President’s Message

 

Leung 6The genesis of CRRS stemmed from my nostalgic sentiments of homesickness towards the land in China and Chinese people; the anguish towards the century of humiliation, civil wars and upheaval that contemporary China had suffered; as well as the gratitude towards the Lord our Maker that comes from the embodiment of the true, the good, the beautiful and love. Through which we are seeking ways to help heal the tortured heart and spirit of our motherland and restore the moral integrity and souls of Chinese people.

It was a dream but it has gradually been realized during the past 12 years through different stages.

Since the founding of CRRS in 1994, I have traversed the length and breadth of the land in China carrying the mission forward in the attempt to share humanity values with our compatriots and restore the old tradition and good faith. One of our notable achievements in the past 12 years has been our education programs sponsoring many underprivileged students and teachers in the rural areas and fund teaching missions in many universities and senior high schools. We hope to realize our beliefs in love, beauty and goodness and help next generation find the right direction to navigate in their lives.

Deeply concerned about what challenges China faced for its future, CRRS was involved in China’s reform process back in 1997. We dialogued with the high-level Chinese government officials on the development of human rights and rule of law, and played an instrumental role in promoting various programs such as “Chinese and Canadian Corruption-prevention Cultural Exchange”,  “Moral Education” and “Integrity Training”. We hosted many large-scale Chinese and Western cultural and academic exchange seminars, published a series of culture-related books and audio-video products. A cultural and academic journal published in Vancouver, “Cultural China” has succeeded in building a global platform of exchanging cultural and spiritual self-cultivation ideas amongst literati alike.

Ushering into the 21st century, CRRS saw the needs of funding education in the Chinese rural areas. We first launched “Rural Teacher Sponsorship” program in Guangxi, helping 200 teachers self-learn to qualify for the university entrance examinations. By elevating the quality of teachers, thousands upon thousands of school children benefit. “Student Sponsorship” program was initiated in 2003. To date our programs expanded to six counties in Guangxi and one county in Yunnan, and more than 1,900 teachers and students were sponsored by our programs. Among those, hundreds of teachers and students have completed their university education.

One of our academic achievements, “Cultural China” Quarterly, was recognized by Chinese Ministry of Education as a high-standard academic publication and was listed in the Chinese Social Science Citation Index (CSSI), which adheres to a rigorous academic standard and only includes 16 overseas publications. In 2005, CRRS sponsored Lanzhou University to establish the Research Centre for Christian Culture. I was appointed as Visiting Professor by the Sichuan University to lecture in their doctorate program in religious studies.

With its rapid development, China has advanced to become one of the leading countries in the world economy. I dream that love and integrity will be cultivated on this land to regenerate and enhance a rich spiritual heritage, and render the prosperity that both includes and transcends economic well-being. As Chinese people embrace the virtues of heavenly love, it is hoped that harmonious relationships will sustain, and a loving and caring society will be built to fortify against an increasingly secularized world.

Dr. Thomas In-Sing Leung

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