Latest news with #FalunDafaDay
Epoch Times
14-05-2025
- General
- Epoch Times
Arizona Officials Commemorate World Falun Dafa Day
Cities across the Grand Canyon State are joining a global wave of officials marking more than 30 years since the public introduction of Falun Dafa. World Falun Dafa Day honors both the birthday of the practice's founder, Li Hongzhi, and the practice's global impact on health and morality. The day also highlights practitioners' efforts to defend their freedom of belief amid ongoing persecution by the Chinese communist regime. To mark the celebration, the mayors of five Arizona cities—Phoenix, Chandler, Glendale, Prescott Valley, and Casa Grande—issued proclamations recognizing May 13, 2025, as Falun Dafa Day in their cities. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego issued a proclamation ahead of the global celebrations, recognizing the values of Falun Dafa. '[I] encourage residents to reflect on the universal principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance and honor the contributions of those who strive to bring peace, Health and harmony to our communities,' Gallego said in her proclamation. Phoenix has recognized the occasion since 2021. Related Stories 5/13/2025 5/9/2025 The three principles—truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance—are the core moral beliefs behind the teachings of Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, a spiritual practice introduced to the Chinese public in 1992. In just a few years, the practice's popularity grew exponentially, reaching at least 70 million by 1999, according to official estimates. The practice was introduced to Arizona in 1998. Mayor Kevin Hartke of Chandler has been issuing a proclamation to recognize May 13 as Falun Dafa Day for several years since assuming office in 2019. Hartke declared the celebration in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025. Hartke acknowledged the diversity displayed among Falun Gong practitioners, saying the practice 'transcends cultural, social, and national boundaries.' As stated in the proclamation, meditation exercises and teachings of the practice have been offered to the public by volunteers for free around the world, spreading to tens of millions of people in over 100 countries. Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers, who has been supportive of the practice since assuming office in 2013, also acknowledged the health benefits that it brings to the community through free workshops in local libraries and parks. Weiers also shed light on the Chinese communist regime's brutal persecution of Falun Gong since 1999. According to 'Falun Dafa practitioners' determination and courage to stand up for Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance while facing severe persecution from the Chinese Communist Party has shown the world the value of life and the preciousness of human dignity,' Weiers's proclamation reads. Joining the three cities in the celebration this year are Prescott Valley and Casa Grande, located in the northern and southern parts of the state, respectively. Like his southern colleagues, Prescott Valley Mayor Kell Palguta also commemorated the benefits that Falun Gong brought to the community with its peaceful principles and exercises, while praising practitioners for bearing the years-long persecution with great fortitude. Casa Grande's newly elected mayor, Lisa N. Fitzgibbons, likewise declared May 13 as Falun Dafa Day prior to the celebration in April. Fitzgibbons' predecessor, former Mayor Craig H. McFarland, did the same for the 25th World Falun Dafa Day in 2024.
Epoch Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Flag-Raising Events to Celebrate World Falun Dafa Day Held in Multiple Ontario Cities
Flag-raising ceremonies were held in multiple cities and towns across Ontario on May 13 to commemorate the public introduction of Falun Dafa more than 30 years ago. Official proclamations and congratulatory letters were also issued to mark the occasion. At the flag-raising celebration in Barrie, Ont., on May 1, Conservative MP for Barrie-Innisfil John Brassard commended practitioners for sharing the values and principles of the practice with Canadian society. 'The values of Falun Dafa are universal values—they're values that we hold dear as Canadians, ensuring that we are free as a nation, free to practice our faith or any other type of practice that we want,' Brassard told NTD, The Epoch Times' sister media, during the event. Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is a traditional Chinese discipline combining meditative exercises and moral teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Falun Dafa practitioners at a flag-raising event in Barrie, Ont., to mark the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day on May 1, 2025. NTD/The Epoch times Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall at a flag-raising event in Barrie, Ont., to mark the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day on May 1, 2025. NTD/The Epoch times Members of the Ontario provincial parliament Andrea Khanjin and Doug Downey issue letters commemorating the the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day. NTD/The Epoch Times At the event, Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall highlighted the freedom Falun Dafa adherents have in Canada to practice their faith, contrasting it with the conditions in China, where practitioners have been subjected to severe For over two decades, practitioners in China and abroad have Related Stories 5/13/2025 7/30/2020 'The great compassion and forbearance demonstrated by Falun Dafa practitioners have touched the hearts of kindhearted people all over the world,' Nuttall said in a Falun Dafa Day proclamation. Brassard also highlighted the importance of freedom of belief and Canada's commitment to upholding it. 'Canada is a free country. It's a democratic country where people are free to practice their faith, their rights, their religion,' he said. 'They're so fundamental to the success of any democracy, to ensure that we have those rights, and that we work to defend them as well.' Members of the Ontario provincial parliament (MPP) Andrea Khanjin and Doug Downey also marked the event by sending congratulatory letters to practitioners. Khanjin said that by adopting Falun Dafa's principles, people can 'build strong relationships, navigate difficult situations, and create a more compassionate world.' 'Thank you for sharing this renaissance of traditional Chinese wisdom and values, which helps to achieve a strong sense of meaning and purpose,' she wrote in a letter to practitioners. Downey, for his part, described Falun Dafa Day as a 'meaningful celebration' of spiritual discipline, inner peace, and personal growth. 'The principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance are foundational values that resonate deeply within our diverse society,' Downey wrote in his letter. 'Your commitment to promoting these virtues through meditation and self-cultivation is both admirable and impactful.' A Duty to 'Stand Up' Brian Ostrander, mayor of Brighton, Ont., hosted a flag-raising ceremony on May 2 outside the city's municipal centre to commemorate Falun Dafa Day. He said the practice's values reflect principles important to Canadians. 'These are the exact values that we have in Canada,' he said in an interview. 'We are about the truth, we are about compassion, we are about making sure that everyone is treated fairly and equitably.' He said all free societies have a duty to stand up against religious persecution, adding that freedom of belief is 'a value we hold dear here in Brighton.' 'I think anybody facing persecution for how they worship or what they believe, regardless of where that is happening, we have a duty as a free society to stand up against that everywhere we see it happening, and everywhere we know it's happening,' he said. Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander at a flag-raising event in Brighton, Ont., to mark the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day on May 2, 2025. NTD/The Epoch times David Piccini, MPP for the riding that includes the city of Brighton, sent a congratulatory letter to practitioners, commending 'the dedication that your teachings have offered to the community.' 'The commitment that your members have gifted to various communities shows that when a community comes together exceptional things happen,' he wrote. 'Thank you for being part of a healthy and harmonious society over the past 33 years.' Beyond Beijing's Transnational Repression Michael Prue, mayor of the Ontario town of Amherstburg, joined practitioners on May 6 for the fourth consecutive year to raise the Falun Dafa flag in front of the town ' s municipal building. Prue served as an MPP for 13 years and has, on several occasions, spoken out against the persecution campaign against practitioners in China. 'I'm always hoping that one day that persecution will go away and the people will be free to practice what is just a beautiful and simple thing with exercise and correct thought,' he said in an interview. 'I want to be part of that, and when it happens, I want to say I had something to do with it.' He noted that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has attempted to target Falun Dafa practitioners in Canada, including through propaganda campaigns aimed at shaping public opinion of the practice. Mayor of the Ontario town of Amherstburg Michael Prue (2nd L) at a flag-raising event to mark the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day on May 6, 2025. NTD/The Epoch times A Falun Dafa flag was raised on the Amherstburg Municipal Building on May 9, 2022. The Epoch Times In a Those included letters to Canadian officials to discourage them from supporting the meditative practice, physical and verbal abuse against practitioners in Canada, and intimidation of practitioners' relatives in China. Mayor Prue said the practice's principles are 'values that every Canadian holds dear.' 'That's why every Canadian thinks that Falun Dafa is good,' he said. 'I have never met anyone who thought that Falun Dafa was ever doing anything wrong, and even though there's propaganda from the Chinese Communist Party, even though those kinds of things come to Canada, we try not to pay any attention to them, because we know they're not true' Flag-raising events were also held in the Ontario municipalities of Brock, Orangeville, and Orillia on May 12, where officials proclaimed Falun Dafa Day. Among them was Walter Schummer, mayor of the township of Brock, who said that recognizing and supporting Falun Dafa and its core values can help raise awareness about the importance of religious freedom. 'I think if our governments, whether it's federal government, provincial, municipal, if they're just recognizing it and supporting it worldwide, then, hopefully we will come to a day when all the countries, including China, will recognize and give those rights and freedoms,' Schummer said. On May 13, the official day honouring the spiritual practice, the Ontario cities of Cambridge and Cornwall raised the Falun Dafa flag in recognition of the occasion. Cornwall Mayor Justin Towndale noted that the ancient practice is followed by people from all walks of life. 'Falun Dafa has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to improving health in mind, body and spirit, as well as enhancing the well-being of people from diverse cultural backgrounds in over 100 countries,' he wrote in a proclamation. Cornwall Mayor Justin Towndale (L) with Falun Dafa practitioner Shizhong Lei at a flag-raising event in Cornwall, Ont., to mark the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day on May 13, 2025. NTD/The Epoch times Cornwall Mayor Justin Towndale at a flag-raising event in Cornwall, Ont., to mark the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day on May 13, 2025. NTD/The Epoch times
Epoch Times
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Toronto Practitioners of Spiritual Practice Celebrate World Falun Dafa Day, Marking 33rd Anniversary
Forming a bright sea of yellow, hundreds of Torontonians converged on Nathan Phillips Square on Sunday dressed in matching shirts, holding colourful banners, and performing the meditative exercises that are part of the traditional Chinese spiritual practice known as Falun Dafa. The gathering on May 11—which included VIP speeches and a parade through downtown Toronto—marked the 33rd year since Falun Dafa was introduced to the public in China by its founder, Li Hongzhi, in 1992. Similar World Falun Dafa Day festivities take place on or around Li's birthday, May 13, in many cities worldwide every year. Falun Dafa practitioners perform the practice's exercises at the Nathan Phillips Square in downtown Toronto on May 11, 2025. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times Falun Dafa practitioners meditate at the Nathan Phillips Square in downtown Toronto on May 11, 2025. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times As in past years, this occasion in Toronto featured a marching band, a lion dance, choral singers, and dancers in graceful costumes performing Chinese dance. It was organized by the local community of Falun Dafa practitioners in Toronto—among them those who had fled communist China due to an ongoing religious persecution against the group Finding freedom of belief in Canada, practitioners in many Canadian cities hold the annual event to celebrate as well as raise awareness. The gathering often includes speeches and greetings such as by government officials and community leaders showing their support. 'The Falun Dafa movement has made a great contribution to our country, here in Canada, and seeks to preserve Chinese tradition, spirituality, culture, and values,' Conservative MP Garnett Genuis told The Epoch Times in an interview just ahead of World Falun Dafa Day. In contrast, 'the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong practitioners is deplorable,' Genuis said, referring to the alternative name that Falun Dafa is known by. Related Stories 5/9/2025 5/5/2025 'It's a grave violation of international law and basic norms of human rights, and Conservatives will continue to stand for human rights in China and everywhere, to advocate for recognition of universal human dignity of all people,' Genuis added. The Young Falun Dafa practitioners hold a lion dance performance on stage at the Nathan Phillips Square during the ceremonies to celebrate the world Falun Dafa Day, in downtown Toronto on May 11, 2025. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times The FDIC said Jiang saw the ever-growing numbers as a threat, as well as the spiritual practice's independence from Party control and its guiding principles that were incompatible with communist atheist ideology. Former Senator Consiglio Di Nino, who had spoken at the annual Young Falun Dafa practitioners perform a traditional Chinese dance on stage at the Nathan Phillips Square during the ceremonies to celebrate the world Falun Dafa Day, in downtown Toronto on May 11, 2025. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times Young Falun Dafa practitioners perform a traditional Chinese dance on stage at the Nathan Phillips Square during the ceremonies to celebrate the world Falun Dafa Day, in downtown Toronto on May 11, 2025. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times 'I want to, once again, acknowledge and respect who you are and what you're doing, because we do need it, and we continue to need it for the world at large,' he said. Former Conservative MP Wladyslaw Lizon, originally from Poland, told the rally participants: 'I grew up in a communist system. Therefore, I know what it means for followers [of faith] in China who are mistreated by their own government.' 'We should not forget them, and we should never stop asking and pushing the communist government to stop persecution,' he said. Also speaking was Gloria Fung, president of Canada-Hong Kong Link. Pointing to the CCP's 'brutality in China suppressing Falun Gong brothers and sisters,' Fung said 'all of us have known that the CCP will stop at nothing to preserve its power.' She noted that 'now its arms have stretched to Canada and our communities,' and 'its goal is to destabilize our Canadian democracy,' referring to Beijing's transnational repression and foreign interference, such as attempts to Event hosts (L and 2nd L) and keynote speakers on stage at the Nathan Phillips Square to celebrate the World Falun Dafa Day, in downtown Toronto on May 11, 2025. (3rd L-R) Dean Baxendale, book publisher and CEO of the China Democracy Fund, Gloria Fung, president of Canada-Hong Kong Link, former Senator Consiglio Di Nino, former Conservative MP Wladyslaw Lizon, Sheng Xue, Chinese Canadian author and democracy activist, Houqiang Yu, chairman of the Canada Committee of the China Democratic Party, and Kevin Yang and Joel Chipkar with the Falun Dafa Association of Canada. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times Fung said her organization will continue to push the federal government to Dean Baxendale, a book publisher and CEO of the 'This practice has spread around the world,' Baxendale said in a speech at the rally. 'The movement was suppressed by the Chinese Communist Party, as we know, [starting] back in the late '90s.' Falun Dafa practitioners hold a parade to celebrate the world Falun Dafa Day in downtown Toronto on May 11, 2025. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times He said he was in Washington, D.C., earlier this week when the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 'But what's important to understand is that this is not a U.S. problem,' Baxendale said. 'This is a global problem, and we need legislators here in Canada to stand up and to push back against the Chinese Communist Party's oppression and transnational repression writ large around the world.' Falun Dafa practitioners hold a parade to celebrate the world Falun Dafa Day in downtown Toronto on May 11, 2025. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times Falun Dafa practitioners hold a parade to celebrate the world Falun Dafa Day in downtown Toronto on May 11, 2025. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times Falun Dafa Association of Canada representative Joel Chipkar expressed his appreciation to Falun Dafa's founder and spoke to how the spiritual faith has benefited its practitioners. 'What began as a quiet spiritual practice based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance quickly spread into a profound and life-changing force touching millions of lives around the world,' he said, noting that 'Falun Dafa is the fastest-growing spiritual practice in China's history' and has practitioners in over 150 countries. 'What is most inspiring is the strength and resilience that Falun Dafa has given to people who practise it,' he said. 'Even in the face of misinformation and persecution, millions of people have held firm in their faith, responding not with hatred, but with compassion and truth.' 'Their stories of endurance and forgiveness are a testament to the power of Falun Dafa and a beacon of light in our world today,' Chipkar said.
