(GPDN Los Angeles)-On September 27, 2014, Asian Pacific Islanders American Public Affairs Association (APAPA) held the 7th Annual Asian and Pacific Islander American Leadership Conference in Diamond Bar California. APAPA has been dedicating their efforts on empowering Asian Pacific Islander Americans in civic and public affairs through education, and leadership development.
In this event to promote and encourage the involvement of young leaders from Asian Pacific Islanders, Congresswoman, state senator, county superior judge, assemblyman, youth representatives from many schools joined together to celebrate the empowerment of our young future leaders.
International volunteers of An Era of Conscience (ANEOC) also joined this event. They made a brief introduction about An Era of Conscience movement and presented a song called An Era of Conscience. By inviting people to share good words, do good deeds, they hope to awake the conscience in everyone’s heart so that each of us will exercise our conscience in our works, our professions, and our daily life.
A youth representative from ANEOC shared her experience attending the UN DPI/NGO Conference last month. She felt honored to be able to spread her positive energy throughout the event to inspire attendees to have a conscientious heart when dealing with global problems.
Congresswoman Judy Chu reflected on An Era of Conscience and commented that she started politics because she wanted to help people; she wanted to follow her conscience of making a positive place for others. One example highlighted by Chu is her effort early in her career to petition against an anti-immigrant movement in the city of Monterey Park which forbade multi-lingual signs. Chu was able to overturn this movement with conscience in action. Chu believes that people can get together, join forces, and apply An Era of Conscience in their work by fighting for the better good of everyone in the community.
State Senator Ted Lieu agrees with the movement and he is applying conscience day to day when he legislates and negotiates at the State Senate. Lu doesn't approach problem from a partisan angle, and believes if there are good ideas to solve issues, it should not matter which party, and one’s conscience should be the guide as to what is right and wrong.