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Above: Henrik Bjorn being interviewed by Sichuan News Centre's Feng Li Ting.
Below: The speakers panel.
news & announcements
- Trace awarded 2008 International Charity Award - Oct. 12, 2008
- Trace launches first lecture series: Minority Language in Today's Global Society - Oct. 16, 2008
Trace representative invited to speak at the Cultural Tourism Festival in Suining City, Sichuan Province - Oct. 15, 2008
Chengdu, October 21, 2008 - Trace Foundation Programme Coordinator for Education, Henrik Bjorn, was invited by the Government of Suining Municipality to attend the First Tourism Festival of Guanyin’s Hometown. On the evening of October 15th Mr. Bjorn gave a speech before an audience of over 40,000 congratulating Suining Municipality for holding this large cultural tourism festival. Speakers included the leaders of the Suining Municipality as well as provincial level leaders.
Suining, in the far east of Sichuan province, is held by many to be the home of Guanyin, the boddhisatva of compassion, known as Avalokitesvara in Sanskrit and Chenrezik (spyan ras gzigs) in Tibetan. The organizers of the festival and cultural forum sought to bring awareness to Guanyin worship and to promote cultural tourism in the region.
On the following day Mr. Bjorn attended the Guanyin Culture International Forum. His speech touched on his own personal experience, living in a small village in Guangxi province where the local temple was devoted to Guanyin. He carried on to praise the essence of Guanyin culture, with its emphasis on compassion. The Trace Foundation representative asserted that this same emphasis on compassion lies behind the work of Trace Foundation, guiding its work throughout the region and through different sectors. He also mentioned that Trace Foundation a few days earlier had received the 2008 International Charity Achievement Award and spoke of Trace Foundations offer of support to those suffering in the aftermath of the Wenchuan Great Earthquake. The event was widely covered by both Chinese print and television media with many journalist interviewing the Trace Foundation representative following his speeches.