Heroes of conscience flexing their artistic muscles in flash mobs

Spreading powerful positive energy from SoCal to NorCal

(Charlotte Lee, Los Angeles)

Summer is here.  What is your plan for this summer?  There was a group of international youth volunteers who started their summer by presenting flash mobs in tourist attractions from Souther California to Norther California to spread the messages of conscience.    They are members of three international peace organizations: the Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy, Federation of World Peace and Love, and Association of World Citizens.  Coming from Taiwan, Canada, Southern California, Northern California, etc., they traveled at their own expense without conducting any fund-raisers. The purpose of their trip was to promote the meaningful movement of “An Era of Conscience(ANEOC)”.

Before they launched a series of flash mob performances of music and dance on June 7, they performed in a grand event entitled “The Awakening of Conscience: World Citizens Supporting Love and Peace” held in the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City on June 6, 2015. During the event, four prominent leaders rang the Bell of Peace: Diane Watson, former U.S. Congresswoman; Randal Malone, president of Southern California Motion Picture Council and actor; Allan Jay Friedman, president of the World Film Institute; and Antonio Gellini, founder of the World Film Institute and Family Film Awards. Many visionaries also sent their best wishes for the event via mail or phone calls including U.S. President Barack Obama, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada, U.S. Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, U.S. Congressman Michael Honda, California State Senator Bob Huff, California State Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang, California State AssemblywomanYoung Kim, Honorary Chairman of Microsoft Bill Gates, Mayor Gary Yamauchi of the City of Alhambra, California, etc.

Starting from June 7, the group of volunteers put on spontaneous cultural performances in popular tourist destinations in California.  During a period of 3 days, although the temperature was around 100 °F, the group visited various places of interest in Southern California including Disneyland, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Griffith Observatory, Dodger Stadium and then headed north to Ghirardelli Square, Fisherman’s Wharf, Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, etc. to deliver flash mobs combining beautiful music, peaceful and elegant dances, and traditional Chinese martial arts demonstrations, enthusiastically promoting conscience-driven values advocated in the movement of An Era of Conscience. Their unique performances drew the attention of many people who stopped to watch them perform.

While performing at Griffith Observatory, the ANEOC group attracted the attention of a crowd of elementary school students who were going on a field trip.  Their teacher was impressed as she felt the positive energy radiated from the volunteers.  She said that this is a wonderful and meaningful movement and that she was very glad to see so many people working for love and peace.  Through joyful and lively performances, the group intended to educate children and make them understand that acts of conscience are something that we can see, feel, and practice daily.  Thomas Barz, a tourist from Germany, liked the flash mob very much.  After hearing the ANEOC volunteers explain the meaning behind the movement, he made his wish for peace.  He wished that there will no more war or hunger in the world.

“Doing good deeds is really important.  That can’t wait,” said Iris Chen, an ANEOC volunteer who played the flute with a bright smile in the performances.  She just graduated from university this June, and she gave up the opportunity to attend the once-in-a-lifetime commencement ceremony.  She said, “Of course, it was a pity that I missed out on the ceremony, but it is even more important to promote ANEOC to awaken the conscience in more people.” Yun-Jian Chang, a freshmen in a college of Taiwan, has been juggling multiple tasks such as school projects, tests, part-time job, school club, etc.  However, in order to advance ANEOC, she utilized wisdom and made time for this trip to the U.S.  They both wished to emit good energy to others and touch their hearts through their music.

Dr. Ming-Je Liu, who is teaching environmental engineering at a university in Taiwan, led the group of volunteers on this trip.  He has practiced qigong and martial arts for over 2 decades at Tai Ji Men, an ancient menpai (similar to school) of qigong, martial arts, and self-cultivation.  He chanced to meet a tourist from Italy who especially traveled to the Hollywood Walk of Fame to find the footprints of the kung fu star Bruce Lee.  Dr. Liu took the opportunity to explain to him the significance behind the ANEOC.  Dr. Liu said, “The highest level of traditional Chinese martial arts is peace. The flash mob group aims to use cultural performances to open the windows to people’s souls and arouse the conscience in more people’s hearts to work together for a better world of love and peace.”

Jian-Yi Lo, an ANEOC volunteer, said, “People used to be more simple and warmer to others; people nowadays, living in a complex and rapidly changing environment, have grown more indifferent to others. This indicates that the world has drastically changed over time.  We need to quicken our pace to help protect the conscience in more people.  I’m very glad to have another opportunity to practice love and peace”

To date, people in 188 nations have participated in the movement of An Era of Conscience, and nearly 3000 organizations have joined as joint promoters.  The ANEOC volunteers are from around the world, who wish to plant the seeds of conscience in all corners of the earth.  In the summer of 2014, another group of ANEOC youth volunteers began flash mob presentations in New York, and other young ANEOC volunteers conducted a bike trip around Taiwan to promote the movement of An Era of Conscience.  This year the group of young volunteers began their summer with a series of meaningful flash mobs to continue spreading the positive influences of conscience.  It’s heartwarming and inspiring to see so many youth volunteers working for this worthy cause. So far, ANEOC volunteers have toured many places across the globe to connect the conscience in people’s hearts to create a world of love and peace.  For more information about the movement of An Era of Conscience, please go to www.aneoc.org.  You are cordially invited to join the movement online.

The ANEOC flash mob attracts a crowd of elementary school students who are going on a field trip. The children stop to watch the performance and feel the powerful positive energy radiated from the ANEOC volunteers.

The youngest member of the group of international volunteers for ANEOC is only 8. During a period of 3 days, to promote conscience-driven values advocated in ANEOC, the group visited many tourist attractions to present beautiful music, traditional Chinese dances and martial arts.

Through music and dance, the international volunteers for ANEOC invite people to join the movement of An Era of Conscience, drawing many people’s attention.