October 14, 2000

Today, we gather to celebrate the first-ever Falun Dafa Week in the City of Windsor.

We celebrate because Falun Dafa is a peaceful practice of mind and body that has brought health, happiness and inner peace to millions worldwide.

We celebrate because the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance, upon which Falun Dafa is based, have become treasures within our own hearts and within our communities as well. We would like to help these qualities continue to blossom in our society and flourish for future generations to come.

We celebrate because we as practitioners of Falun Dafa have obtained many wonderful benefits without being charged a fee. That is why we are happy to return this favour by sharing these benefits with others.

We gather to demonstrate the beauty of Falun Dafa exercises. We celebrate the feelings of peacefulness and harmony that these exercises bring to practitioners and to their surroundings.

We gather also to recognize the beauty in the hearts of those that have shown their support for Falun Dafa and the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance. These people have demonstrated their kindness towards others and towards our society by taking time to acknowledge and nurture the virtuous attributes of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance. Isn't supporting these qualities doing the best thing for our society?

However, while we enjoy the freedom to celebrate these wonderful treasures here today, let us not forget what is now taking place in China. Currently there are people in China facing serious persecution, even losing their lives, precisely to preserve these precious qualities and their right to practice Falun Dafa.

To date:

1. At least 59 Falun Gong practitioners have died as a result of inhumane treatment by Chinese police while in custody.

2. More than 600 mentally healthy people have been incarcerated in mental hospitals and issued sedatives and sometimes nerve-damaging drugs.

3. 10 000 people have been sent to labour camps without trial.

4. More than 450 people have been sentenced to prison terms of up to 18 years in show trials.

5. At least 50 000 Chinese citizens have been arrested simply for practicing Falun Dafa or for exercising their constitutional right to peacefully appeal to the government to stop its persecution.

6. Millions of Falun Dafa books, audiotapes and videotapes have been confiscated and burned.

7. Millions have lost their homes, jobs, education, pensions and family lives for continuing to practice Falun Dafa.

Despite this brutal and relentless persecution and despite continuous pressure from the Chinese government, practitioners continue to maintain their belief in Falun Dafa. They have, through their own experiences, come to understand how precious and true these principles are - no amount of slanderous or demonizing propaganda can reverse this. They have thus appealed peacefully and with a heart of pure benevolence every single day since the crackdown began last July.

Let's give these peaceful, compassionate and brave Falun Dafa practitioners in China our highest respect and let's applaud their unparalleled courage and firm belief in the spiritual path that they have chosen.

Let's help to have their silenced voices heard by all people around the world. Let's help to reveal the truth of Falun Dafa to everyone and bring Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance to more people's hearts

Our society and our future generations will be grateful to us for that.