HARMONY COMMENTS ON UNITED NATIONS WORLD DAY OF SOCIAL

JUSTICE

Dear Rene and Norman,

I appreciate your efforts towards harmony on the World Day of Social

Justice.

Harmony is the most embracing, inclusive, all encompassing and universal

common value of mankind. Therefore, I suggest that we, and as many as
will concur, propose Harmony Day to the United Nations to add to World
Peace, World Tolerance, and Social Justice Days, etc. Harmony belongs to
the universe. No one culture can claim harmony as its own. Without
harmony the universe will not be eternal.

Social justice, in a broader sense, can also mean social rights along with
human rights. Peace cannot last without harmony. Social rights and
human rights are insufficient when the mankind has no harmony. Social
rights can mean the rights to health care, livelihood, society security, and
so on for the developing world. To the developed capitalist world these are
assumed as opportunities, rather than rights. In the West we have taken
upon ourselves to criticize the developing world for lack of the democracy
and human rights that we hold dear, such as rights to legal and political
representation and the right to freedom of speech. We maintain that the
developing world must practice what we value now and forget that our
democracy and human rights were also hard earned in the past.

The truth is that all cultures of the developing world must go through their
stages of development at their own paces and in concert with their cultural
heritages. For each of the developing nations, the most appropriate
system is most likely its own distinct harmonious system. To the
developing world during their rise in the 21st century, social rights may be
more relevant and pressing than the Western version of democracy and
human rights. Notwithstanding that fact, “We are the best because we
have democracy” is the end-all statement to end all value debates by
some Americans.

From a broad human prospective, the three main pillars of human

civilization that are highly valued are harmony, major world religions, and
democracy in that order. Harmony, as the most ancient culture as well as
the most universal common value, is priceless. Confucius, Laotzi, and
other like-minded world philosophers predate Christ, Buddha, and
Mohammad. Harmony between the government and the governed is more
desirable and more stable than any brand of democracy without harmony
and likely will include grass-roots representation. Harmony with nature as
taught by the ancients means mankind is part of nature, as in Laotzi’s “Tien
Ren Ha Yi”.

The fact that China, as an ancient culture, did not create a national religion
of her own, but adopted Buddhism from India and accepted Christianity
and Islam, demonstrates that she is practicing harmony. Because of
Western domination of the past 150 years, one cannot blame China for
sensitivity to Western interference in her practice of religious freedom.

A world practicing harmony within oneself, within all nations, among the
nations, and with nature will be most precious. The coming of Harmony
Renaissance and Harmony Civilization are inevitable. They are the next
wave of creative energy that mankind is waiting for to unshackle us from
religious and ideological strife. Harmony faith is the ultimate self-salvation
and the resurrection of mankind from global destruction caused by war and
unsustainable development.

Francis C W Fung, Ph.D.

Director General
World Harmony Organization
San Francisco, CA