Give the gift of a Monastic Experience

Woodenfish has given to the world the experience of monastic living with the benefits of full immersion. This has been done for as small an expense as possible for the students that have had the desire, the courage, and the keen interests in traveling to learn.

Each year the experience is not only about an individual learning about monastic living and the principles a monastic lives by; this is also about learning about the interconnected nature of an individual to the world around them.

This experiential learning is not an easy feat to accomplish each year and requires considerable efforts from both Venerable Yifa Ph.D and others that share in her vision of a more knowledgeable, understanding, and compassionate world of citizens.

Many people like yourself have benefited from Woodenfish programs.

We ask that you please consider your own life. Think about your own experiences and how you may have personally grown as a person from a Woodenfish experience. Consider how any donation will keep costs low to help future students that might not be able to afford a plane ticket.

All donations made in the United States are tax deductible. Thank you for giving back to benefit future Woodenfish.

This is the last chance for a donation to be within 2017.

http://Woodenfish.org/donate

-Amituofo
 

Meeting of The International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD).

Translated by Jiarong (Sophie) He


Governments and NGOs Echoing the UN SDGs – Ven. Yifa’s Speech at the PaRD Meeting in London

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On November 13th, Venerable Yifa flew to the UK’s villa for foreign diplomacy in southern London, at the Wilton Park. This was to participate in PaRD’s three-day annual meeting. PaRD, the International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development, which brings together governments, departments at the UN, and international religious NGOs to contribute to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals.

The Woodenfish Foundation became a member of the UN Economic and Social Advisory Council in 2016, and the 50th member of PaRD in 2017. This year, the PaRD annual meeting was held by UKAID, the UK Department for International Development.

Participants included leaders of PaRD’s member organizations, who come from 25 countries and 70 organizations, and many foreign ambassadors in the UK. The meeting focused on the UN SDGs, namely, good health and well-being, gender equality, peace, justice, and strong institutions through partnerships for the goals.

Woodenfish is a social platform for all. Ven. Yifa introduced Iris Wang, the executive of the Chinese NGO, the World Human Accountability Organization, to the international partnership. She also invited international organizations to visit China to witness China’s prosperous development and facilitate international cooperation.

PaRD is an international partnership established by the department of international development of Germany, US, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Canada, the African Union, the UN Development Program, the UN Population Fund, UN Development Fund for Women, and UNICEF, World Bank, World Food Program, and many religious NGOs.

UN SDGs consists of seventeen goals for 2030. 1. No poverty 2. Zero hunger 3. Good health and well-being 4. Quality education 5. Gender equality 6. Clean water and sanitation 7. Affordable and Clean energy 8. Decent work and economic growth 9. Industrial innovation and infrastructure 10. Reduced inequalities 11. Sustainable cities and communities 12. Responsible consumption and production 13. Climate action 14. Sustainable populations of Life in the oceans 15. Sustainable populations of Life on land 16. Peace, justice and strong institutions, 17. Partnerships for the goals

Wilton Park is in southern London, and occupies more than 6000 acres of land. The meeting was located at Wiston House, which was built in 1576, with a church complex. During the second World War, the Wilton Park was used for the preparation for the Normandy landings. After the war, it served as a space to help Germans reintegrate into the international society. Since 1951, the Foreign Office of the UK has rented the park from British nobility as an international conference center.

Ven. Yifa bestowing Wuyi Tea to the Owner of Wilton Park

Photo of PaRD 2nd Annual Meeting

First row: first person from the left: Ven. Yifa;
second person: Azza Karam, advocator at UNFPA;
third person from the left: Lopa Banerjee, UN Women

Second row: first person from the left: Ulrich Nitschke, Secretary General, PaRD