Contact is taking a holiday!

The Dalai Lama, draped in a traditional dark garnet kesa, arrived today (Friday) shortly before 9.30 p.m. at Bozar (the Brussels Centre for Fine Arts (to participate in the “Power and Care” conference), which will run until Sunday in Brussels. Nearly 1,900 individuals are expected to attend the event.

This conference, held at the instigation of Mind and Life Europe, focuses around five sessions and several workshops.

The event programme says that this Friday morning’s session will examine “the complex interactions between power and care since the dawn of mankind, through to their current impact on the state of the planet the fate of future generations.”

Spirituality, ecology and anthropology will therefore be at the heart of the speeches. Besides the Dalai Lama, several renowned speakers will be introduced to put their point of view.

Amongst the latter are the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, Leymah Gbowee, the Professor Emeritus in Anthropology at the University of Caroline-Davis, Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, and the Dutch psychologist, primatologist and ethologist, Frans de Waal.

Tenzin Gyatso, aged 81, is the fourteenth Dalai Lama. As the Tibetan’s spiritual leader, he received the Nobel Peace Price for his non-violent struggle to liberate Tibet. His last visit to Belgium was in 2012.

Mind and Life Europe was created in 2008 to extend across the Old Continent, the activities of the Mind and Life Institute, established in the United States.

The organisation was founded in 1987 by the Dalai Lama, the neuroscientist Francisco Varela and the lawyer Adam Engle.

The conference entry fee is 490 euros for adults and 50 euros for students covering the three days.