As the interest in vegetarianism increases in Korea, the Korean Teachers & Education Workers’ Union (KTU) that is influential in educating school students is gradually becoming more aware of the importance of vegetarianism. The KTU Busan Branch is one of the most active and strongest branches and invited the Busan Center to host a vegetarian education program for the teachers. The theme of the event was “Vegetarianism Saves Children” and it happened to coincide with Master’s birthday, May 12. Through this wonderful coincidence, the initiates sensed the event would be successful with Master’s special blessing.

Lee, Heeju, the head of the KTU Busan Branch, explained that this occasion arose from something that was posted on the Internet entitled ‘Now We Need Education on Vegetarianism’. “Observing students’ eating habits helps teachers understand their students’ daily life problems. We all know that what we eat is very important for us. Therefore I would like to talk about vegetarianism as an alternative way and review our diet culture through an academic approach to vegetarianism. Also I would like you to experience vegetarian food and with your sound conscience, think about what we should do.”

The educational event was held at the Busan Red Cross center on May 12 in the evening and the careful arrangements were outstanding. A child-care center and activities for children were also arranged so that the whole family could attend. The teachers and their families were given Alternative Living flyers and vegetarian related materials at the entrance and listened to the in-depth talk presented by an initiate. He emphasized to the audience, with reasonable and logical grounds, the importance of vegetarianism, its benefits, its influence on human personality, and its appropriateness for students as a holistic education program.

“When comparing meat eating animals with vegetarian ones, we can easily understand that what we eat shapes our character. The reason we have difficulty practicing vegetarianism, even if we know its benefits, is that we do not truly see the deep significance beneath all the reasoning. However, the great revolution to save the Earth starts from our small kitchen table. Whether the Earth will survive or not depends on how an individual’s dining table changes.”

“If the teacher praises a student when he or she has a vegetarian meal, it will have a substantial effect on other students in class. If each of you here changes your thinking, the pupils you teach will also change. So I believe this presentation is very worthwhile.”

The interesting analogy about how a small change at the dining table is deeply interconnected with the world received a big applause and empathy from the audience. The enthusiastic talk was followed by a video presentation entitled “How to Eat and Live Well” made by SBS TV Company. This 40 minute program aired a few years ago on SBS TV, one of the major TV channels in Korea, and at that time provoked a sensation in Korea. It discussed why we should be vegetarian and why meat eating is not suitable for the human diet. After the video, the audience shared their opinions and feelings regarding the need to stop eating meat. A young female teacher, accompanied by her husband and child, said that she’s very interested in the vegetarian diet for herself and because her child is suffering from some kind of disease. Another teacher decided that he would begin the vegetarian diet after the seminar.

After that the participants had time to have a pleasant chat with each other while enjoying a spectacular vegetarian buffet carefully prepared by the initiates. The 10m-length colorfully decorated table with the vegetarian buffet amazed people. One visitor was surprised at the diversity of the nutritious vegetarian food and changed his thinking that vegetarians eat only grass. He also asked for more information on vegetarianism.

This occasion was very special and significant in that it was the first step toward vegetarian education in the school system. Seeing the teachers open their hearts and understanding toward this alternative living life-style, vegetarianism, the initiates felt strongly that this would be a growing trend as we moved more into the Golden Age. They thank Master for Her blessings and grace in arranging all of this. Also the event brought about a very influential effect on the future of vegetarian education. The KTU Busan Branch felt the event was very meaningful and said they would try to introduce a vegetarian education program in each school. The Busan Center is also planning to continue the same education program targeting officers from the Ministry of Health and National Health Insurance Corporation.

 

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