Milestones

AWC, the Association of World Citizens, was initiated in 1975 when the first World Citizens Assembly was held. That was in San Francisco, and it was in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the United Nations. We had initially expected people from about thirty-two countries, and got a lot of publicity in San Francisco and many parts of the U.S. A new organization was initiated which was later called the Association of World Citizens. Since then, eleven assemblies have been held in various cities around the world, including Paris, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Osaka, Los Angeles, and another one in San Francisco in 1995, and several World Citizens Assemblies have been held in New York City in close proximity to the United Nations.

At the 1978 and 1982 World Citizens Assemblies, resolutions to end the arms race were signed by 51 Nobel laureates and adopted by the UN for the Special Session on Disarmament.

In 1988, Mr. Douglas Mattern, President of AWC, and peace delegates from various countries went to Moscow and visited Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev, Secretary-General of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). They expressed the importance of nuclear disarmament to Mr. Gorbachev, and then indirectly urged the United States and the USSR to finally make an agreement on disarmament.

To further the concept of "One World," AWC Taiwan was officially established in March 2000, and Dr. Hong was invited to serve as President of AWC Taiwan.

On March 20, 2000, the first World Citizenship Day activities in San Francisco was held by AWC and the City of San Francisco, which was announced by Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr. Activities included the ceremony of ringing the Bell of Peace, which was conducted by the Federation of World Peace and Love (FOWPAL). Mr. Douglas Mattern and Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr. were invited to ring the Bell of Peace. Both of them left their signatures on the Bell and made commitments to world peace.

In June 2000, Dr. Hong submitted a proposal to serve as host committee for the World Citizens Assembly (WCA) 2001 in Taiwan.

In September 2000, the resolution was passed for WCA 2001 to be held in Taiwan. Under the leadership of Dr. Hong, Director of WCA 2001, members of AWC Taiwan planned the upcoming WCA.

In October 2000, the theme for WCA 2001 was decided as "Creating a Culture of Peace for the 21st Century," which is in-line with the United Nations designation of the next 10 years as "The International Decade for a Culture of Peace & Nonviolence for the Children of the World." Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy and FOWPAL were also invited to participate in the Assembly to create a culture of peace for the new century.