year and at the request of Senator Jesusa Rodriguez, who is from Mexico, native corn is a subject of law today in Mexico. So, this is not only animals, today nature, and well, in nature, we human beings keep on being present. It’s a matter of gradually spreading this concept. And that leads to peace, goodness, and to all those values that, sometimes, we feel so lost.”Elena touches our souls with her decisive, lawful knowledge of how to treat our animal companions and the planet with the love, respect, and dignity they deserve. She became inspired to tackle this agenda in her country’s legal system. “When I am asked what inspired me most to consider Sandra -an animal- as a non-human person is that I never doubted that animals have rights. There is a basic right, on our part, which is of respect towards them. I always say that it is not necessary to love them. But it is our must to respect them.”

Born to a prominent family in Baghdad, Iraq, Dr. Munjed Al Muderis first dreamed of becoming a surgeon after watching 'The Terminator' as a boy. Having seen many victims of conflict with missing limbs, Dr. Al Muderis’ dream of someday helping such people was finally realized after 10 years of resettlement, when in 2010, he began his career as an orthopedic surgeon. Today, Dr. Al Muderis is one of the few surgeons in the world who pioneered osseointegration surgery, which takes mobility, functionality and quality of life for amputees to a new level. Through his foundation, Dr. Al Muderis’ biggest hope is to further develop, expand, and share this life-changing technology with the world, and to provide help unconditionally to people who need it most. A compassionate ambassador for multiple humanitarian organizations, Dr. Al Muderis champions for people seeking asylum and refugees, sharing his words of encouragement. "The message that I would give to all refugees is that, when we leave our birth countries we get detached from our roots, and it may take a very long time before we find roots again in the new place that we live in. But what I would recommend is that don't give up, don't lose hope, and don't feel alienated, because there will be discrimination, however the way you deal with it is by showing compassion and interaction, integration, assimilation and education." Upon hearing about his humanitarian, revolutionary work, Supreme Master Ching Hai appreciatively presented Dr. Al Muderis the Shining World Compassion Award, plus US$20,000 as a humble token of support toward the refugee foundation under his care. "Dear Dr Al Muderis, It is with great admiration and gratitude that we present to you the 'Shining World Compassion Award' for your tremendous contributions to the osseointegration surgery field and for championing the welfare of refugees, hoping to build a more compassionate and caring global community. Your love has led you on many self-funded missions to heal the body and hearts of traumatized people, rekindling their confidence. For making amputees whole again creating hope of a brighter future, and for being a courageous, merciful and admirable example of saintly nobility, with the utmost respect, we salute the great compassionate deeds of Dr. Munjed Al Muderis. May Heaven shower you with abundant love. In Allah's Immense Love, Protection and Blessings, Supreme Master Ching Hai."

In today’s program, we travel to Singapore to meet a group of 15 compassionate alumni from the School of the Art, who started Project Postcard to raise funds for the migrant workers of the country. The funds have been donated to provide support to the workers in many ways, including with daily necessities, emergency medical aid, psychological support, and legal costs.As an expression of solidarity, they created 13 distinct postcards featuring individual artworks that depict migrant workers. Russell and Kimberly talked about some valuable experiences when they worked on the project. “I think for me, what I learned the most and what I found was most important, was to give back to society. I think it doesn't have to always be a very big project or a very big idea. Look at the immediate communities, your immediate surroundings, people who need help, people who are struggling and think about what you have, what are your strengths, what are your talents and how you can use that to empower and to strengthen a different community. It's just about helping wherever you can, whenever you can. It helps to spread seeds of kindness, it sows seeds of kindness in other people.”Within two months, they sold 15,000 postcards, and proceeds from the sale were contributed to the non-profit Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME). They also decided to donate all of Master’s financial support to HOME. Heartfully touched by their loving endeavor, Supreme Master Ching Hai: “Thankfully present Project Postcard the Shining World Compassion Award, along with a US$10,000 loving contribution for your noble work, and special thanks to the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics, with high respect, gratitude and praises, in Heaven’s immense love.”“Dear Russell, It is with great admiration and gratitude that we present to Project Postcard the ‘Shining World Compassion Award’ for using your artistic talents to help migrant workers. For creating beautiful artworks in support of migrant workers, for treating guests like locals exemplifying that we are all God’s children, and for your love, with many thanks, we laud the caring deeds of Project Postcard. May Heaven forever bless and smile on all involved. With Love and Blessings in God’s Mercy. Supreme Master Ching Hai.”

We are going to journey to Sheffield, United Kingdom to meet nine-year-old Tobias Weller, who has cerebral palsy and autism but raised money for charity by walking up and down his street for weeks. Supreme Master Ching Hai: “Lovingly present Tobias Weller the Shining World Compassion Award, and US$10,000 in loving support of your caring cause, with a big hug, much love and gratitude for your generous heart and dedication to helping others. May you be graced in Heaven’s light and protection, always.” The next Shining World Award is to honor an organization from Canada, which continues to adopt canine friends despite COVID-19. Fly with Me is a nonprofit based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that finds homes for dogs that would otherwise be euthanized. The organization’s founder, Nicole Doria, arranges for four-legged friends to be flown from anywhere in the world to Canada’s Maritime Provinces, to join a welcoming family. Supreme Master Ching Hai: “Touchingly present the Shining World Compassion Award to Fly with Me, along with US$10,000 in loving support of your benevolent work saving lives, with lots of love, praises and gratitude. May Divine blessings and protections forever shine on you, all involved and the treasured dogs you help, in God’s boundless mercy.” A conservation group in South Africa are honored with the Shining World Protection Award. The African Pangolin Working Group (APWG), a nonprofit dedicated to the conservation of pangolins, released seven Temminck’s pangolins to a wildlife preserve, in the country’s KwaZulu-Natal Province, where they had become extinct three decades ago. Supreme Master Ching Hai: “Thankfully present the Shining World Protection Award to the African Pangolin Working Group, plus US$10,000 in loving support of your devoted and caring work, with high praises and gratitude. May you and all involved be uplifted in Heaven’s blessings and protection.” And now we journey back to the United Kingdom where another compassionate youngster walks to raise funds for hospital. Tony Hudgell of Kent in southeastern England, has walked a total of 10 kilometers on his new prosthetic legs with the help of crutches, raising over £1 million for Evelina London Children’s Hospital. Supreme Master Ching Hai: “Tearfully present the Shining World Compassionate Hero Award to Tony Hudgell, and a US$10,000 contribution in loving support of your noble effort, with a big hug and gratitude. May Heaven forever grace and shield you, your family and all involved, in Divine benevolence.” The last Award in today’s show is for 15-year-old Sarah Goody, the founder of Climate NOW, a climate organization based in San Francisco, California. At the age of 14, she started Climate NOW as a way to raise climate awareness for the youth in her community. She has spoken at schools and rallies about the climate emergency, attended political conventions, and appeared on podcasts and shows as a guest speaker. Supreme Master Ching Hai: “Joyfully presents the Shining World Courage & Compassion Award to Sarah Goody, with all love and high salute for your precious work. May you enjoy continued success and constant protection by Heaven.”