Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze Honored with Global Human Rights Award

2022/11/02

Bishop Acen Phillips, right, speaks after both he and President of FOWPAL Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, left, were awarded the United Churches Global Human Rights Award at the United Churches Award Luncheon on Sept. 30, 2022 in Washington.

President of FOWPAL Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, center left, presents Dr. Bernard Fialkoff, center right, with a compass clock of conscience at the United Churches Awards Luncheon with Bobby Hunter, left, and Hugues Sanon.

President of the Federation of World Peace and Love Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, speaks at the United Churches Award Luncheon on Sept. 30, 2022 in Washington.

President of FOWPAL Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, center, joins fellow United Churches Global Human Rights Awardees for a group photo while holding their compass clock of conscience during the United Churches Award Luncheon.

The United Churches organized the United Churches Award Luncheon on September 30, 2022 in Washington, D.C. to honor leaders who have made significant contributions to the protection of human rights and the betterment of their communities and the world.

Bobby Hunter, a former member of the world-renowned Harlem Globetrotters and one of the 50 finest players in the Rucker Pro League, serves as the chairman of the United Churches. Recognizing and bringing together leaders who have fearlessly done the right thing and joined forces to promote human rights for all in the face of the world's many crises is very significant.

Bobby Hunter presented the United Churches Global Human Rights Award to Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, president of the Federation of World Peace and Love (FOWPAL); Bishop Acen Phillips; Ali Gedikoglu, president of COJEP International (Council for Justice, Equality and Peace); Dr. Charles Olawole, president of the Pan African Unity Summit Group; and Hugues Sanon, UN representative of COJEP International; Dr. Bernard Fialkoff, president of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, Americas Chapter; and others.

Dave Nash, a retired Harlem Globetrotter and the education and outreach liaison at the National Library of Medicine, was the master of ceremony of the event, and the other honorees included Dr. E. Faye Williams, National President Emeritus of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc.; Choo Smith, member of the prestigious National Basketball Retired Players Association; Pastor Mary Ann Crandell, holder of accreditation from the National Christian Counselor Association and the National Association for Executive Women; Dennis M. O’leary, founder and chairman of DarkPulse Inc.; Dr. Lola Bayode, a medical professional and the founder and president of Dorian Home for Charity and Social Welfare; Johnny L. Ford, the founder and secretary general of the World Conference of Mayors and former mayor of Tuskegee in Alabama; Rev. Dr. Agorom C. Dike, president and founder of the Caribbean and African Faith-Based Leadership Conference; and Shilah Phillips, the 2006 Miss Texas.   

Bishop Acen Phillips is now 87. When he was only 5, he witnessed his uncle being lynched. This motivated him to become a minister fighting for civil rights. In 1963, he participated in the historic March on Washington, where Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered the "I Have a Dream" speech. Bishop Phillips’ lifelong efforts for human rights have been widely recognized and praised. Other honorees have also made valuable contributions to human rights protection.

Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, president of FOWPAL, stated in his acceptance speech, “It’s a great honor to receive the United Churches Global Human Rights Award. The award encourages all of us to ‘fight for our rights,’ learn from the past paradigms, consolidate our current efforts, and realize our aspirations for the future.”

Dr. Hong also encouraged everyone to “pursue truth, protect human rights with love, and defend justice with conscience.” He sincerely hoped that “everyone in the world, regardless of race or nationality, can respect one another and learn from one another's cultures, care for one another, implement human rights protections, safeguard freedom of thought and religion, create a world of love and peace with conscience, and let a culture of conscience take root in people's hearts.”

Dr. Hong presented to Bishop Acen Phillips and other awardees Conscience Scarf and the Compass Clock of Conscience. The clock represents time, direction, and goal, guides people toward the right path of life, and reminds them to seize every moment to apply conscience and do good deeds. Dr. Hong also shared with them a book entitled The History of International Day of Conscience, which documents the crucial cooperation among FOWPAL and various permanent missions to the United Nations, which made the United Nations’ designation of April 5 as the International Day of Conscience possible.

Over the past 20 plus years, Dr. Hong has led FOWPAL to more than 300 cities in 101 countries, bringing people closer together through cultural exchange, awakening people’s conscience, and connecting leaders in all fields to promote love, human rights protection, and global sustainability, as well as to foster peace, harmony, and co-prosperity in the world.

On September 23, 2022, Dr. Hong led FOWPAL to co-host the World Leader Summit of Love and Peace, as well as ceremonies of ringing the Bell of World Peace and Love in New York, with the Permanent Mission of Kiribati to the United Nations and various international NGOs. Over 100 leaders from 27 countries attended the summit, and Bobby Hunter was one of the speakers and bell ringers.

"We wish to join you. We love you," said Bobby Hunter to Dr. Hong when he was about to ring the Bell at the summit. As chairman of the United Churches, Bobby Hunter represents 20,000 churches. He said,“The idea of United Churches fighting for your rights is to bring everybody together with love and peace so that we can protect ourselves." He emphasized the importance of solidarity, saying, "At one time, I thought I was by myself. It's very important for us to honor thy neighbor." "We are together!" he reiterated.

The event hosted by Bobby Hunter opened up more opportunities for leaders in all circles to inspire kindness in the people of the world and work together to defend human rights and justice. FOWPAL will continue to work with more leaders and organizations in all corners of the world to shine the light of humanity and bring hope for sustainability.

FOWPAL encourages everyone to endorse meaningful declarations, taking action to promote conscience and human rights. To date, the Declarations for Human Rights of World Citizens and Peace have been endorsed by over 3.7 million people in 200 nations, and the Declaration for the Movement of An Era of Conscience and the Declaration of International Day of Conscience have been endorsed by over 340,000 people in 200 nations. FOWPAL hopes that with the collective efforts of global citizens, human rights and peace will soon prevail!