Everywhere in the world, we can observe and be touched by acts of kindness. People from all walks of life, faiths, and cultures extend themselves beyond the call of duty to help others unconditionally. Through their noble deeds, humanity as a whole is elevated.

To commend virtuous actions and encourage more people to be inspired by their examples, Supreme Master Ching Hai has lovingly created a series of awards, including the Shining World Leadership Award, Shining World Compassion Award, Shining World Hero and Heroine Awards, Shining World Honesty Award, Shining World Protection Award, Shining World Intelligence Award, and Shining World Inventor Award, to recognize some of the most exemplary, generous, caring, and courageous people who walk amongst us.

Today we celebrate the benevolent hearts of Canadian vegan photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur and vegetarian founder of a shelter for canines in Pune, India, Dr. Zareen Patel. Let’s begin with Jo-Anne McArthur, who uses her talent and vision behind the camera lens to give a voice to our animal co-inhabitants and record memorable events around the world. How did Ms. McArthur begin her career?

I did a degree in English literature and geography because I loved those things. But then when I started really picking up a camera I thought: “That’s it. That’s what I have to do for the rest of my life. I’m hooked.”

The camera, it’s nice to take pretty pictures but it’s also for me a tool to get into somewhere, to get access; to tell other people’s stories and tell animals’ stories. So that’s the main reason I take pictures.

Jo-Anne McArthur has ceaselessly worked to raise awareness of animal suffering through her “We Animals” project which began in 1998.

I thought of the title before I even started taking photos for it. “We Animals” is about the fact that we are all animals. We are sentient beings and we all deserve equal respect. None of us should be made to suffer.

From that I decided I wanted to take photos of animals and our relationships with animals, and our uses and abuses of animals and expose these issues to the world. I started going to meat markets and pets and things like that. And then it just grew and grew into this international project.

How does Ms. McArthur look for her stories?

I go where there are stories to tell. Now a lot of organizations know about me and my work, so they’re the ones contacting me saying, “Hey can you come and do a story on our place or our work. So now there’s a long list of organizations to work with that I can donate photos to and in countries all over the world.

In this last year or two, there was “Igualdad Animal,” or “Animal Equality” in Spain. They’re the biggest direct action animal rights group and they do fabulous work. They do rescues and they do a lot of education. So I’ve done some stories with them. And a group in Sweden, the “Swedish Animal Alliance” asked me to come and work with them this year to do their mink farming campaign.

There’s a group in Scandinavia that wants me to go and work on their fur campaigns and factory farming campaigns as well. And “Free the Bears” in India is something I’d like to do this winter. There are still a lot of dancing bears in India. And I’d like to go and document the dancing bears but also document the rescue work that’s happening through a group called “Free the Bears” who are amazing.

As for the coming months, I will be in Florida (USA) to shoot at “Save the Chimps,” which is a primate sanctuary. And look at what’s happening with the oil spill down there and the turtles. There are animals washing up on shore and turtles in distress, so I’ll be doing a turtle story.

For thoughtful, animal-promoting photography, Supreme Master Ching Hai honored Jo-Anne McArthur with the Shining World Compassion Award. Along with a beautiful crystal Award plaque, Ms. McArthur received a kind letter of appreciation from Master, the following of which is an excerpt:

Dear Ms. McArthur, it is with great pleasure and gratitude that we present to you the Shining World Compassion Award. “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Your passionate photojournalism, which communicates the divine intelligence of animals to people all over the world, exemplifies the power visual media has to elevate human consciousness making our world kinder and more humane.

Thank you for uplifting our world with your inspirational example of love in action. For selflessly and tirelessly protecting, saving and caring for animals, for your vision, wisdom, creativity and benevolent kindness, and for being a dedicated and noble role model, we hereby applaud and celebrate the compassionate deeds of Jo-Anne McArthur. With Great Honor, Love and Blessings, Supreme Master Ching Hai

Thank you so much. So sweet, so sweet, I’m so honored. Yes. Thank you so much.

Supreme Master Ching Hai gifted to Jo-Anne McArthur some of her DVDs and CDs as well as her international #1 best-selling books, “The Dogs in My Life,” “The Birds in My Life” and “The Noble Wilds.”

Thank you so much. The Birds (in My Life), I can’t wait to look through The Birds one actually.

In addition, Ms. McArthur received US$10,000 from Master for any needed job-related repairs.

Much needed and will be put to very, very good use. Thank you so much. Supreme Master Ching Hai, thank you very, very much for honoring me, it was a really big surprise, And it’ll really help me get out there and continue with the “We Animals” project. And thank you as well for all the work that you do, for the animals and supporting all these causes and supporting people who help animals and also for the amazing (Loving Hut) vegan restaurants.

I’ve been to many of them around the world; they’re really good restaurants. Everyone likes them. It’s good food and that’s also another way of enlightening people about not having to eat animals. It’s great.

Ms. McArthur later wrote a warm letter to Supreme Master Ching Hai and we now share a short excerpt of it.

My life's goal is to help improve the lives of animals, and I'll be a long time on this path. The support you've shown me is generous, needed and much appreciated. I look forward to being accountable to the award funding and continuing to live up to the award you've bestowed. There is still much to be done in this fight for animal rights.

Your support not only helps me to work on the “We Animals” project; it also helps the many animal-related organizations who benefit from the use of my photographs. Many, many thanks to you for this gift of support! More thanks, still, for your humanitarian, environmental and animal welfare work. With gratitude, Jo-Anne McArthur

Next we travel to Pune, India to visit Dr. Zareen Patel and her sanctuary for canines.

Dr. Patel is a clinical geneticist or a physician who advises those with inherited diseases. She is also a dedicated caregiver who tends to stray, abandoned, and homeless dogs in her city which is located nearly 100 kilometers southeast of Mumbai. Her ancestral home sits on half a hectare of land. The space surrounding the house serves as the grounds of the shelter. The haven features veterinary services and an outreach program which helps the canine residents find loving homes.

We have around 90 dogs and about six puppies. So we are reaching 100 essentially. The six puppies will possibly be adopted. We will screen the people who want the doggies. And if we find that they are affectionate, the dog likes them and they like the dog, then we give them for adoption.

For Dr. Patel’s love and care of our less fortunate animal friends, Supreme Master Ching Hai honored her with the Shining World Compassion Award.

Dear Dr. Patel, This Award is presented in recognition of your noble dedication and caring for stray and abandoned dogs with loving devotion and consciousness. Your selfless sacrifice and enlightened kindness is creating a brighter future for humanity and our gracious animal co-inhabitants.

For your on-going selfless devotion to the forsaken dogs of Pune, for your passionate and loving care for these vulnerable creatures, and for being a dedicated and noble role model, we hereby applaud and celebrate the great noble deeds of Dr. Zareen Patel and dedicated and warm-hearted colleagues. With Great Honor, Love, and Blessings, Supreme Master Ching Hai.

Dr. Patel received a handsome crystal Award plaque, DVDs and books by Supreme Master Ching Hai including “Realization of Health” and the international #1 best-sellers “The Dogs in My Life” and “The Birds in My Life.” Master also donated US $5,000 to help further the sanctuary’s mission.

I am really pleased, and I thank the Supreme Master and Her team for giving me this opportunity to show my work, and the realization that I’ve done something useful in my life, and it gives me great pleasure to receive this global award.

We asked Dr. Patel how she intends to use the gifted funds. Her plans include purchasing food for the canines and starting a program to spay stray female dogs in the area to reduce the number of pups born who have no caregiver to look after them.

I would like to use this money to make more shelter kennels so I can accommodate more stray animals. I’d like to keep my environment clean and green. I would not like the stray dogs to run on the road and cause accidents. So I’ll utilize that money for all their care. Thank you.

Dr. Patel had a special announcement regarding the additional shelter space she will be constructing for the dogs.

To honor the Supreme Master Ching Hai, I would like to build the shelter in Her honor (and name it) as the Ching Hai Shelter for Doggie Angels. Thank you.

To close, we would like to convey our sincere gratitude to Dr. Zareen Patel and shelter staff as well as Jo-Anne McArthur for their praiseworthy projects. May Heaven continue to bless and watch over you as you carry on your loving work to better the world for our beautiful animal co-inhabitants.

Be Veg, Go Green 2 Save the Planet!

For more details on Jo-Anne McArthur, please visit: and

Thank you for joining us today on the Shining World Award series. Up next is Enlightening Entertainment, after Noteworthy News. May love and joy forever surround all beings.