Today’s program will be presented in Gaelic and English, with subtitles in Arabic, Aulacese (Vietnamese), Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Thai and Spanish.

A country that upholds the values of peace by abolishing its army…
A president who rescued thousands of refugees’ lives…
A former US vice president who brings the world’s attention to global warming…
A celebrity who advocates for human rights…
An animal lover who works tirelessly for the defenseless…
An international organization that provides humanitarian aid regardless of national boundaries…
A worldwide humanitarian agency that protects human life and alleviates suffering (Red Cross)

These are among some of the distinguished people, countries and organizations in our present day society that have made a positive difference on our planet through their noble actions.

For the purpose of recognizing these caring actions, and in response to the reports about many positive developments in the world, Supreme Master Ching Hai founded the Shining World Leadership Award in March 2006. The pure crystal award represents the shining noble ideals of the honored individuals, nations and organizations whose pioneering work and selfless dedication have significantly contributed to the harmony and beauty of our planet.

“Thank you for this award and most significantly, thank you for the work you’ve done and are doing, and are encouraging others to do to awaken humanity to its responsibility – to live a compassionate life and to do so in honoring the spirit in all beings.”

The founder of the Shining World Leadership Award, Supreme Master Ching Hai, is a world- renowned spiritual leader, humanitarian and artist, who herself has brought immense benefits to the world through her inspiring words and shining example. Supreme Master Ching Hai’s own selfless service and devotion to all beings have been highly lauded by world leaders and governments.

She also brings love around the world where there is hate. She brings hope where there is despair, and she brings understanding where there is misunderstanding. We don't have enough people like the Supreme Master. If we had somebody like her in every country in the world, we will have eternal peace, eternal love.

For decades, Supreme Master Ching Hai has exemplified unconditional love through her worldwide humanitarian work.

Love your family members wholeheartedly; sacrifice for them whenever necessary. And to other members of mankind just show your love universally, and help whoever needs your help. That is the way of love.

Supreme Master Ching Hai’s wisdom and compassion have been a source of inspiration for countless people worldwide. And she further encourages positive work through the Shining World Leadership Award. Thank you, Shining World Leaders!

Halo, gracious viewers. Today we have the honor of introducing the distinguished Irish Ambassador to Zambia, His Excellency Mr. Bill Nolan. Ambassador Nolan represents Irish Aid in Zambia, the Irish government’s program of assistance to currently more than 90 developing countries worldwide.

Zambia is one of Ireland’s nine African partner countries. She receives direct funding for projects to meet her basic and development needs. His Excellency Ambassador Bill Nolan has a great vision for Zambia’s future through Ireland’s special partnership with the Zambian government. It is a constructive relationship that began more than a century ago. Schools and hospitals built by Irish missionaries have provided education and healthcare throughout the decades.

We like to think that we’ll have played a part in that, in helping Zambians over many generations to get an education and lead a better life and contribute to the health and welfare, economically and socially of the nation.

Ireland today is indeed a thriving, self-built nation. She shares her experience as a valuable resource for other countries.

Ireland, a little country, not all that long ago, very much underdeveloped itself, is now helping a country like Zambia. We’re doing it according to our means and in a way which draws very much on our own history, a difficult history in many ways. And we managed to do that, thankfully, in a very significant way, during the course of my lifetime. But we didn’t do it all ourselves, we also got a lot of help from our neighbors.

The Irish Aid Programme in Zambia, which began in 1980, has made significant achievements. Its future direction and goals are also specific and optimistic.

Traditionally, we have always concentrated at looking after the poor and the marginalized. Most of our program concentrates on health education, water sanitation, and then of course, dealing with the HIV/AIDS issue, It’s a thirty year program and really helping to eliminate poverty and bring basic services to the poor and the marginalized. That’s really why we’re here. But we see that as something more than just helping the poor. It’s also helping Zambia develop as a nation and make full use of its wonderful resources.

Priorities of Irish Aid in Zambia are given for health, agriculture, and governance, which will benefit the nation’s standard of living. With the long-term prosperity of Zambia in mind, half of the aid budget goes to the education sector.

Every young Zambian between the age of five and fifteen will have access to free basic education by the year 2015. Happily, Zambia’s well on the path, I think, to achieving that. It’s actually a huge building block in the process of nation building and ensuring that this country can progress, and progress fast in the economic sphere as well. Similarly, with water and sanitation, if you’re helping to improve the health of the population, then by definition you’re helping to improve the health of the nation.

Our program will continue on the honored Shining World Leadership Award recipient, His Excellency Bill Nolan, Irish Ambassador to Zambia. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television.

Welcome back to our program about the honored Shining World Leadership Award recipient, His Excellency Bill Nolan, Irish Ambassador to Zambia. Zambia, like many other African countries, is relatively young. The Irish Aid Programme seeks to help Zambia strengthen her own government and her ability to serve the co-citizens.

We’re looking at capacities at the local government level. We’re helping a number of district councils to build their capacity for forward planning and implementation of district plans. And also bringing water and sanitation to a number of urban communities up there.

For the Irish Aid Programme to succeed, it requires a lot of transferring of skills and knowledge, not only funds. However, His Excellency Bill Nolan, Irish Ambassador to Zambia, stated that the main leader of Zambia’s development is the Zambian government.

We are a part of the government plan here. In other words, there is no Irish Aid program in Zambia anymore. There’s a Government of Zambia program for development, it’s called The Fifth National Development Plan.

The Zambian government is the lead donor in all of this, and tells us where it wants its cooperating partners to go with it. I don’t anticipate that you will have an Irish Aid Programme here 30 years from now. The whole donor presence will be phased out over the next 30 years, because the Zambian government will take on the full range of responsibilities that governments must take on.

Recently Irish Aid has pledged an additional US$35 million toward Zambia’s development. The amount will go a long way in assistance. However, aid is not all about finances.

When we think of aid, you think of physical things, like a school, a road, a hospital, an orphanage. But actually it must, as of now and increasingly in the future, be much more about transfer of knowledge and skills and just helping to change the mindset. Money doesn’t do development. It’s only a facilitator.

Another important factor in Zambia’s long term development is her human resources. We’re, seeing evidence of some who left here after they finished their university, at least thinking about coming back home, bringing it all back home, all the knowledge and all the skills. And that will be one of the foundations of the kind of progress Zambia will make, and will mean that we donors can more or less fade away, because Zambians will be getting on with the business of growing and developing and expanding and diversifying their economy.

We would like to enable the African governments, particularly in Eastern and Southern Africa, to get them on the path of sustainable economic growth, based on their fabulous resources. So these countries will become very wealthy, simply because of the resource base that they have.

Irish Ambassador Bill Nolan believes that Zambia has great economic potential. The country is not only unified and peaceful, she is abundantly blessed with natural resources and fertile land. Eight other neighboring countries offer a large market right at her borders.

When you look at the physical and the natural resource base in Zambia, it’s almost beyond imagining, the mineral resource base they have here. And that’s just part of it. They have some of the best land in Southern Africa here in Zambia.

And they have unquestionably the best rains, which means that Zambia can account for approximately 40% of all of the water resources of Southern Africa. That’s incredible, especially when we take, say, climate change and drier, more challenging conditions. You can grow almost anything here in Zambia, any fruit or vegetable will grow here quite happily, and productively. So Zambia can become a major food producing part of the world.

In just a few more decades, Ireland believes Zambia, and other African partners, will become strong, prosperous, and independent. In recognition of Ireland’s “farsighted vision, enlightened understanding, and compassionate heart,” on behalf of Ireland, His Excellency Bill Nolan, Irish Ambassador to Zambia, was honored with the Shining World Leadership Award.

“…For benevolently striving to uplift humanity, for wisdom and vision to promote peace through prosperity, and for being a dedicated and noble role model, we hereby applaud and celebrate the great deeds of Ireland and her esteemed Ambassador to Zambia, Your Excellency Mr. Bill Nolan. With Great Honor, Love and Blessings, The Supreme Master Ching Hai”

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you. I'm afraid this is much more than I deserve, but I accept it with gratitude, with appreciation, and with a lot of humility. Because what I do here is really on behalf of the Irish people, through their government who have made available to us Irish Aid, the aid vehicle we have here in Zambia and other countries in Africa. I'm working on their behalf. So really, this award goes to the people of Ireland and to the government of Ireland for enabling us to do what we do here.

In addition to the Shining World Leadership Award plaque, Ambassador Nolan also received gifts, including Supreme Master Ching Hai’s lecture DVDs, the lecture compilation book, “The Realization of Health: Returning to the Natural and Righteous Way of Living,” and her #1 international bestselling books, “The Birds in My Life” and “The Noble Wilds.” The Ambassador once more expressed his heartfelt wish for Zambia and his appreciation for the honor from Supreme Master Ching Hai.

We're trying to play our part to ensure that a decade from now, two decades from now, we won't have 8 million poor people here. That will be at least cut in half. And hopefully in 30 years from now, there won’t be a single poor person here. Thank you very much. This is very much appreciated.

Our sincere thanks, Your Excellency and Ireland. May Heaven bless your generosity towards Zambian brethren, and your commitment to other countries’ development and well-being. May all live in a world of peace, plenty, and sustainability.

Thank you for your company on our program about this honored recipient of the Shining World Leadership Award. Now, please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television. Coming up next is Words of Wisdom, after Noteworthy News. May Divine benevolence be with you and yours.