Hong Kong Launches New Award as Global Bridge for Civilizational Dialogue

A new international award known as the “Humanity Civilization Award” was launched by the World Daming Foundation in Hong Kong recently, marking the debut of an initiative its organizers describe as a platform to honor contributions to human civilization and promote dialogue across cultures.

The press conference for the establishment, held at the Hotel ICON, came with the backing of Hong Kong business figure Dr. Chan Yiu-cheung and veteran philanthropist Ms. Cheng So-wai, Chairperson of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Charity. Both have also joined the World Daming Foundation as vice chairpersons, a move organizers say will help propel the award’s mission to “set sail” from Victoria Harbour.

Following Hong Kong’s deadly fire a week earlier, the award establishment drew global attention across cultural, academic, and philanthropic circles shortly after being reported by local media. The award is framed around the theme “Transcending Boundaries, Building a Civilized Future,” and aims to recognize individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to human civilization. It is also positioned as a new bridge for dialogue between Eastern and Western cultural traditions.

Organizers invoked the long arc of human history – from Mesopotamian clay tablets and oracle bones of the Yellow River basin to the pyramids and the Parthenon – to frame the award’s emergence amid what they describe as a world still unsettled by hegemonic thinking and conflict. They say the award embodies a Chinese philosophical outlook of “universal harmony,” which they hope will offer a fresh path for civilizational exchange. Originating in Hong Kong, the initiative is presented as timely and needed.

According to the foundation, the conceptual basis of the award lies in the idea of “harmonious inclusiveness,” drawn from Peking University philosopher Zhang Dainian’s notion of “embracing diverse elements to achieve balance.” This is combined with the cross-cultural, cross-era insights of Chinese classical studies scholar Nan Huaijin and international social activist Fei Xiaotong’s vision of “appreciating the beauty of each culture and sharing beauty with others.” Together, these ideas form what the organizers call a new philosophical framework: the “Civilizational Harmony Theory.”

The World Daming Foundation was founded by Jiang Ye, Zhang Chunmei, and Wang Wuji, with Wang serving as chairman. From Hong Kong, the organization plans to position this modern Chinese philosophical concept as a shared language for dialogue among nations and civilizations. The foundation says it will invite more than 100 former heads of state and government leaders to form an Advisory Committee to guide the award’s development. More than 100 internationally recognized scholars will be invited to an Expert Committee to recommend candidates and provide professional input on nominations from around the world. A Jury Committee of over 30 distinguished figures will vote on the nominees, with final decisions requiring a two-thirds majority. The Secretariat will operate under a Charter of the Humanity Civilization Award, jointly established by these committees.

Organizers say the award’s guiding doctrine – the “Civilizational Harmony Theory” – is intended to move beyond ideas such as “civilizational superiority,” “universal civilization,” and the “clash of civilizations,” and to reject biases rooted in nationality, ethnicity, religion, and ideology. They describe the award as a tribute to humanity’s historical sages whose influence has shaped civilizational progress, referencing Laozi’s Tao Te Ching, the philosophy of Socrates, the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, the compassion of Shakyamuni, the love of Jesus, Marco Polo’s travels, Leonardo da Vinci’s innovation, Zheng He’s maritime expeditions, and the founding of the United Nations. These milestones, the foundation says, form the coordinates of human advancement.

They argue that by looking back at significant figures and events, the initiative seeks to rekindle a “civilizational torch” capable of illuminating both present and future, contributing to the global vision of a shared future for humankind.

The foundation emphasizes that the spiritual legacy of humanity’s sages cannot be measured by monetary rewards. Instead, it plans to promote the creation of a Humanity Civilization Award Memorial Park, and to host award ceremonies at “sacred sites” associated with major civilizational contributions. As more people around the world engage with the “Civilizational Harmony Theory,” organizers say humanity may be able to move beyond Cold War thinking and survival-of-the-fittest worldviews, entering a new era of “universal harmony,” where “each culture appreciates its own beauty and shares beauty with others.”