Philadelphia, USA: Residents Learn about Falun Dafa at State Senator’s Community Day Events

(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners were invited to introduce the practice to local residents in Philadelphia at four community events sponsored by Pennsylvania State Senator Christine Tartaglione, August 11-27, 2022.

A tradition for community engagement before school begins, these events attract large numbers of people. They were happy to receive hand-made lotus flowers with the words “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” Many signed the petition urging the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) to stop the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong in China, especially the state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting of Dafa practitioners, and other prisoners of conscience, for profit. Quite a few people learned the exercises along with their children. 

Following the first event at Norris Square Park on August 11, a similar activity took place at the Lawncrest Recreation Center on August 17. Located in Northeast Philadelphia, this event drew many local residents including Chinese families. Many people signed the petition calling to end the CCP’s atrocities against Falun Dafa practitioners. After chatting with practitioners, thirteen Chinese people agreed to renounce their memberships in the CCP organizations, including the Communist Youth League and the Young Pioneers. 

Christine Tartaglione (front row, fourth from left), Pennsylvania State Senator, came to the Falun Dafa practitioners’ booth on August 18 at the Lawncrest Recreation Center and thanked them for supporting the community. 

People signed petitions urging an end to the brutality in China. 

Children and their parents liked the hand-made lotus flowers with the words, “Falun Dafa is good” and “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” 

A resident (left) learns the fifth Falun Dafa exercise. 

The third event was held on August 25 at Bridesburg Park next to the Delaware River. A woman named Socorro stopped by soon after the event started and, upon hearing what Falun Dafa is, began to learn the first and fifth exercises. She told practitioner Santhosh that the exercises made her feel relaxed and calm with strong energy going through her body. She also felt bad substances being removed from her body. She explained that she’s always been interested in meditation and was happy to learn the Falun Dafa exercises. 

Socorro (second from left) learned the exercises at Bridesburg Park on August 25, 2022. 

Carmen Sousa, office director for Senator Tartaglione, also came to the Falun Dafa booth and thanked practitioners for bringing Falun Dafa to the community. She wished that more children could learn the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance when they were young because there is too much violence today. 

The fourth and last event was held at Wissinoming Park on August 27, where many children and their parents attended. At the end of the activity, State Senator Tartaglione thanked practitioners again for their participation. She said it is important for practitioners to collect signatures this way, since it helps bring awareness of the tragedies brought by the CCP to the Chinese people. She added that the brutality is irrational and violates basic human rights. Senator Tartaglione also signed a petition during the first event on August 11. 

State Representative Jason Dawkins also came to the activity. He too condemned the CCP’s atrocities and signed a petition to support practitioners. 

State Representative Jason Dawkins also signed a petition. 

Practitioner Jennie Sheeks said she was happy to come to the event with her family. She taught several families the Falun Dafa exercises. Some of them said they would continue learning through the website LearnFalunDafa.org afterward. One mother learned the exercises with her three children. The mother said that her life has been stressful and she was looking for something that could reduce her anxiety. Her eldest child, who is nine, said she felt calm and serene while doing the exercises. 

Mother and son learn the Falun Dafa exercises. 

Children and adults alike are interested in learning Falun Dafa. 

Impressed by the peaceful exercises, Wanda Lowe and her daughter Elizabeth immediately sat down to learn the movements. Wanda was able to do the full lotus sitting meditation (with both legs crossed). She said the exercises brought her relaxation and energy. She explained that she has always been interested in meditating, and she was excited to find Falun Dafa and the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. “I will definitely continue doing this,” she said. 

Wanda Lowe (third from left) and Elizabeth (first from left) learning the Falun Dafa sitting meditation. 

Background: What Is Falun Dafa and Why Is the CCP Persecuting It?

Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries and regions worldwide. Millions of people who have embraced the teachings, which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and have learned the five exercises have experienced improved health and well-being.

Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), perceived the spiritual discipline’s growing popularity as a threat to the CCP’s atheistic ideology and on July 20, 1999, he issued an order to eradicate the practice.

Under Jiang’s personal direction, the CCP established the 610 Office, an extralegal security organization with the power to override the police and judicial systems and whose sole function is to carry out the persecution of Falun Dafa.

Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 23 years, though due to the difficulty in getting information out of China, the actual number is believed to be much higher. Countless practitioners have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.

There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply China’s organ transplant industry.