Born on August 31, 1936, in Monroeville, Alabama, Marva Collins, whose maiden name was Knight, was an American teacher. In 1975, she started Westside Preparatory School, which served an impoverished community in Garfield Park, Chicago. Marva Collins’ system of teaching displayed how much she cared for each student. She was generous with hugs and praise, calming, and able to get through to s

Today is World Teachers’ Day, an international event launched by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1994. To celebrate this special day, we reflect on one distinguished educator’s story. Marva Collins became internationally renowned for developing her own educational methods and empowering her students. She has written books and manuals describing her

That fateful day on the 12th of April 1961, Yuri Gagarin’s speech recorded this touching moment: “Dear friends, both known and unknown fellow countrymen, and people of all countries and continents! In a few minutes, a mighty spaceship will carry me into the far-away expanses of space. What can I say to you in these last minutes before the start? The whole of my life seems to be condensed into one

On April 12, 2021, an unforgettable aerial tribute took place in Russia to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the incredible day that cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to leave the Earth’s atmosphere. Designated Cosmonautics Day by the United Nations, this spectacular event was celebrated around the world. In Russia, a display of modern drone technology in tandem with computer he

In 1896, Nikola Tesla, now known as “The Man of Science,” finally met Swami Vivekananda, “The Man of God.” Both leaders were keen to delve deeper into the interrelations between science and spirituality. In 1900, Nikola Tesla published an article in “Century Illustrated Magazine” in which he pointed out the problem of food scarcity. He mentioned: “That we can subsist on plant food and perfo

The achievements that followed were not only due to Nikola’s mental prowess, but also sheer will; he had big dreams and was determined to accomplish them. In 1881, Nikola Tesla was living in Budapest and working for the Central Telephone Exchange. Nikola Tesla captured his thoughts in a diagram, drawn with a stick on the sand. This invention would forever change the world. The diagram depicted the

Nikola Tesla was an exceptionally brilliant electrical engineer and was perhaps one of the greatest inventors that ever lived. He once declared, “What one man calls God, another calls the laws of physics.” Using his God-given talents in physics, Nikola Tesla devoted his entire life wholly for the betterment of humanity and helped modernize the world. He gave us long-distance electricity transmissi

Indeed, George Washington was a man of peace and had accepted his role only to serve his nation during its critical time. On December 23, 1783, he resigned as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and returned to his beloved civilian life at Mount Vernon. In 1787, the Constitutional Convention to decide how the American nation would be governed began in Philadelphia, and George Washing

George Washington was born in 1732, a fourth generation Virginian. His father passed away when he was just 11, and his education was modest. The first position he held was as a land surveyor. In 1752, following the death of one of his brothers, George Washington inherited the family estate at Mount Vernon, on the banks of the Potomac River. This would be his home for the rest of his life. He also

“And their philosophy of their founders, which I quote often when I’m speaking in America, is summed up in three words, which is written on the American cent. And if you can’t read the cent, go to the grave of Abraham Lincoln, and there is that powerful message in three Latin words: ‘E pluribus unum’ – ‘From many, we are one.’ The essence of our unity is respect for diversity, not fighting about i

An Irish politician, John Hume spent his life in the tireless pursuit of a peaceful solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland. He was widely regarded as one of the most important figures of the Northern Ireland peace process. As the Catholic leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, he was one of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement, which was signed in 1998 by Northern Ireland’s

Melania Trump, or Melanija Knavs, was born in 1970. A native of the Yugoslav republic of Slovenia, she is the wife of His Excellency Donald Trump, 45th US President, who is also a Shining World Peace Leader Award and Shining World Leadership Award for Compassion Laureate.Melania Trump has used her life for the betterment of humanity, especially in the care of children and the plight of wome

Born on January 7, 1891, in Notasulga, Alabama, of the United States of America, Zora Neale Hurston became one of the most significant and successful female African American writers of the 20th century. Her writing career spanned 30 years, during which she published two books on folklore, four novels, numerous short stories, essays, plays, and an autobiography. Zora Neale Hurston possessed a great

Mr. Dashdondog has written his works in all genres of children’s literature, such as lyrics, verses, poems, short stories, tales, picture books, non-fictions, plays, operas, screenplays, translations, etc. He also drew the illustrations for some of his books and set his poems to music. The internationally acclaimed pop singer, Nominjin, released her first-ever single “Children of Mother Nature” wh

We are very honored to have Mr. Borolzoi Dashdondog, the son of Dashdondog Jamba, share with us his father’s story. “Another thing he was doing was the children’s library. How it was started is that, during the period when my father was young and lived actively creating his creations, it was a socialist period, before 1990. He said that it started from the year 1991. From then till the year 2016,

Mr. Dashdondog Jamba was born in the Bulgan province of Mongolia and achieved fame as a children’s writer at just 17 years of age. He published more than 100 books for young readers, and 24 of these have been published overseas. He also translated more than 50 books by foreign authors; for example, the stories by Hans Christian Andersen. Dashdondog Jamba served as an editor of children’s newspaper

“Before he came to Leipzig and became Thomaskantor, he was employed at a court, at a royal court, as a musician with Prince Leopold in Köten. He then became Thomaskantor and, in our opinion, perhaps the most important Protestant church musician of all. Only he himself knows that; we cannot say, but he was a deeply religious, Lutheran Christian, and was commissioned by God to compose his church mus

A German composer, harpsichordist, organist, and violinist of the Baroque period, as well as an expert on organ-building, Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, on March 21, 1685. Generally regarded as one of the most prolific and greatest composers of all time, he is known for the Brandenburg Concertos and the Goldberg Variations, as well as the Mass in B minor. Bach explored every major style and musical genre of his time. He also developed these styles and blended them together in new ways, combining the emotional with the intellectual. In 1700, young Bach was offered a choral scholarship to the prestigious Saint Michael’s school in Luneburg. He enrolled with his lifelong friend Georg Erdmann. During his two years at the school, Johann Sebastian Bach was exposed to the diversity of European culture. He played the school’s organ and harpsichords, and also sang in the choir. In 1707, Johann Sebastian Bach was appointed organist at the Blasius Church in Mühlhausen, Thuringia, with good remuneration and improved working conditions. Four months later, Johann Sebastian Bach married Maria Barbara Bach.During his time in Mühlhausen, he produced several church cantatas based on biblical texts. The first of Johann Sebastian Bach’s compositions to be published was Cantata No.71, “Gott ist mein Konig,” in 1708. At Mühlhausen, he encouraged music in the villages. He persuaded his employers to rebuild the organ and supervised the restoration. Johann Sebastian Bach composed most of his great organ works during the time he spent as an organist to William Ernest, the Duke of Saxe-Weimar. In 1714, he was made concertmaster and had to write a cantata every month for church services. He took part in musical activities at the Gelbes Schloss, or Yellow Castle, where Duke Ernest’s nephews were staying and taught both of them. During the years 1708 to 1714, Johann Sebastian Bach’s style underwent a profound change. He had been influenced by the new styles of the contemporary Italian opera and by Italian concerto composers such as Antonio Vivaldi.

In July 2018, His Excellency Dr. Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President, His Excellency Isaias Afwerki, also a Shining World Leadership Award for Peace Laureate, re-established peaceful relations that ended two decades of unstable relationship between Ethiopia and Eritrea. In the following months, Ethiopia withdrew its troops from the Ethiopian-Eritrean borders and diplomatic relations were restored. Air and telecommunication services were reestablished and joint infrastructure and development projects developed. Families separated for two long decades were also joyously reunited. Dr. Abiy Ahmed believes that harmony restores faith in humanity and renews hope and confidence for the future. This historic rapprochement has certainly yielded abundant rewards. Additionally, His Excellency Dr. Abiy Ahmed and his government have contributed to other efforts for peace and reconciliation in East and Northeast Africa. In September 2018, His Excellency Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Eritrea’s President, His Excellency Isaias Afwerki, and Somalia’s President, His Excellency Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo,” also a Shining World Leadership Award for Peace Laureate, signed the Joint Declaration on Comprehensive Cooperation. Soon after, Ethiopian Airlines resumed flights to Somalia after a 41-year halt of air travel between the two neighboring countries. His Excellency Dr. Abiy Ahmed also played an important role in welcoming a new dawn of peace in South Sudan. In October 2018, His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit, South Sudan’s President, and the opposition leader, former vice president, His Excellency Dr. Riek Machar, both Shining World Leadership Award for Peace Laureates, met in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. There, they signed a final and comprehensive peace agreement that formally ended a five-year conflict. Upon hearing of this wonderful peace news, “With all best auspicious wishes in God’s Grace,” Supreme Master Ching Hai joyously presented the Shining World Leadership Award for Peace to Their Excellencies Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Salva Kiir Mayardit, and Dr. Riek Machar, “with high salute and gratitude for making peace and saving lives.”

His Excellency Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, a Shining World Leadership Award for Peace Laureate, is the fourth Prime Minister of Ethiopia. Through his leadership, His Excellency Dr. Abiy Ahmed has taken significant strides towards advancing peace to his fellow citizens and in the African continent. For his work to restore harmony with Eritrea, he was awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. “I believed peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea was within reach. I was convinced that the imaginary wall separating our two countries for much too long needed to be torn down. And in its place, a bridge of friendship, collaboration and goodwill has to be built to last for ages.” Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali dedicated the award as “a prize given to Africa, given to Ethiopia, and I can imagine how the rest of Africa’s leaders will take it positively, to work on the peace-building process in our continent.” They lived by a truism called “Medemer,” a diction that resonates to the tenet, “I am my brother’s keeper. I am my sister’s keeper.” Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali learned the horrors of conflict early on. His experiences furthered his determination to restore peace in his country and in the African continent. Through his relentless drive and determination, he came into office as Ethiopia’s prime minister in 2018. During his inaugural address, he said: “Justice should be our main principle; love and respect for all human beings ought to be our moral compass.” As a liberal politician, His Excellency Dr. Abiy Ahmed seeks to nurture a culture of political pluralism. With a vision of the Horn of Africa becoming a treasury of peace and progress, he has already implemented a number of reforms. Under Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali’s premiership, detention centers have closed and all political prisoners and journalists have been released. There is freedom of the press. Opposition leaders are free to engage in political activity of a peaceful nature. The public can take the government to task without fear since the judiciary is governed by the rule of law. A free and fair election is scheduled for 2021.