Maori Chair and ILO visit temple in support of Embracing Love and Peace Event

NZ Police Iwi/Maori Liaison Officer Andrea Williams and Te Ngāi Tūāhuriri Rūnanga chair Arapata Rueben visited FGS South Island on 9 August. They were received by Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Abbess Venerable Manshin, South Island FGS Minister-in-Charge Venerable Juexi and BLIA South Island NZ Deputy President Ding Lihson.

The 2019 NZ Embracing Love and Peace event will be held on 2  November this year at the Aurora Centre Christchurch. It will include a mindfulness talk, performances and dialogue with leaders from all walks of life to promote the importance of love and peace. The Christchurch based event will feature performances from various ethnic groups, including the Maori group, to promote cultural, education and artistic exchanges. Arapata thanked FGS South Island for inviting him and the Maori community to participate in such a meaningful event, giving a positive response. He said he would plan appropriate Maori performances and invite Maori elders to attend this event.

Abbess briefed Arapata and Andrea on the recent activities organised by FGS South Island NZ such as the Buddha’s Birthday Multicultural Festival, "3G4G Festival of Cultural Sharing", Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery exhibitions and artist exchanges, etc. These diverse cultural activities bring a lot of life and colour to the Christchurch community. Andrea and Arapata are impressed by the contribution made by FGS South Island to the society and look forward to the 2019 NZ Embracing Love and Peace campaign, whose diverse ethnic and cultural group exchanges will lead to social harmony and greater outcomes for all.