Panorama of Events

China

More People Support Vegetarian Diet to
Curb Global Warming

By fellow initiates in China (Originally in Chinese)

[Chengdu] Concerned about the Earth’s climate change, fellow initiates from Chengdu are distributing flyers and taking other steps to increase public awareness of how vegetarianism can slow down global warming.

* Environmental protection films, such as “Devour the Earth,” have been shown in several communities. Viewers have expressed their wish to become vegetarian while many offered to help distribute environmental protection materials and post the information on Internet websites.

* On April 19, fellow initiates held an Earth Day activity in association with environmental groups in downtown Chengdu. Volunteers from the Environmental Protection Bureau and the Communist Youth League joined them in distributing SOS Save the Planet booklets and flyers. The Chengdu Commercial News, Chengdu Evening News, Sichuan Television, and Chengdu Television carried reports on the event.

* Up-to-date information on environmental conservation and the vegetarian diet is provided monthly to volunteers from environmental and religious groups, who then pass it on to local communities and different segments of society.

* Fellow initiates with media connections have provided environmental and vegetarian diet information to members of the press. They have invited the reporters to vegetarian restaurants, so that they have a better understanding of the vegetarian diet and can introduce this healthy lifestyle to the public. Many journalists in Chengdu have subsequently become vegetarian.

* Family kitchens to provide delicious and affordable vegetarian meals to people have been set up by the initiates. From here, they also distribute information about environmental protection, saving the planet, and maintaining a healthy diet. Thanks to God’s blessing, every family kitchen has been successful and more people have been inspired to participate in this project.

* Selected information has also been disseminated to different target groups. For example, “The China Study” written by Dr. T. Colin Campbell was distributed to doctors; the “Health, Environmental Protection, Diet” booklets to patients and health-conscious people; and environmental protection flyers and DVDs to the general public.

The local media have carried several news reports on global warming, environmental protection, and the vegetarian diet, including specialized reports on organic vegetables and animal protection. Fellow initiates are planning a joint project with local environmental groups and vegetarian restaurants to hold monthly vegetarian food promotion activities, to which members of the media will be invited. They hope that the media will begin to advocate environmental protection and the vegetarian diet to the public.

[Chongqing] In August of Golden Year 5 (2008), local fellow initiates posted the SOS Climate Change message on a medium-sized billboard on Chongqing’s largest pedestrian street — popularly known as “The first street in western China” — near the People’s Liberation Monument. The “Be Veg, Go Green, Save the Planet” message also appeared on eight light boxes at the four most crowded junctions of the Underground Light-Rail Shopping Arcade.

[Guangzhou] At the three-day Guangzhou Expo held at the Guangzhou International Conference Center starting September 5, fellow initiates promoted the vegetarian diet under the theme “Be Veg, Go Green, Save the Planet.” A wide variety of vegetarian delicacies were served, while the SOS Climate Change video was played continuously, and relevant materials distributed. Tens of thousands of copies of the “Be Veg, Go Green, Save the Planet” DVD, 10,000 pamphlets, 20,000 copies of the latest environmental information, and 2,000 eco-friendly shopping bags were distributed. Hundreds of vegetarian meal boxes were available and orders for vegetarian food products were accepted.

The younger guests were most impressed by the “Be Veg to Save the Planet” ideal, especially when they realized that it was a non-profit, public-benefit activity. Many wanted to join as volunteers. A National People’s Congress Representative from a local education department requested informative materials that could be used to teach environmental protection in the four secondary schools in his city. A member of a Guangzhou Vegetarian Club regretfully acknowledged that their efforts to promote vegetarianism had previously been limited to health and religious perspectives. He admitted that the “Be Veg to Save the Planet” ideal is more noble because it shows greater compassion. He said that his club would approach their efforts from broader perspectives from now on.

An environmental worker, after a discussion with fellow initiates, agreed with their views and shared his insights and experience from his many years of environmental conservation. Guests were amazed at the delicious flavor of the vegetarian food. Many signed the petition to support vegetarianism and environmental protection to show their determination to eat less meat and more plant-based foods.

Fellow initiates are deeply grateful to Master for Her omnipresent love and blessings, which have made their every endeavor smooth, perfect, and full of miracles.



Veg Message Highlights Shanghai Environmental Fair

By a fellow initiate in China (Originally in Chinese)

[Shanghai] IFAT CHINA 2008, the third International Trade Fair for Water, Sewage, Refuse, Recycling and Natural Energy Sources, was held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center from September 23 to 25. The event was an unprecedented success in bringing together members of environmental industries from around the world.

Our message urging everyone to “Be Veg and Go Green” set the tone for the Expo. Officials and members of world environmental groups, the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and environmental businesses from many countries asked for copies of the relevant materials we were handing out, and exchanged ideas with us on how to more efficiently promote the vegetarian diet. Many exhibitors requested more information and began to pay greater attention to the Supreme Master Television environmental programs that were being aired on site. Guests volunteered to help distribute our flyers, and some expressed their wish to try the vegetarian diet immediately. During the three-day exhibition, we distributed a total of 32,000 flyers on SOS Climate Change, Go Veg to Save the Earth, and the healthy vegetarian diet; 500 DVDs containing environmental programs shown on Supreme Master Television; and more than 1,000 souvenirs and badges carrying the message “Be Veg, Go Green, Save the Planet.”