His Holiness addressing the Italia-Tibet Association in Trento
Photo: Jeremy Russell OHHDL
April marks the month of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s and Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay’s visits to Europe. His Holiness and Sikyong travelled to Europe for a three-nation visit through Italy, Switzerland, and the UK.
His Holiness started his visit in Pala Trento, Italy where he was welcomed by President Alberto Pacher, and Roberto Pinter, the head of Trento’s Press Office. His Holiness expressed that “it was an honor to speak before its members in the Provincial Council Chamber”. He went to the Palantrento Stadium where he was met at by a crowd of almost 5,000 people who listened to him speak about ‘Happiness in a Troubled
HH is presented the Minority Award by South Tyrol President Luis Durnwalder in Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy
Photo: Alessandro Molinari
World.’ On April 10, the Minority Award was bestowed to His Holiness by Governor Luis Durnwalder of South Tyrol, Italy who said that the Minority Award had been set up to shed light on the problems minorities face and the message that South Tyrol wants to send is that the rights of minorities should never be surrendered and that they will work to remind others of this.
His Holiness greeting well-wishers at theTibet Institute in Rikon, Switzerland
Photo: Manuel Bauer
From there, His Holiness arrived in Switzerland for the Forum Fribourg, where many members of the Tibetan community living in Switzerland came out to offer His Holiness the Dalai Lama a customary Tibetan welcoming. There he gave a teaching on Atisha’s Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment that lasted approximately one and a half days, followed by a public talk ‘Ethics beyond Religion’, attended by a large crowd. The University of Bern in Bern, Switzerland was also graced with His Holiness’s speech on the issue of a ‘Sustainable Future.’
Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay addressing the conference of the presidents of the Tibetan communities in Europe in Boldern, Switzerland
Photo:Tibet Bureau
Meanwhile, Sikyong conveyed his appreciation towards Switzerland, its people, and its government for the enduring support towards Tibetans since 1960. During the second European Tibetan Buddhist conference in Fribourg—which had an audience that included over 70 delegates—Sikyong advocated the Tibetan Buddhist Center to place more emphasis upon, and take more action for, the Tibetan cause. Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay also spoke about the heartrending instances of self-immolation occurring in Tibet. He additionally made an address to the first Europe Tibetan Language Teacher’s conference which was held in Switzerland.
On April 19, in Cambridge, England, His Holiness was greeted by the Global Scholars Symposium which is described as an organisation that lets contemporary world leaders cooperate with young scholars who are motivated to meet the vast obstacles presented by a global society. His Holiness focused upon the topic of ‘Nonviolence for Conflict Resolution’, after which he presented public talks at Cambridge University’s St. John’s College.
His Holiness with Cathy Newman of Channel 4 News in Cambridge
Photo: Jeremy Russell OHHDL
A group of Chinese students currently being schooled in Britain were able to meet His Holiness to discuss the pervasiveness of materialistic culture and how it is shown to be associated with the recent increased incidence of suicide amongst young adults due to stress and other factors. He addressed the group by first saying “Brothers and Sisters—I always begin my talks in this way because it is one of my fundamental beliefs that we are social creatures, physically, mentally, and emotionally the same.” His Holiness also gave a televised interview in which he touched upon the tragic self-immolations in Tibet as a reaction against China’s persecution of religious activities and its frequent instances of human rights violations. He further stated in regards to China as a country that “nowadays the world trend is towards a greater openness, democracy, and the rule of law; if China wants to participate more fully in the world, it will have to follow this trend.”
After a successful completion of the three-nation visit, His Holiness and Sikyong returned to India on April 21 and will grace the golden jubilee celebrations of Central School for Tibetans (CST), Dalhousie, scheduled for April 28-30. CST is one of the oldest Tibetan schools under the Central Tibetan Schools Administration.
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