(Minghui.org) Practitioners held an event on April 28, 2024, at Earnslaw Park in Queenstown, New Zealand, to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day. They demonstrated the exercises and clarified the truth about the persecution of Falun Dafa. One person said the 32 years of Falun Dafa spreading throughout the world is a remarkable achievement. Others said that if more people follow Falun Dafa’s principles, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, the world would be a better place.
Queenstown is located in the southwestern South Island, and the city is surrounded by spectacular mountains, snow-covered peaks, blue lakes, and a myriad of scenery, making it a famous tourist destination in New Zealand and the world. On the day of the event, people from around the world watched performances by the Tian Guo Marching Band and the Waist Drum Team and learned about Falun Dafa.
Practitioners held an event on April 28, 2024, to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day and to wish their founder, Mr. Li Hongzhi a happy birthday.
Practitioners demonstrated the exercises at Earnslaw Park in Queenstown.
The waist drum team performed during the event.
“Thirty-Two Years Is a Remarkable Achievement”
Peter Vandersteen praised Falun Dafa.
Peter Vandersteen is a manager for a manufacturing company in New Zealand. He expressed his appreciation for the performance of the Tian Guo Marching Band.
Vandersteen, who played in a big band in the Netherlands, said, “They played really well! It’s a rare combination of woodwinds, brass and drums. It’s usually a brass band or a jazz band in New Zealand, so it’s quite rare to hear this here.”
He said this is not the first time that he enjoyed the Tian Guo Marching Band. “We saw them play when we were living in Palmerston North about seven or eight years ago. I wanted to know who they were, so I looked up information about Falun Dafa and learned that practitioners in China are not allowed to express their views or practice their belief because they are persecuted.”
Vandersteen continued, “So I am happy that you are here to show your views and belief, your peace and kindness, how you cultivate yourselves, and how you educate people about compassion. It’s great that you can also play in New Zealand and express your faith freely. But in China you can’t, and it’s sad and regrettable.”
He congratulated Falun Dafa on its 32nd anniversary and said, “This is a great achievement.” He also wanted to tell practitioners: “You have done a great job, congratulations, keep it up!”
Retired Engineer: Continue the Fight Against Communism
Michael, a retired aerospace engineer, believes that the world would be a better place if more people believed in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
Michael, from New York, in the U.S. is a retired NASA engineer and is currently traveling the world. He watched the Tian Guo Marching Band play, and said, “I appreciate it. I’ve heard of Falun Dafa, and I think the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are very good. I think that if everyone treats others with these principles, then we human beings will get along better.”
Michael believes that the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP’s) persecution of Falun Dafa is due to the fact that people are not allowed to have freedom of belief in China.
He encouraged practitioners, “Keep working hard, continue to fight communism, and spread the truth. If more people believe in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, the world will be a better place.”
Peaceful and Happy After Leaning the Exercises
Dom Earnshaw (right) learned the exercises.
Dom Earnshaw from Christchurch was about to go on a backpacking trip when he noticed the practitioners’ event. He was very interested and learned the exercises on the spot.
Earnshaw said his mind was hectic and he had difficulty concentrating at work. After he did the exercises, he said, “I feel good, happier, more peaceful, and well-balanced. I felt positive energy.”
Earnshaw believes that meditation can cultivate oneself, and he especially believes that Falun Dafa’s Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are good principles. “I think this will have a positive impact on our society,” he said.
After he was told about the CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa, he was puzzled and said, “I don’t know why they (the CCP) persecute people because they practice these principles (Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance). I think that if more people practice Falun Dafa and follow these principles, the CCP’s dictatorship may end.”
He told practitioners, “Thank you for sharing Falun Dafa with me.” He also wanted to say to Master Li Hongzhi, “Thank you, I am very grateful to you!”
English Teacher: “I Love China, I Love Dafa!”
Brad Staginson loves Falun Dafa.
English teacher Brad Staginson said that Falun Dafa is beneficial and can purify people’s bodies and minds. He said, “People can only understand others when they truly understand themselves, and it takes goodness to understand and solve problems.” He asked for additional introductory leaflets and said he would tell his students about Falun Dafa.
After learning about the CCP’s forced live organ harvesting, he mentioned that he previously lived in China where he taught English. He said the persecution is real, “The CCP kidnaps people from the street, throws them in prison, and then harvests their organs while they are alive. It’s wrong, and something a human being should not do,” he said.
Staginson said that only when all Chinese unite to speak up for themselves will the status quo (in China) change. People should enjoy human rights, and have freedom of speech, freedom of belief, and freedom of thought, and the CCP should not deprive people of these basic human rights and freedoms—which is done in order to control them.
He also praised the Tian Guo Marching Band as the best and said he never saw such a well-trained, well-organized band. He also said in Chinese, “I like China. I love Dafa. It is very good!”
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