Presentation of Christchurch City Council’s Civic Award by Mayor of Christchurch to FGS South Island
To honor the outstanding contributions made by the organisations and citizens of Christchurch to the City, on 1st December 2020, at a special ceremony at the Christchurch Town Hall, the Christchurch City Council presented the 2020 Christchurch Civic Awards to these organisations and individuals. This year the awards were presented to 18 Christchurch associations and individuals, including Fo Guang Shan (FGS), who has made outstanding service contributions to the community; Marianne Hargreaves, who has contributed to the New Zealand art world for 40 years; New Zealand Spinal Trust, who has provided free treatment for patients with spinal injuries; Karlena Kelliher and Sands Canterbury, who have provided spiritual supports to women who have undergone abortions; Maria Romero, who provides students with education about monarch butterflies and the crucial role they play in the ecosystem; and Noelin Tennant, a special educator who helps New Zealanders to overcome their dyslexia.
On behalf of the Abbess of FGS New Zealand, FGS South Island Minister-in-charge Venerable Jue Xi was at the ceremony to receive the Award. Sharing the joy were Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) South Island First subchapter President Louisa, Second subchapter President Cao Qian, Director Kok-Wei Low, and members Ryan Wang and Juin Mei Chang, who, together with 120 Christchurch residents, attended the ceremony.
In her speech, Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel said: "Christchurch has experienced the impact of earthquakes, mosque shootings and the Covid-19 pandemic, all of which have brought great challenges to the development of the City. I would like to thank the citizens who have unyieldingly guarded and supported the City. Many civil organisations have spontaneously made efforts to harness individuals’ strengths into a force for the revitalization of the City. In recognition of their contributions, Christchurch City Council would like to award the annual ‘Civic Awards’ to these outstanding groups and individuals. The Award recipients chosen today represent the best from Christchurch, and Christchurch is proud of them!"
In her award presentation speech, Mayor Lianne Dalziel praised FGS Temple South Island as a place for spiritual purification and a venue for cultural exchanges. Over the years, FGS South Island has provided services and made contributions to the local community, among many of these include their cooperation with the Red Cross on the Meals-on-Wheels Project for more than 20 years, and their cooperation with the New Zealand Police in the ‘3G4G Festival of Cultural Sharing’ Activity to establish correct educational values for the students. In addition, FGS South Island had setup a Disaster Relief Centre after the earthquake to provide victims with timely supplies of materials, and services.
In her award acceptance speech, FGS South Island Minister-in-charge Venerable Jue Xi said: "I would like to thank the City Council of Christchurch for recognising and affirming the contributions of FGS and BLIA South Island to the community. What we have achieved so far are the results of our collective efforts and we will continue working hard to serve the community."
In addition to the award recipients, people from all walks of life in Christchurch also attended the ceremony. These included Christchurch City Councillors Anne Galloway and Jimmy Chen, Christchurch Art Museum Director Blair Jackson, and representatives from the public services and education sector. At the venue, BLIA South Island team interacted with the other participants and presented them with copies of the 2021 FGS New Zealand Calendar and the 2020 BLIA New Zealand Activities Report.
In the 22 February Christchurch earthquake in 2011, FGS and BLIA South Island had jointly donated NZD 100,000 to the Christchurch Red Cross. For two continuous weeks after the earthquake, they had provided residents with free hot food and free essential medical and cleaning supplies. To soothe the frightened minds of the people, they had kept the Temple opened for the public to pray. In addition, FGS and BLIA South Island had also provided assistance to the New Zealand police in text translations and in photo-copying work, etc. In the same year, for all their contributions, FGS South Island was awarded the Christchurch Disaster Relief Hero Award by the Christchurch City Council. Ever since then, FGS and BLIA South Island have continued with their efforts to serve the community. Now, after eight long years, all their efforts and contributions have once again been recognised and affirmed by this Civic Award from Christchurch City Council.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HUsrZ-7RFQ&feature=emb_title&ab_channel=%E4%BD%9B%E5%85%89%E5%B1%B1%E4%BA%BA%E9%96%93%E8%A1%9B%E8%A6%96