Media Advisory
For Immediate Release: May 12, 2002
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Toronto, May 12 -- Monday, May 13 will kick off the Canada Falun Dafa Festival (May 13-May 20). Cities across Canada are geared up to host a weeklong series of events! (See Toronto's events schedule next page) Cities worldwide will hold celebratory events on May 13th to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day, and the 10th anniversary of Falun Dafa's introduction to the public.
Toronto's May 13th Celebration will be held at Nathan Phillips Square. This annual multi-cultural spectacular has become a staple in Toronto. Performances from a wide variety of community based performers; West African drumming, Dancers from Africa, Europe and South America not to mention some of fantastic Chinese cultural performances, Martial arts and Falun Gong exercise demonstrations, and more.
Falun Dafa celebrations are renowned for their gigantic festive displays of hundreds of balloons big and small the largest of which is 4 meters wide and 6 meters high! Come take a photo of the huge colorful banners and this year will feature a stunning paper windmill arrangement spelling out the words "Falun Dafa." On a more somber note there will be hundreds of paper cranes folded to commemorate the lost lives of Falun Gong practitioners during the persecution. One hundred doves will be released during the ceremony to symbolizing humanity's need for peace and justice.
Speakers include: MPP George Smitherman, City Counselors Norm Kelly, Bas Balkissoon. We will also announce proclamations, proclaiming May Falun Dafa Month in cities and towns throughout Canada and resolutions condemning China's unjust persecution of Falun Gong.
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12:00pm--2:30PM
Monday May 13, 2002
Nathan Phillips Square @ City Hall Toronto
Background Information
Toronto's Falun Dafa Festival is organised by an events committee of volunteers with the support of the City of Toronto. Many of the events most dedicated volunteers are practitioner of Falun Dafa, a traditional exercises and meditation practice that takes Truth-Compassion-Tolerance as its guiding principles. Falun Dafa practitioners in China, who have peacefully and courageously preserved these principles while suffering brutal persecution, have inspired tremendous support from and people around the world and their governments.
Members of the community are now joining with Falun Dafa practitioners at this multicultural event, to celebrate the universal principles of Truth-Compassion-Tolerance.
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Contact: John Zhang Toronto 416-361-5939, 416-826-9839 (cell)
Joel Chipkar Toronto 416-622-1959, 416-709-8678 (cell)
Cindy Gu Toronto 416-419-9981 (cell)
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Falun Dafa Festival
Toronto Event Calendar
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May 13-May 19, 2002
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Time |
Events |
Location |
|
May 13, 12pm-2:30pm |
Multi-cultural celebration of World Falun Dafa Day |
Nathan Phillips Square @ City Hall |
|
May 14-16, 7am-7pm |
Falun Dafa Art Exhibition works by renowned Falun Dafa practitioner artists |
TD Bank Centre (Commerce Level, Bay & Front) |
|
May 14-17, 7pm-10pm |
Movie Festival Chinese movies and films created by Falun Dafa practitioners |
University of Toronto |
|
May 18-19, 9am-5:30pm |
5th Canada Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference |
Downtown Toronto |
|
May 18, 8pm-10pm |
Falun Dafa Concert "Sounds of Brilliance and Promise," performances by Falun Dafa dancers, singers and musicians |
University of Toronto, Convocation Hall |
|
May 19, 2pm á |
Parade about 2000 Falun Dafa practitioners from around the world attending the festival |
Start from Queen's Park, going to Spadina Ave. through Chinatown |
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May 19, 6pm-8pm |
Concert by Artists in Solidarity with Falun Gong - "SOS Message in A Bottle" |
Toronto City Hall, Rotunda |
|
May 19, 10am-7pm |
Falun Dafa Art Exhibition works by renowned Falun Dafa practitioner artists |
Toronto City Hall, Rotunda |
|
May 19, 2pm-5:30pm |
Future Science Forum Bridging the gap between matter and consciousness |
University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Auditorium, RM 2158 |
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Contact: John Zhang Toronto 416-361-5939, 416-826-9839 (cell)
Joel Chipkar Toronto 416-622-1959, 416-709-8678 (cell)
Cindy Gu Toronto 416-419-9981 (cell)
Events in Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton can be found:
Website: www.faluncanada.net/festival2002 (go to 'agenda')