2021 is a Historical Moment for Chinese Canadians!
Our Founding Chairman Dr. Ming Tat Cheung has been awarded the 2021 Chinese Peace Prize Award presented by the Chinese People’s Federation for World Peace!
With immense pleasure, we are announcing that our Founding Chairman Dr. Ming Tat Cheung has been awarded the 2021 Chinese Peace Prize Award presented by the Chinese People’s Federation for World Peace!
Dr. Cheung is the sole candidate to represent Canada and one of the five finalists who have been selected from 11 nominees from different countries. We are honoured to witness the recognition of Dr. Cheung’s work by the global communities beyond our border. His dedication, efforts, and commitment to promoting Chinese cultural, harmonious relationships over the years has gained much respect from communities around Canada. His act of care to communities and families are exemplary stories for the younger generations.
“Our happiness knew no bounds the moment when Dr. Cheung won the award. It’s a proud moment for CCCGT, a historical moment for Chinese Canadians! His works are recognized beyond our borders, and we hope his achievement will motivate you to do the same!” CCCGT Chairman Alan Lam noted in his congratulatory note.
Dr. Cheung’s Speech Higlights
“千裏之行，始于足下” “A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.”, Dr. Cheung quoted philosopher Laozi.
He recalled that when they started CCCGT, it was seen as ambitious and daunting, but he is very glad that they took the first step to start 33 years ago!
“For 2500 years, Chinese culture has drawn on the teachings of Confucius and other great thinkers by valuing harmony, mutual respect, peace, and equality. For Chinese people everywhere, one of the central teachings of our heritage is the belief in the virtue of Filial Piety. Respects for one’s parents, elders, and ancestors are not unique to our culture, but it is particularly revered. Other valuable teachings include the importance of taking care of the vulnerable and disadvantaged in society.
「故人不獨親其親，不獨子其子，使老有所終，壯有所用，幼有所長，鰥寡孤獨，廢疾者，皆有所養.」
“An elderly person does not only look after his or her own relatives, nor only take care of his or her own children. The old should be given respect and hope; the strong adults should be the most useful; the young should have the opportunity to grow; the widowed, the lonely, and the sick should all receive support. ”Although centuries old, these teachings are very relevant to today’s challenges of poverty, inequality, and the protection of society’s most vulnerable.
The world has changed rapidly in the last few years. New ideologies and geopolitics have made the lives of cultural hybrids more challenging and at times, difficult. Many feel pressured to take sides as extreme ideology and polarization threaten to disrupt harmonious coexistence. In these unsettled times, it is more important than ever to turn to these proven principles and that has been a part of Chinese heritage for centuries. These teachings still apply today, and it is crucial that we practice and share these beliefs with our children and the rest of the world.”
About The Second Chinese World Assembly, 2021 Chinese Peace Award Ceremony
The Chinese Peace Prize proposal was first introduced at the first World Chinese Assembly held on November 22, 2019. The award is to be awarded to recipients of Chinese nationality, overseas Chinese, or diasporic Chinese whose contributions to society have conferred great benefits to humankind. The goal is not only to acknowledge model world citizens of Chinese origin but also to encourage Chinese communities to reflect on and emulate their virtue.
Originally planned for 2020 in Malaysia, The Second Chinese World Assembly, 2021 Chinese Peace Award Ceremony was postponed to this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. CHINESE PEOPLE’S FEDERATION FOR WORLD PEACE (CPFWP) & PERTUBUHAN NILAI-NILAI MURNI UNTUK KEAMANAN SEJAGAT (PNM) hosted The Second Chinese World Assembly, 2021 Chinese Peace Award Ceremony on 26 November, Friday (8 pm -11 pm EST) at Penang, Malaysia. As the pandemic continues to restrict travel and gatherings, only Malaysian participants have attended in person. While other guests including government organizations, community associations, and business leaders joined the event virtually. The event was live broadcast via Zoom and Youtube to an estimated 10,000 audiences worldwide.
On behalf of the CPFWP Canada, the Chairman, Henry Lee and the President, Edmond Young invited the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto (CCCGT) to co-host the Canadian segment in Toronto, Canada. CCCGT has accepted the invitation because this project is a meaningful worldwide event that aligns with the beliefs of CCCGT.
Click to see for more details about our co-host the Chinese People’s
Federation for World Peace – Canada.
The mission of CCCGT will continue and we want to take this opportunity to ask for the commitment of all volunteers and community members to work together and expand our horizons.
Lastly, we thank you for all the support!
