Taiwan (Formosa) is a recipient of the Shining World Leadership Award for Compassion. Located in the ocean waters neighboring mainland China, Japan, and the Philippines, this island nation was originally called "Ilha Formosa" by Portuguese explorers, which means "Beautiful Island." The Taiwanese (Formosan) people are known for their inventiveness and creativity, combining science with colorful des

Located in a region known as the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia existed as a civilization millions of years ago, based on archaeological finds. Ethiopia achieved a wonderful stabilizing change when His Excellency, Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed forged a peace accord with neighboring country Eritrea in 2018. The following year, His Excellency’s efforts were recognized as he became not only a Nobel Peace P

Historically, Eritrea is one of the earliest countries to adopt Christianity and is also home to the world’s first African mosque, the Mosque of the Companions, in Massawa. On September 17, 2018, Eritrea and Ethiopia officials agreed to end decades of previous discord when they signed a peace accord. More recently, the two countries re-opened free travel between their borders. The development has

Located at the cross paths between North Africa, Southwestern Asia and Europe, my country, Egypt, is one of the oldest civilizations in the world with over 5000 years of history. Its iconic monuments, the Giza Necropolis, the Great Sphinx, as well as the ruins of Memphis, Thebes, Karnak, and the Valley of the Kings. In other news, did you know that ninety-six percent of Egypt’s land is covered by

The Commonwealth of Dominica, a small island country rich in natural beauty, is part of a group called the Lesser Antilles, situated in the Caribbean Sea. Dominica’s treasures include Morne Trois Pitons National Park, which was recognized by UNESCO in 1997 as a World Heritage Site. Protected areas such as these are home to a variety of plants and animals found only in Dominica, like our national b

Our three generous countries: the Czech Republic, Denmark, and Djibouti.Nestled in the very heart of Europe, the Czech Republic, or Czechia, was once an ancient kingdom, with magnificent towers, cathedrals and castles that still adorn the land today. During Her 1999 European Lecture tour, Supreme ‘Master Ching Hai’ was invited to the nation’s beautiful capital city of Prague, where She spoke a

Let’s talk about some positive news and share stories about our courageous countries. As a country that began turning to organic farming methods nearly 30 years ago, Cuba has become a leader in sustainable agriculture. Along with a decrease in the use of pesticides is a significant increase in produce production. To address the effects of climate change on this vulnerable Caribbean island, our far

Costa Ricans are friendly, easygoing and happy people. Costa Rica has opened its borders with loving arms to neighboring refugees in need. In addition, many far-sighted environmental policies have been put in place, coupled with expanded agriculture and the modernization of the nation. It has long been recognized as the greenest and happiest country in the world. Animal welfare in Costa Rica has a

In Comoros, eighty percent of the rural population relies on rain to nourish their agriculture. With the help of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and a partnership with United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Comorian government launched a US$60 million project with the goal of “ensuring climate-resilient water supplies in the Comoros Islands.” With year-round operation of the supply facilities

With a multi-ethnic society of European and indigenous Indian ancestry, Chile is known for political freedom and cultural tolerance. Chile passed legislation in 2018 to strengthen women’s leadership in politics and public enterprises, requiring at least 40% of the candidates standing for Parliament to be women. Not only that, the ethical veg lifestyle has taken Chile by storm. In 2018, research fo

Cabo Verde is a growing, tropical paradise tourist destination that’s vegan friendly and going green. Cabo Verde is indeed plant-based as well as green, with more and more restaurants offering delicious, healthy vegan options on their menus. Last but not least, women in Cabo Verde have come a long way since the country’s independence in 1975. The government of the Central African Republic is stead

From 1995 to 2018, Cambodia’s economy has enjoyed an annual growth rate of 8%, making it one of the fastest growing economies in the world, thanks to robust garment exports and a prosperous tourist trade. Cambodia also protects its natural resources. Veganism is also rising in Cambodia. In the capital city Phnom Penh alone, we have 59 vegetarian-friendly restaurants. In 2018, Cameroon and its neig

Today we are going to share with you many positive changes from our home countries. With God’s grace, organic agriculture in Bulgaria has had the highest rate of expansion in the whole of Europe, more than tripling in recent years. Moreover, Bulgaria is taking a step closer to completely banning fur trade. In the last few years, veganism has seen exponential growth in Bulgaria. Now let me introduc

Since 2014, hunting on public land in Botswana has been completely banned. And Botswana won 2nd place at the 2017 United Nations Public Service Awards for its effective waste management system started in 2010. Botswana became the first African country in 2002 to provide universal free antiretroviral treatment (ART) to people living with HIV. São Paulo, Brazil has implemented many initiatives to pr

Bhutan is famous for having no slaughterhouses because of the Buddhist teaching of no killing. In the area of health, Bhutan is the first country in the world to totally ban selling tobacco and smoking in public. And in 2015, a national policy was approved to reduce alcohol use. Bolivia has the highest investment in education in South America, and in 2008, the United Nations declared Bolivia free

Belgium was named the fastest country in Western Europe to have decreased its meat consumption. The city of Ghent has been holding Thursday Veggie Day for the past 10 years now in an effort to fight climate change, curb world hunger, and improve health. The government of Belize recently strengthened its wildlife protection laws when, in 2017, it decided to end all drilling and oil exploration acti

During the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar, the people of Bangladesh opened their arms to over 900,000 Rohingya refugee in 2017. Barbados has also instituted protection laws that watch over the welfare of our animal friends. Various animal rights organizations have formed to rescue, rehabilitate, and re-home animals. The Belarusian government is fully supportive, even granting visa-free entry t

A unique gateway country linking southwest Asia and Europe, Azerbaijan is a resilient nation that has transformed from being caught in conflict to becoming a beacon of peace, stability, and a prospering democracy, all within just a few decades. Ever since gaining full independence in 1973, the Bahamas has been on a steady path to improve its citizens’ lives through nature conservation, economic de

“Âu Lạc” is an ancient name of Vietnam. My spiritual Master, the most wonderful Supreme Master Ching Hai, has loving reminded us to use this beautiful name to address our country to bring prosperity and peace to the land. And I’m positive that it helped! The name “Âu Lạc”has two meanings.“Âu Lạc” means “âu ca lạc nghiêp,” which means prosperity and happiness. That is “âu ca lac nghiêp.” “Âu Lạc” a

Our country is also on track to increase its solar and wind energy to 20% by 2025. But here comes the best changes of all: Believe it or not, Argentina, formerly known as the world’s second-largest beef-eating nation, is steadily going vegan! Buenos Aires is now home to over 60 vegan and vegetarian restaurants, with many other places offering plenty of plant-based options. As the owner of one Buen