UNITED NATIONS NATIONS-UNI-
POSTAL ADDRESS - ADRESSE POSTALE : UNITED NATIONS, N.Y. 10017
CABLE ADDRESS - ADRESSE TELEGRAPHIQUE : UNATIONS NEWYORK
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL CABINET DU SECRETAIRE GENERAL
5 April 2006
Dear Mr. Ye,
On behalf of the Secretary-General, I would like to thank you for your letter of 17 March 2006, inviting him to designate a representative to attend the First World Buddhist Forum on the Secretary-General' behalf from 13 to 16 April 2006 in Zhejiang Province, China.
Your kind offer is much appreciated. However, I regret to inform you that it would not be possible to send a representative to the Forum. A similar letter will be addressed to Mr. Yi Cheng, Chairman of the Buddhist Association of China.
We hope that the message by the Secretary-General we have sent to you could be shared amongst the participants.
With best wishes for a successful World Forum,
Yours sincerely,
Alicia Barcena Acting Chef de Cabinet
Mr. Ye Xiaowen Chairman The Chinese Association of Religious and Cultural Exchange Preparatory Office of the World Buddhist Forum Beijing APR -7 UNITED NATIONS |S» NATIONS UNIES
POSTAL ADDRESS - ADRESSE POSTALE : UNITED NATIONS, N.Y. 10017
CABLE ADDRESS - AORESSE TELEGRAPHIQUE: UNAT10NS NEWYORK
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL CABINET DU SECRETAIRE GENERAL
5 April 2006
Dear Mr. Yi,
On behalf of the Secretary-General, I would like to thank you for your letter of 17 March 2006, inviting him to designate a representative to attend the First World Buddhist Forum on the Secretary-General' behalf from 13 to 16 April 2006 in Zhejiang Province, China.
Your kind offer is much appreciated. However, I regret to inform you that it would not be possible to send a representative to the Forum. A similar letter will be addressed to Mr. Ye Xiaowen, Chairman of the Chinese Association of Religious and Cultural Exchange.
We hope that the message by the Secretary-General we have sent to you could be shared amongst the participants.
With best wishes for a successful World Forum,
Yours sincerely,
Alicia Bajeeaa- Acting Chef de Cabinet
Mr. Yi Cheng Chairman The Buddhist Association of China Preparatory Office of the World Buddhist Forum Beijing 17"'March, 2006
WORLD BUDDHIST FORUM 111! „ MAR 2 I 2006 1£ 3* ft » IS Jfi i
H. E. Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations
Your Excellency. '.
At the beginning of spring, we wish you good health and good luck. May all go well with you!
We appreciate and are encouraged by your Message of Congratulations to the coming first World Buddhist Forum. As you said, Buddhism, since its birth, has spread the message of compassion, peace, middle way, and equality and become a valuable part of human civilization. In the world of today, pence, development and cooperation are the main trends of our time, but human beings face various unneglectable difficulties and challenges. Since we share the same home, an ever smaller planet on which we are bound to live together, people in the whole world should join hands to build a harmonious world of durable peace and common prosperity. With such a grand aspiration, with such grand wishes, the Chinese Buddhist community hopes to use the WBF as a platform of communication, dialogue and cooperation to rally the forces of the Buddhist communities around ihe world, produce dialogues among different religions and civilizations so as to contribute to world peace and the harmony of all human beings.
Many leaders of Buddhist communities both from China and overseas will be invited to attend this fomm> We have received warm responses from the Buddhist communities in 33 countries and regions, including Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Four hundred and sixty Buddhist figures from various countries and regions confirmed to attend the first WBF. They include H.H of Somdeiprayannawavodom of Thailand, both Sangharajas of Cambodia, the senior Mahatheroes (leaders) of three key nayakas (section) of Sri Lanka, and the most distinguished Buddhist leaders from the ROK, Japan, Laos. Vietnam, India, Mongolia and Russia. A Chinese leader will also be present. In addition, ministers for religious affairs from the governments of Laos, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia will be guests of honor. It will be a grand gathering of both eminent Buddhist monks and senior leaders.
Panding the opening of the first WBF in China, we are grateful to you for your encouragement. At the same time, we arc sorry to learn that Mr. Laqal Reiz, your senior assistant will not be able to auend our forum. We still sincerely hope you will send representative to the forum to witness the efforts by ihe Buddhist communities of China and other countries and regions to promoic the dialogues among different religions and civilizations and world peace and harmonv.
-'rei.'O'aiory Of'ice :' Iho World Buddhist Forum •!« HOuhaibelyan. X.fheng Olsir.d Beijing, I 00009. P K China
-0| cc--iC-C«C952e5 / 6^095256 Fax. 36-1 0-S10S5264 E-^ail. w6)-info@>i63 com Thank you, once again, for your kind support.
Best wishes.
Yours sincerely, Yicheng Chairman of the Buddhist Association of China
Ye Xiaowen Chairman of the Chinese Association of Religious and Cultural Exchange ACTION^ COPY,} i
26th December 2005 OF rsi- <:-;-?
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H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations
Your Excellency,
It is our great honor to invite you to attend the First World Buddhist Forum (WBF) held on April 13-16, . : 2006, in Hangzhou City and Zhoushan City of Zhejiang Province in China. / / The "World Buddhist Forum" has been jointly initiated by Buddhist leaders from Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, targeting at providing world Buddhists a high-level dialogue platform on the bases of equality, pluralism and openness. This proposal received extensive supports from Korean and Japanese Buddhist communities at the Three-nation Buddhist Conference (China, Korea and Japan) in October 2004. During the International Buddhist Conference on the United Nations Day of Vesak held in Bangkok, Thailand, in May 2005, 41 participant countries unanimously acclaimed the proposal and wrote it into the A 'Conference Communique'. CD •sf CO CO CO "A Harmonious World begins in the Mind" is the theme of the forum, with which the 'World Buddhist 1 CD Forum' is aiming to bring 'harmonious breeze and peaceful air into this turbulent and riotous world we O O CM are living in; to fulfill a vision of 'New six harmonies', (namely, sympathetic heart, accordant family, £1 CD smooth human relations, harmonious society, pleasant human paradise and peaceful world, on the bases of LL 00 CM Buddhist 'six-harmony' idea), and eventually to build a harmonious world.
CD N- CD CM In August 2000, Chinese Buddhist communities dispatched a delegation to the 'Millennium World Peace O i CD Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders' held at the headquarters of UN, New York. In the mean time CM you were present at the meeting and addressed: "Religion can be a realm of extraordinary power. It can offer solace in troubled times. It can make sense of the seemingly senseless because that's the world we O
U_ live in. It can give us strength to meet the physical and spiritual challenges of life. Religion helps us find O O our place in the cosmos; it knits families and communities together; it endows individuals with compassion and morality ...... It is little wonder that the same values animate the Charter of the United CD C CD Nations, and lie at the root of our search for world peace." Your speech has deeply impressed Chinese O delegation and been spread widely across the nation. The motive to conduct the "World Buddhist Forum" just follows the same notion — persistent endeavour for social harmony, world peace and human welfare. O CD CO CD This forum conference will be inviting about 1000 people from approximately 40 countries and regions, including well-known Buddhist leaders and some countries' important members of government. CD O O V The Buddhist community of China particularly hopes you might be able to attend this world Buddhist leader summit and deliver a speech therein. Chinese government will be taking care of your journey through diplomatic channel. Your presence will be significant to the success of the Forum; in case you are engaged at that time, we would be grateful if you could kindly write a congratulation letter in your name and send one of your special representatives to the forum.
Once again we sincerely invite your Excellency to the first World Buddhist Forum.
Yours sincerely,
Yicheng Chairman of the Buddhist Association of China
is Aiaowen Chairman of the Chinese Association of Religious and Cultural Exchange
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CD O o O E OJ Io Wednesday, I2lh April Registration Thursday, 13lh April Birtliday of Maha Cundi Bodhisattva 9:00a.ra. Opening Ceremony of the First WBF 1!: 3 Oa.m. Lunch 13:30p.m. Conference — Keynote speech 17:30p.m. Reception banquet I9:30p.m. Buddhist performance Friday, 14th April 8:30 a.m. Keynote speech (proceeded) ll:30a.m. Lunch 13:30p.m. Panel discussions 1 . Unity and cooperation among the Buddhists 2. Social responsibilities of Buddhism 3. Peace mission of Buddhism • Hangzh o IM u* O O CD O O H o o\ o '5 I c. O •ca c13? O ra •C T 55 o O •C ro o T en to O CO o M S 2 03 •vl g "c cn o I O S 'ra tsi £ .£ C nj ^ .SP O UJ ju C C c 'u 'e E ^ O. o "a, E w "a P > 5 '£ | "T3 '£* JU ^ I 'E 43 "2 =5 ^ u < 04 u o 3 CO D- o "I! •a 0) •a 1<- ™ 1 t*- i 1 -, u '5 8 § •§ § T3 S* « Ji l~" * •a o •o s a fill 0- O •a .§ ^ a- foru m cs E-Mai l S1* s '% 3 Arriva l dat e i— " 3 Titl e o f you r requirement s Clerica l nam e Posta l addres s E fi^ u ^ Suggestion s o r Telephone , Fax o Presentatio n a t th e Countr y o r regio n •5 1 Departur e dat UNITED NATIONS HHffiff NATIONS UNIES THE SECRETARY-GENERAL MESSAGE TO WORLD BUDDHIST FORUM Hangzhou - Zhoushan, 13-16 April 2006 The Buddha's ethical and humanitarian ideals gave birth to a vibrant spiritual tradition that continues, more than 2500 years later, to ennoble the lives of millions of people. Today, all over the world, Buddhists celebrate the message of compassion, understanding and mutual respect that the Buddha brought to mankind. Today, the Buddha's vision of peace may be more relevant than ever before. Indeed, if we want to have a chance of overcoming the many challenges that face us today - in the fields of peace and security, development, and the protection of our global environment - we must think beyond our narrow, short-term self interests, and raise ourselves to a universal perspective from which the well-being of the broader human community can be seen to be as important as our own individual well-being. Each of us shares the hope of a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable future. Our actions - as individuals and as members of our communities - must be guided by that common dream. Let us remember, therefore, that whatever our origin, race, culture or belief, we are not essentially different. Above all, we share the same home, an ever smaller planet on which we are bound to live together. So, let us work together towards the common good and the harmonious and peaceful coexistence of all the world's people. Kofi A. Annan