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Today in Amsterdam, New York, the Guang Huan Mi Zong World Peace and Health Organization became the focus of the City. The three major local newspapers are reporting the same event on their front page – The World Peace and Health Press Conference, in which the Guang Huan Mi Zong World Peace and Health Organization presented their plans and visions to the government officials, media and residents in the city.
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Honorable Holy Ziguang Shang Shi went up to the altar in the conference room with a warm welcome from Mayor Ann Thane of Amsterdam, Mr. Todd Bradt, the Town Supervisor of Ephratah, media associates, residents, people from all over the world who have benefited from the Guang Huan Mi Zong Health Dharma, as well as investors in the Guang Huan Mi Zong Health City.
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Holy Ziguang Shang Shi compassionately told everyone, “I came here because of guidance from Buddha. We are here to help to improve the health level of the residents. Our goal is to bring Peace and Health to the City of Amsterdam. We hope to establish the first Health City of the United States in Amsterdam. We came with our sincere friendship and have already proved this in the past six years. The Mayor of Amsterdam is a very kind person. It is a pity that the government doesn’t have enough money to repair many old properties. As the residents of this City, we should help to make a difference. Therefore, we will purchase these blighted properties and renovate them, so as to improve the appearance of the City. By renovating these properties, we also hope to create better living conditions for those who are planning to move to this City and be the residents of the Guang Huan Mi Zong Health City.
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“On top of that, we are prepared to help those Westerners who have the affinity, and who are interested in peace, health and Buddhist Dharma to stay in these properties. We will also help to develop tourism in Amsterdam, facilitate urban prosperity, and reverse the increasingly decaying appearance of the city. Our mission is to bring Health to this City and to the United States. We plan to develop the existing Ephratah villa into an East and West Cultural and Art Exchange Center, so as to facilitate the cultural exchange between the Eastern and Western worlds. We believe cultural and art exchange can help to develop friendship between Easterners and Westerners, and in turn contributing to world peace and human health. This is a way that can best utilize the property… I do not want to see the churches be converted for other uses.
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“Holy Ziguang Shang Shi believes that all religions in the world are for the sake of doing good deeds, and for fostering health and peace in the hearts of their followers. Thus, Holy Ziguang Shang Shi believes that, in the near future, religions will come together for a conference to discuss issues related to world peace, human health and social ethics, and to make a declaration of the unification of world religions. We bought the Catholic churches that were damaged by people in order to return them to the Catholics at the time when unification comes. Therefore we are trying our best to preserve and restore these churches, as we are friends of the Catholics. We get along well with the priests in our neighborhood at the Western Shrine and have even built a Friendship Road. We also turned the parking lot of the former St. Casimir’s Church into the Peace, Health and Friendship Square, which is ready to be given to the Amsterdam city government. This is the first piece of cake for the friendly people in this city……”
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The inspiring speech by Holy Ziguang Shang Shi won applause from the audience. Many curious people raised a number of questions, and the compassionate Holy Ziguang Shang Shi patiently gave a satisfactory answer to each of their queries. One of the residents, Diane Fyfe, was interviewed by a reporter, and said “I’d like to see them stay and I’d like to see the city get built up…” Former Amsterdam assessor and local radio station personality Michael Chiara said he “cannot see any reason why the group should not be supported”. Many people also revealed their wishes; some indicate that they would like to learn Chinese at the Eastern Cultural Institute; some said they would like to enroll in the Health Dharma Class and request to be a resident of the Health City.
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Mayor Ann Thane also registered for the October 14, 2010 Guang Huan Mi Zong Health Dharma Class, she hopes to be able to experience personally this great and amazing Health Dharma as soon as possible. Led by the Mayor, everyone signed on the flag to show their wish to become a resident of the Health City.
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By Cassandra
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