China's five officially sanctioned religious organizations recently co-signed the Poverty Helping Activity of Religious Circles Joint Proposal.
On December 23, the Buddhist Association of China, Chinese Taoist Association, Islamic Association of China, Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, Chinese Catholic Bishops Council, China Christian council, the National TSPM (National Committee of Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China), the National Council of YMCA and the National Council of YWCA, co-signed the Poverty Helping Activity of Religious Circles Joint Proposal.
That same day, the news was published by official websiteof The State Administration for Religious Affairs. The proposal reviewed the beneficial events about helping the poor and charity works after the reform and opening that hopes to contribute to the efforts in the sprint period of new battle.
The proposal text is as follows:
Help the needy and be ready to do charity, which is the traditional virtue of the Chinese people and the important embodiment of the socialist core values, is the realistic requirement of the realization of China's dream and also a fine tradition of our country's religions.
Since the reform and opening, religious circles respond to the call of the Chinese Communist Party and government and then devote themselves to the career of charity work. So they did many beneficial things in poverty work that it plays a positive role in promoting economic and social development. Particularly in recent years, through the activity of Religious Charity Week and they have been exerting unique advantages, servicing society, beneficial people, doing justly by good mind to practice beliefs which made the effort for driving the poverty relief and development in China.
Currently, a new round of poverty battles have started and went into the sprint period that determines to fight and win. The Central Committee of CPC and the State Concil issued the decision of winning the battle of poverty reduction. It issued the mobilization order to the whole society. All religious groups carry out poverty aid activities to fulfill social responsibility and expand the fine tradition. The important load of shaping a good image, to enhance social credibility, is also taking the initiative to meet the development of society and play a positive role. Therefore, we appeal to all religious bodies, religious activity sites, religious institutions, religious figures and religious believers to take positive action and jointly participate in poverty alleviation and development career, doing their part in poor areas and poor people, to be the crucial participants, promoters and practitioners. On the occasion of the symposium of religious circles to participate in the helping the poor, our consultation as follows:
——Penetrate publicity and extensive launch. Studying deeply President Xi's talk in the conference on poverty alleviation and development work in the speech, profound grasp the decision of the CPC central committee and state council on poverty alleviation work deployment, to launch extensively propaganda and mobilization work in religious circles, to create good atmosphere that everyone cares about poor people, all support for poor people and everyone involved in it.
——Exert advantages, active involvement. Docking with the relevant local and related departments actively and to understand the need of helping the situation of the object, play their own advantages and make donations for the poor. It is stressed that supply a deficiency and gleaning and provide timely help from vulnerable groups. Do not give up good things though they may be minor matters, collect the upward and warm power.
Poverty alleviation, Shaking off poverty, helping the home-staying women, children, elderly and the disabled with one-to-one and hand-in-hand, trying our best to help and support the poor. Developing fixed-point and continuous poverty reduction starts well and ends well, carrying out the poverty reduction by capability and knowledge, both transfusion and formation, to stimulate the internal power of the masses.
Following the virtuous path, let us join hands and transmit the hope by true love. Scatter the sunshine by loving hearts, to collect people’s intelligence and gather the masses’ power, so that building well-off society in an all-around way and realizing the China dream of Chinese nation’s great rejuvenation.
- Translated by Zhao Yi
