Brussels, January 26th, 2025
Between the 20th and the 22nd of January, the Europe-Asia Center has, in partnership with the Shaolin Temple, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the Global SDGs and Leadership Development Center, and the World Meditation Foundation, co-hosted the first edition of the Future Fraternity Forum (or "Future World Chan Forum").
Pre-Conference
On day 1, participants, including H.E. Siddarth Chatterjee, United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, H.E. Myriam Oehri, Deputy Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein to the United Nations in New York, and Mr. Ahmed Hamdy, Director for International Partnerships of the Muslim Council of Elders, visited the Shaolin Temple and enjoyed a lecture on Chan culture delivered by Shaolin monks Master Puming and Master Yanli.
They further enjoyed a half-hour meditation session and a remarkable Kung Fu performance, before climbing up to Damo Cave where Bodhidharma is said to have meditated for 9 years, before rejoining civilisation and starting to teach a new form of Buddhism called Zen in the end of the 5th century.
In the evening, participants participated in a welfare auction moderated by friend of the Europe-Asia Center Ling Feng "Alan", with all funds generated going into the renovation of the Shaolin Temple.
The Conference
On 21 February, the conference was officially launched, with an opening ceremony encompassing speeches from H.E. Erik Solheim, Co-Chair of the Europe-Asia Center, the Venerable Shi Yongxin, Abbot of the Shaolin Temple, H.E. Siddarth Chatterjee, H.E. Myriam Oehri, and Mr. Ahmed Hamdy.
Following the opening ceremony, keynote speakers intervened on two topic areas:
First, and on the topic of "The Path of Harmony from the Human Heart to Nature - The Inner Driving Force from Personal, Physical, and Mental Health to Sustainable Development," H.E. Erik Solheim, Zhang Guangbao, Professor at the Department of Philosophy of Peking University, Duan Rui, Doctoral Supervisor of South China Normal University, and Cui Donghong, Chief Scientist of the National Key R&D Precision Medicine Project shared their views and presented their research.
On the topic of "Intellect and Consciousness - Artificial Intelligence, Wealth, Art, and Chan," Liu Feng, Distinguished Expert of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Wang Yukun, Director of the Yangtze River Delta Research Institute of Tsinghua University, Cai Zhizhong, world-famous cartoonist, and Sun Chaoyang, President of the World Meditation Foundation, intervened as keynote speakers.
The afternoon saw a particularly fascinating presentation from H.E. Ambassador Siddarth Chatterjee, in which he described his personal health journey and emphasised the importance of fasting, breathing, and cold and hot exposure to a healthy and happy life.
Panel discussions on "Where Chan Meets Art," in which participants explored how culture and art can build harmonious and inclusive communities by uniting hearts and conveying values, and "Where Chan Meets Science," where discussants focuses on the commonalities and synergies of science and Chan in addressing global challenges, found wide appeal in the audience.
Finally, the Europe-Asia Center, in collaboration with the Shaolin Temple and the Global SDGs and Leadership Development Center, and supported by the Muslim Council of Elders and the UN Resident Coordinator in China Ambassador Chatterjee, launched the "Seeds of Fraternity" initative, aimed at sowing the seeds of fraternity, promoting the sustainable development of human society, and contribute to the realization of the SDGs, notably by organising a wide range of activities to build a global cultural exchange platform, eliminate prejudices and misunderstandings between East and West, and explore new ways to resolve conflicts.
On 22 February, following a panel on the topic of "The Chan (Meditation) of the World: Future Wisdom and Global Harmony" including Sun Chaoyang, Cui Donghong, Zhang Lehan, Researcher at ETH Zurich, and Master Billy, Secretary-General of the Niudong Temple Meditation Center, the official closing ceremony concluded the event, with participants left with new hope and inspiration, as well as practical ideas on how to live healthier and more fulfilling lives.
For press enquiries:
Jonathan Schwestka, Director for Europe, Europe – Asia Center