His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Attend ‘Thank You Switzerland’ Event[Wednesday, 7 April 2010, 1:38 p.m.]

His Holiness the Dalai Lama greets public during a talk in Slovenia on Monday

Zurich: His
Holiness the Dalai Lama’s visit to Zurich starting today marks 50 years
since the arrival of Tibetans in Switzerland. At Merci Schwiiz (Thank
You Switzerland) programme on 8 April, His Holiness will thank
Switzerland for 50 years hospitality and humanitarian assistance to the
Tibetans living in Switzerland, India and Nepal.In October 1960, 20
Tibetans boys and girls arrived for education at the Pestalozzi’s
Children Village in Trogen, Switzerland.The Swiss Government on
29 March 1963 approved the re-settlement of 1,000 Tibetans. Today there
are about 4,000 Tibetans living in Switzerland.His Holiness the
Dalai Lama will visit the Tibetan Institute in Rikon – the oldest
Tibetan monastery in the West on 8 April morning. The monastery has
monks from the four schools of Tibetan Buddhist tradition and is the
cultural centre of the Tibetan community.Mrs. Pascale Bruderer
Wyss, President of the Swiss Parliament will attend the ceremony at the
monastery and she will call on His Holiness the Dalai Lama after the
ceremony. She is a member of the Tibet Group in the Swiss Parliament
and last met His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2005.From 9 to 11
April 2010, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and leading figures from
business, economics, psychology, contemplation, anthropology and
neuroscience will take part in Mind and Life’s Altruism and Compassion
in Economic Systems conference at the Zurich Kongresshaus.This
conference is a public dialogue between Economics, Neuroscience and
Contemplative Sciences exploring alternative approaches of “altruism
and compassion” to the economic systems that rewards both individuals
and our global societies.The Mind and Life Conference is
co-sponsored by the University of Zurich, the largest university in
Switzerland. The University is known internationally for its ground
breaking research, particularly in molecular biology, brain research
and anthropology.The first Mind and Life meeting was in 1987.
The institute was co-founded in 1987 by His Holiness the Dalai Lama,
neuroscientist Francisco J. Varela and American businessman Adam Engle.
Its aim is to create a rigorous dialogue and research collaboration
between modern science and the world’s living contemplative traditions,
especially Buddhism.This is the Mind and Life’s first conference in
Europe.His Holiness the Dalai Lama has always promoted the
introduction of science education in Tibetan Buddhist monastic colleges
and academic centres, and has encouraged Tibetan scholars to engage
with science as a way of revitalizing the Tibetan philosophical
tradition.On 10 April morning His Holiness the Dalai Lama will
address the opening session of the First European Tibetan Youth
Parliament. Over 150 Tibetan delegates from 11 countries will take part
in this Parliament. And in the evening His Holiness the Dalai Lama will
address the Solidarity Rally for Tibet organized at the centre of
Zurich by the Swiss Tibetan Friendship Association.Over 7,500
people will attend His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s public talk on
Universal Responsibility and the Economy in the Zurich Hallenstadion on
11 April afternoon. Following the public talk,His Holiness the Dalai
Lama,Speaker of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile Mr. Penpa Tsering and Kalon
Tripa Samdhong Rinpoche will address the members of the Tibetan
Community in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Also Presidents and
Vice-Presidents of Tibetan communities across Europe will be presented
during this event.His Holiness the Dalai Lama will leave for India on 12 April.–Report filed by The Tibet Bureau, Geneva