Opening of BLIA New Zealand Reunion Meeting
Due to the Christchurch earthquakes, the Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) North and South Island New Zealand joint annual general meeting has been suspended for 4 years. This year marks the re-launch of the annual general meeting for BLIA South Island, happening on the 17th of March 2018, and those participating in the event include BLIA Oceania Fellowship Committee Deputy Committee Director Dolly Tsai, BLIA North Island Advisor Jennifer Liang and BLIA North Island NZ President Stephen Yu, BLIA South Island committee members and members totalling 35 people. The meeting was chaired by BLIA South Island NZ President Bernie, with Fo Guang Shan (FGS) New Zealand Venerable Abbess Manshin, FGS South Island Minister in-charge Venerable Jue Xi and FGS North Island Venerable Rulian advising the meeting.
President Bernie thanked all the BLIA members for their participation in this meeting, and also for the support for BLIA South Island temple to host this joint annual general meeting once again. He hopes that through the two days, everyone can develop a shared consensus and at the same time, find inspiration for new ways of spreading Buddhism across the world.
Some of the main points of discussions during the meeting are as follows: 1) Hosting more multicultural events such as sporting ones to recruit more young people to join into the BLIA and YAD North and South Island New Zealand. 2) Launch the 2018 “3G4G Festival of Cultural Sharing”, and invite BLIA members to organise the event. 3) In 2019, launch the “22nd Australia and New Zealand Buddhist Youth Conference”, and encourage the BLIA Oceanic YAD to actively take part in it. 4) Encourage BLIA New Zealand members to participate in the upcoming Dharma events happening at the Nantian temple in Australia, as well as those Emperor Liang Repentance Dharma service and Amitabha diligent dharma service in South and North Island respectively. 5) Encourage BLIA New Zealand members to participate in the “BLIA Oceanic Reunion meeting and the grand opening Nantian bridge”.
Over the course of the meeting, the advisors, presidents and sub Chapter leaders of gave many practical input and suggestions to make the process of spreading Buddhism more effective, and it is hoped that these ideas can attract more people to join, especially young people, and lead to a strong local establishment of Humanistic Buddhism in New Zealand. The Venerable Abbess praised President Siew for taking up the initiative, and he also thanked the senior advisors and directors for supporting his President’s role. Abbess encouraged everyone to be proud of spreading the good of Buddhism. As this year marks the first time for Christchurch hosting the first “3G4G Festival of Cultural Sharing ”, every BLIA member much cooperate so that all the activities can be successfully completed.
The opening ceremony of the meeting concluded in a joyful atmosphere. The BLIA members then proceeded to the main shrine to listen to FGS headquarter Deputy Abbot Venerable Hui Zhao’s Buddhism talk on “The Important of causes and Conditions in this World”.