Speech at 2011 Asian Women Forum by Gao Ying (2011）

Practicing the Idea of Harmony as the Pusher of Peaceful Development Cause The Keynote Speech in the Panel of Sharing Best Practices on Peace-building Activities by Gaoying, Vice Secretary-General of CCRP and the Vice Chairperson of China Christian Council

Honorable host,
Dear friends,

It’s my great pleasure to attend this forum on behalf of China Committee on Religion and Peace (CCRP). Here I would like to extend my thanks to the hosts, Asian-Pacific Women of Faith Network, Asian Conference of Religions for Peace (ACRP), Religions for Peace (RfP) Philippine, and The Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Thomas for your considerate arrangement.

As the world is in a stage of great development, change and adjustment, the Asian-Pacific region is also facing many new challenges and opportunities in the respects of accelerating economic and social development, safeguarding the regional peace and stability. With the theme of peace and development and focusing on realistic problems and in line with the major topics of the times, this forum offers a platform of exploring and sharing experience, demonstrating the social responsibility of our religious people.

Peace and development are mutually dependent. Peace and stability are the basis and premise for the development, while economic and social progress is the firm guarantee to maintain peace and stability. Religion should be the motivation of the peace and development course as all religions have doctrines about peace. Therefore, it’s our responsibility to actively advocate the idea of peace and development and strike it deep in people’s mind.

Harmony is regarded as the most important value in the history in China, which worships Harmony most. Based on these fine cultural traditions, Chinese people support the state to choose the path of peaceful development with overall goal of promoting harmony and development domestically and pursuing cooperation and peace internationally. Being the sole nation-wide organization on religion and peace and adhering to the principle of friendship, peace, development and cooperation, on the one hand CCRP facilitates the unity of all domestic religious groups in order to push forward the economic and social development and build a harmonious society, and on the other hand carries out friendly exchanges and cooperation with religious groups in other countries and international peace organizations, making contributions to the world peace and development course.

As a nation with multiple nationalities and religions, China has to well deal with the relations between the state and the religion, and also maintains the unity among all religions so as to build a harmonious society. In China, all religious groups are equal, mutually respectful, getting along well together. Each year, CCRP hosts plenary meetings to gather hundreds of committee members from different religions for strengthening friendship and sharing experience. To commemorate the Victory of World Anti-fascist War and Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, CCRP organizes peaceful praying annually to uphold doctrines of peace and harmony. The five major religions in China also issued the Joint Declaration on Promoting Religious Harmony and called on all believers to take actions and practice the idea of harmony, in response to the resolution of the 65th UN Assembly on setting up the World Interfaith Harmony Week. We could say now it is the best time for the relations among all religions in China’s history.

CCRP actively supports RfP International and ACRP’s proposal of promoting peace through dialogue, and carries out exchanges with organizations on religion and peace in other countries for further friendship and better understanding. For example, we have established exchange mechanism with KCRP and WCRP/UK. Just a few days ago, we hosted the visit of KCRP delegation consisting of the representatives from seven major religions in South Korea and had a fine exchange with them. This April, CCRP paid a visit to the RfP international headquarter，RfP/US and RfP/Canada for further friendly communication.

Female believers account for quite a lot in all religions in China. Before the establishment of People’s Republic of China, China was in a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society of instability and poverty, within which Chinese women had sad destinies. After the foundation of PRC, fundamental changes have happened to women in china. With gender equality as one of basic national policies, China enacted the Law on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women and implemented The Development Outline for Chinese Women. Especially since the reform and opening-up, as continuous economic growth and comprehensive social progress, Chinese women have got unprecedented development chances. Today, guided by the religious doctrine, women of faith are willing to integrate beliefs and life for the time being, and live a happy life while contribute to family, community, society and the state, which demonstrates glorifying the God and benefiting human being as what Christian religion says. Women always play the most active role in the service carried out by all religions. For example, Young Women's Christian Association has worked a lot in helping the disabled, taking care of the old, alleviating poverty and spreading anti-Aids knowledge and so on. Women of faith in China are willing to cooperate and share experience with those from other countries, just as I was enlightened by all your excellent opinions during this forum.  

Women and children are the most vulnerable in war, turmoil and poverty; therefore, women should be the pusher of peaceful development course. Today, we’re honored to have all outstanding women leaders from religious circles in different countries present here. Please allow me to appeal to all of us to bring harmony and love into full play, jointly advocate and practice the ideas of friendship, inclusion and harmony by calling on all to begin with little things around us. Though trivial each person’s strength is, if tied together, powerful force to realize peace, development and cooperation could be produced.

Thank all of you.