World Interfaith Harmony Week is an annual event to be observed during the first week of February starting in 2011. World Interfaith Harmony Week was proclaimed to be adopted on 20 October 2010. As mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue constitute important dimensions of a culture of peace, the World Interfaith Harmony Week could establish a way to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith.

The Interfaith Harmony Week event on Friday Feb. 7th, 2014 was organized by United African Congress and Give Them a Hand Foundation partnered with Buddha’s Light International Association, the Nusantara Foundation and the Diasporan Touch organization.  To honor the late Former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela’s great contribution to the global civil rights, the theme of this year’s event was set as TOLERANCE, FORGIVENESS AND RECONCILIATION.  Ven. Miao Wei representing BLIA attended the panel discussion. During the discussion, representatives from Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Buddhism spoke the prayer at the beginning of the event, and then share their perspective of the value of TOLERANCE, FORGIVENESS AND RECONCILIATION from different religions. Panels reached the agreement that tolerance, forgiveness and reconciliation should be honored and is a must to reach global peace. Different religions could be viewed as different ways to reach this same goal, which is to make our world a better place, a pure land with hope and happiness. With this same goal in mind, we should tolerate the differences, forgive intended or unintended hurts, and reconcile with each other.