Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Sept. 23: Over 70 Tibetans and supporters cycled through the streets of Brussels on Sunday in a peace and compassion rally commemorating the Year of Compassion and the 90th birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. The event, held in conjunction with the city’s annual Car-Free Sunday, was jointly organized by the Office of Tibet, Brussels, and the Belgium Ghoton Organizing Committee, according to tibet.net, the official portal run by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
The rally began at Gare du Midi and wound through major city landmarks, including De Brouckere, Brussels Central Station, Rogier, and the EU quarter, before concluding at Parc du Cinquantenaire, a 19th-century monument built to mark Belgium’s 50 years of independence.
Car-Free Sunday in Brussels serves environmental, social, and mobility goals, making the cycle rally’s theme of compassion and peace an apt complement to the citywide initiative. Along the route, participants distributed pamphlets sharing His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s universal message of peace, compassion, and environmental protection. Each cyclist also received a commemorative T-shirt dedicated to the Year of Compassion, featuring His Holiness’ message on the back.
At the starting point, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Brussels, Rigzin Genkhang, warmly welcomed the participants, lauding their enthusiasm and urging mindfulness of road safety. Midway through the rally, the Ghoton Organizing Committee provided water to cyclists, while the finish was marked with light refreshments, including traditional Tibetan butter tea and sweet tea, adding a cultural flavour to the occasion.
The closing ceremony featured a vote of thanks delivered by Tenzin Phuntsok, EU Advocacy Officer, who acknowledged the dedication of the cyclists, volunteers, and organizers. Other participants included Secretary Thinley Wangdue, Tibetan Liaison Officer Dhundup Gyalpo, and Accountant Tenzin Nordhen.
Cyclists represented a diverse range of Tibetan and advocacy organizations, including Belgium U-Tsang Cholka, Belgium Dhomey Cholka, the Regional Tibetan Women’s Association, the Belgium Middle Way Association, Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), VTAG, and ICT Brussels.
