La Salle University in Philadelphia hosted its annual Global Language and Cultures Awareness Week on April 15. Falun Gong practitioners were invited to introduce the worldwide spread of Falun Gong during the event.
Since 2017, La Salle University has been hosting this event, turning it into a tradition. The event is aligned with the National Foreign Language Awareness Week, typically held in early March. Many high schools organize at least one cultural and language activity during this week to enhance students’ and teachers’ awareness of foreign languages, cultures, traditions, cuisine, and politics.
Falun Gong practitioners presented an introduction to Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa), its features, the global spread of Falun Gong, and the brutal persecution suffered by Falun Gong practitioners in China, including organ harvesting.
After the lecture, Falun Gong practitioners taught the students the exercises on the spot. The university students were captivated by the slow, gentle, and circular movements of Falun Gong and expressed feeling peaceful and relaxed after learning the exercises.
Following the event, Dr. Mark Thomas, the Chair of the Political Science Department and Assistant Professor at La Salle University, expressed his pleasure at the Falun Gong practitioners’ presentation and noted that the students “learned a lot.”
He stated, “The introduction of Falun Gong was warmly welcomed by La Salle students. They have gained a strong awareness of the values advocated by Falun Gong (Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance) and the ongoing persecution by the Chinese Communist government. This presentation greatly dispelled the lies and defamation spread by the Chinese Communist government about Falun Gong.”
Dr. Thomas mentioned, “The main goal of this event is to encourage students to learn languages other than English. Another goal is to raise awareness of cultural differences, persecution based on religious beliefs, and racial discrimination.” He added, “This (Falun Gong) presentation completely aligns with the goals of Global Language and Cultures Awareness Week.”
According to Dr. Thomas, this year’s Global Language and Cultures Awareness Week also featured activities such as making Ukrainian Easter eggs (pysanky) and a lecture on the long-standing human rights violations and genocide faced by the Hazara people. Previous events have included food expos, movie nights, and career fairs for individuals learning languages other than English.
Editor: Zhang Yan