Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, Mar. 15: Tibetan spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, issued a public appeal for global peace and dialogue on Friday, marking the culmination of the annual Tibetan religious occasion of ‘The Great Prayer Festival’ (Monlam Chenmo).
In his statement, the Dalai Lama expressed sorrow over the suffering caused by ongoing conflicts worldwide, mentioning Ukraine, Gaza, and other regions affected by violence. “It saddens me to see so many people suffering as a result of conflict in Ukraine, in Gaza, and in other parts of the world,” he said. “By now, we might have hoped that human beings would have learnt from our history of violence. In all such conflicts, it is the innocent who bear the heaviest burden.”
The Great Prayer Festival (Monlam Chenmo), a significant event in Tibetan Buddhism, observed on the 15th day of the first month of the Tibetan calender, celebrated to commemorate the Buddha’s miracles and seeks blessings for world peace and the well-being of all beings. The Dalai Lama emphasised that peace requires dialogue and negotiation, urging people to seek nonviolent solutions.
“If we recognise our shared humanity, recalling that the welfare of one depends on the welfare of all, I truly believe we can find a peaceful resolution to even the most intractable conflicts,” he said. “But to do so requires a willingness to enter into dialogue and negotiation.”
The Dalai Lama’s appeal comes amid a rise in armed conflicts globally. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), more than 120 armed conflicts were active as of December 2024, the highest number since World War II. Major conflicts include Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, which has resulted in 148,359 deaths as of February 2025, the continuing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which has claimed 50,000 lives as of March 4, 2025, and violent crises in Myanmar, Sudan, and West Africa.
The spiritual leader concluded his message with a call for concerted efforts to build a more peaceful world. “I appeal for a more compassionate, peaceful world free from violence,” the Tibetan leader who is seen as the apostle of peace globally said.
