Providing inclusive, quality education for girls, children, and women
BLIA at the United Nations
In 2003, BLIA joined the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) with special consultative status in recognition of BLIA’s work in promoting health, education, and sustainability on five continents. We are the first Buddhist organization to be granted this status by the UN. BLIA partners with the UN Department of Public Information to share and promote our projects, particularly those that relate to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs, or Agenda 2030, are seventeen inclusive global goals set by the UN, covering a broad range of social and economic development issues.
About Us Buddha’s Light International Association is an international non-government organization, consisting of both monastics and laypeople. We advocate Humanistic Buddhism, which is committed to equality, respect for others, and social progress. Founded by Venerable Master Hsing Yun in 1992 with the belief that Humanistic Buddhism is a driving force for social good, BLIA works globally for concerted, positive action in the twenty-first century. We support our communities to make a difference and encourage collective action to scale solutions to benefit our environment and future generations. BLIA is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and has 200 chapters in over seventy countries and regions.
Under the Big Tree, India
The Fo Guang Shan Institute of Buddhist Studies in India was founded in 1999 to foster opportunity through education. Under the Big Tree is an ongoing program near the site of Bodhgaya in the state of Bihar, India. The project, started in 2014, engages local children and young adults—in particular, girls who are often disenfranchised—in weekly literacy and culture lessons. Providing a safe, open, and cost-free atmosphere of learning for boys and girls not only advances education but also will improve future economic opportunities, health and well-being, and gender equality.
Guang Ming College, Philippines
Guang Ming College, located in Manila, the Philippines, has been open to students of all faiths since 2014. Students enter into the competitive baccalaureate program with degrees in dance, theater, or Buddhist studies. The College is the fifth member of the Fo Guang Shan University Consortium, which include University of the West (United States, 1991); Nan Hua University (Taiwan, 1996); Fo Guang University (Taiwan, 2000), and Nan Tien Institute (Australia, 2010).
The Songs of Zu Lai, Brazil
The Sons of Zu Lai (Filhos de Buda), based in Brazil, is an education and vocation program founded in 2003. Over 2,500 São Paulo youths receive English lessons and employment training and of course, play in a soccer team. The students, who may grow up or live in slums, gain a system of support through their teachers and classmates and are able to progress onto jobs or higher education.
Nan Hua Performing Arts Group, South Africa
In 2013, Nan Hua Temple in Bronkhorstspruit, South Africa founded the Performing Arts Group, merging traditional Chinese and African dance, song, and instruments. Students were recruited from low-income families where the young women tend to lack access to good and affordable education. With a performing arts curriculum, supplemented by classes in computer literacy, the program has fostered the talents and opportunity for 110 South African women. These young adults’ participation empowers them with control over their lives. As well, interdisciplinary education and cultural exchanges foster a global outlook for women and girls to embark upon the world stage and give them a channel for continued learning and equal work.
The Nan Hua Academy, South Africa
The Nan Hua Academy in South Africa was established in 2005 to educate young adults with technical skills that would increase their employment opportunities. Over 6,000 students have graduated from the program, contributing to better social quality and education standards of the community.
Every year, BLIA engages in UN activities, including annual meetings, major conferences, youth assemblies, and multilateral events such as the Commission on the Status of Women and the High-Level Political Forum. At the UN, we share and discuss how BLIA's mission and work advance the SDGs at the national and international level.
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STRENGHTENING COMMUNITIES AGAINST CLIMATE-RELATED DISASTERS
BLIA’s local, national, and international initiatives and programs seek to address modern economic, social, and environmental challenges. What We Do
Hospital Los Angeles Paraguay-China
The Hospital Los Angeles Paraguay-China (Fundacion Para La Salud Los Angeles Paraguay- China), established in 2003, serves the country’s second largest city, Ciudad del Este. It meets the health and medical needs of an underserved population with scarce economic resources by providing free, quality essential health care to all, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, and beliefs. Over 700,000 patients have sought obstetrics- gynecologic care, procedures such as mammograms or medical imaging (radiology), and pediatric care. The hospital has decreased the rate of child mortality and improved maternal health in the region. Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for people at all ages, is important to building prosperous societies. The Hospital Los Angeles Paraguay-China resolves inequalities in health care access and sustains maternal-fetal and children’s health.
BLIA Paraguay launched the Zero Hunger program in 2001, providing soy milk machines and set up more than 130 stations for over 6,000 underprivileged families. Classes are given on the uses of soybean pulp, which has high fiber, protein, and other nutrients. The soy milk stations are a vital food source and allow the families and the community to supplement their diet and nutrition. Eradicate hunger
SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES AND RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION OF RESOURCES
The climate crisis is causing climate-related disasters all over the world. The most vulnerable tend to be the poorest, and BLIA helps to restore the people’s health, safety, and economic well-being and provides assistance for recovery and gaining control of their future. BLIA has led and contributed to emergency and disaster relief for survivors, regardless of gender, ethnicity, and beliefs, in Sichuan, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, and Thailand, as well as other regions and countries.
In protecting and safeguarding natural resources and developing accessible public green spaces, BLIA chapters, the BLIA Young Adult Division (YAD), and Buddha’s Light Scout troops conduct environmental preservation activities, such as cleaning public spaces, gardening, recycling, and planting trees. These initiatives encourage all to live a greener lifestyle. BLIA locations serve as a focal point for the practice of Humanistic Buddhism and as a cultural and community touchstone. Our sites, including that in Christchurch, New Zealand, have been recognized with national architecture awards for their green, energy efficient, and inclusive designs. These safe, open-to-all, and eco-friendly spaces is BLIA’s response to sustainable urbanization. In encouraging climate action, BLIA’s campaign, VegePlan A (started by BLIA chapters in Melbourne and Sydney in 2005), promotes the health and environmental benefits of a meat-free diet through robust media advocacy, partnership with local and national businesses, and interactive outreach events, such as VegRun. T-Earth is another initiative that tackles reforestation and biodiversity. Through the BLIA chapters’ existing participation in tree planting campaigns to offset carbon footprint, it also seeks to bridge public/private partnerships by asking 1,000 companies to plant 1,000 trees in 1,000 cities by 2050.
Promoting good health and well-being
MOBILIZATION DURINGTHE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Basketball, gymnastics, baseball, and soccer—BLIA supports movement, teamwork, and leadership with sports education for students and youths. For example, the BLIA Cup gives young student-atheletes the experience of competition in large-scale basketball tournaments. Established in 1996, Buddha’s Light Scouts is the first Buddhist scouts group in the world and has over 2,000 members. Within their troops, young adults develop and grow in their training, leadership, and interpersonal skills as well as participate in international exchanges and community service.
As the world dealt with a global health crisis in 2020, BLIA offices and chapters continued to provide service – safely – to our communities. Globally, our members organized food drives for people in need and donated millions of units of masks and PPEs to frontline workers as well as oxygen machines, disinfectants and sanitizers,
and various medical equipment and devices to hospitals and clinics. Once available, BLIA also helped to make tests widely accessible.
Community Health Centers in India
Since 2009, BLIA medical teams in India and Nepal have provided general practice services, including dental care, preventative care, health education, and traditional Chinese medicine to more than 57,000 people in these two countries. The free clinics serve low income individuals who mostly live in remote locations, advancing basic health and well-being for the most vulnerable.
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