Dharamshala – His Holiness the Dalai Lama inaugurated the third Tibetan Children Village (TCV) students Peace Jam conference this morning at the TCV hall.
According to a Peace Jam mission statement “Peace Jam is an international youth outreach programme built around 12 Nobel peace laureates who work personally with youth to pass on the spirit, skills and wisdom they embody.”
“The goal of Peace Jam is to inspire a new generation of peacemakers who will transform their local communities, themselves, and the world.”
The Nobel laureate Betty Williams was the guest of honour at this conference. Betty Williams received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 for her work against violence between Roman Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. She shared the Nobel Peace Prize with fellow Northern Ireland peace activist Mairead Corrigan.
In his inaugural address, His Holiness the Dalai Lama appreciated and thanked the peace jam coordinators for organising the peace education for youth. He urged them to conduct such a move in communities having problems and help to find a community-based solution to the problems of violence.
His Holiness said that every human being needs happiness and want to get rid of sufferings. For this we should not exploit others. Instead we have to develop a sense of love, compassion, empathy, forgiveness, and tolerance for others. Through this we can maintain peace within our community and ourselves.
His Holiness said that we do not have to learn or invent compassionate feeling. It is within us from our birth. We have to develop that emotion, feeling and a sense of brotherhood.
Though they are many problems caused by natural disasters in this world but most of the problems in this world are man-made. We are capable and blessed with thinking power. If we use our thinking power in a positive way then we can of course find a solution to reduce natural disasters, His Holiness said.
“The Compassionate feeling, love, and tolerance contribute to making a human being healthy, balanced and it will also enable us to sleep soundly. And it is a secular ethics,” His Holiness said.
His Holiness said that the solution to all the community-based problems have to be solved peacefully through dialogue.
After His Holiness’ address, Betty Williams gave the keynote address and opened the floor for question-and-answer.
Present at the opening ceremony were president and co-president of the Peace Jam conference, students and staff of the TCV. The peace jam conference will close tomorrow.
(www.tibet.net is the official website of the Central Tibetan Administration.)
