By Tsewang Phuntso

Twenty two years ago, in 1989, His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited Costa Rica and Mexico. That was His Holiness’ first visit to the Latin American region. At the invitation of Dr. Oscar Arias Sanchez, then President of Costa Rica, His Holiness participated in the conference “In Search of the True Meaning of Peace” organized by the University for Peace. During the two visits, His Holiness was received by President Dr. Oscar Arias Sanchez in Costa Rica and President Carlos Salinas de Gortar in Mexico. His Holiness’s visit gave birth to two new organizations or learning centers—Asociación Cultural Tibetano Costarricense and Casa Tibet Mexico—which have grown to be very well known in their respective country.

The visit to Costa Rica particularly impressed His Holiness with the country’s demilitarization. In fact, later that year, after His Holiness received a Nobel Peace Prize, he mentioned as much during his Nobel lecture delivered in Oslo on December 11, 1989.

“When I visited Costa Rica earlier this year, I saw how a country can develop successfully without an army, to become a stable democracy committed to peace and the protection of the natural environment. This confirmed my belief that my vision of Tibet in the future is a realistic plan, not merely a dream.”

Impressed also with the mission of the University for Peace and its emphasis on the human values of understanding and tolerance, His Holiness devoted a part of his Nobel Peace Prize money to the University.

Among others, His Holiness’ first visit to Mexico was significant in emphasizing on harmony in diversity. His Holiness was received by the then Cardinal of Mexico, Don Ernesto Corripio Ahumada, at the National Cathedral of Mexico to participate in an ecumenical prayer for peace. His Holiness also visited the Basilica of Guadalupe and the archaeological ruins of Teotihuacan, the ancient multi-ethnic state of the pre-Colombian Americas.

This auspicious beginning marked the first of several major visits of His Holiness to Central and South America over the next twenty two years, and the development of a close relationship between His Holiness and the people of Latin America.

In 1992, when His Holiness returned to Latin America to address the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he also visited Argentina, Chile, and Venezuela and met with Argentina’s President Carlos Menem and Chile’s President Patricio Aylwin. His Holiness gave a series of teachings and talks in all four countries.

His Holiness’s next visit to Latin America took place after seven years in April 1999, again to Brazil, Argentina and Chile. In Brazil, along with Rio de Janeiro and the southern city of Curitiba, His Holiness also visited Brasilia, the capital city, where he addressed the Brazilian Senate and met with Brazil’s President Fernando Henrique Cordoso. In Argentina, the Mayor of Buenos Aires, Mr. Fernando de la Rua, formerly welcomed His Holiness the Dalai Lama as an honored citizen of the city. Apart from his talks at several universities and teaching to the Buddhists, His Holiness also addressed the Argentinean Congress where he called for universal understanding and promotion of human rights. In Chile, His Holiness met with Chile’s President Eduardo Frei and addressed the National Assembly of Deputies in the port City of Valparaiso.

In 2004, after a gap of 15 years, His Holiness returned to Central America and Mexico. In El Salvador, Guatemala, and Costa Rica in Central America, His Holiness was formerly received by the respective government of three countries.

The Tibetan people have long been particularly grateful to El Salvador for its support of Tibet in international forums. When Tibet’s current political difficulties began in 1950, El Salvador was the first country to bring the issue to the attention of the UN General Assembly. Later in 1959, 1960, and 1965, when the question of Tibet was actually debated in the UN General Assembly, El Salvador, this time in the company of many other Latin American countries, took a strong stand in defending the rights of the Tibetan people.

In Mexico, His Holiness addressed the Mexican National Deputies, gave a public talk packed audience in massive National Auditorium, and lectured at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, a largest public university in Latin America. He also attended a very emotional and inspiring inter-faith service at the National Cathedral hosted by Cardenal Norberto Rivera Carrera. During the visit, Interior Minister Santiago Creel received His Holiness the Dalai Lama on behalf of President Vicente Fox. In his verbal welcome message aired on television, President Fox said that the Buddhist leader had arrived in Mexico “with a message of unity, a message of peace, a message of spirituality”.

During these visits over the past two decades, His Holiness has had personal contact with many of the people who live in this region. He has a very fond memory of visiting Latin American countries and interacting with their people. His Holiness said, “In general, I have found the people of Latin America to be like my own people, the Tibetans, generally deeply religious, humble, and compassionate.”

In 2006, his last visit to the region, His Holiness made an extended visit to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Colombia. During this extended visit, His Holiness did not have any official meetings and instead held massive public talks in all the five countries.

Whether it is in Sao Paulo or Buenos Aires or Santiago or Lima or Bogota, His Holiness addressed packed auditoriums across the South America speaking on Power of Compassion, Wisdom and Compassion, Science and Spirituality, and Cultivating Peace through Inner Change. He also attended inter-faith services and dialogues in all the five countries and addressed the intellectuals and opinion makers as well as young corporate leaders in the respective countries. While in Peru, His Holiness also visited the ancient Incan capital of Cusco in Peru and participated in a traditional Andean ceremony and gave a talk emphasizing the importance of combining ancient beliefs with modern ideas.

During this visit, for the first time, His Holiness visited Colombia, where he was given very emotional welcome by the Colombians. In Bogota, the capital city of Colombia, His Holiness’ address on “Sharpening the Mind, Nurturing a Warm Heart” at Javeriana Catholic University was attended 10,000 university students and similarly, his public talk at the sport auditorium Coliseo Cubierto was attended by 14,000 Colombians. His Holiness also addressed the gathering of 1,000 corporate leaders, intellectuals and other opinion makers of Colombia.

Throughout his journeys to various parts of the Latin American region over the years, His Holiness has shared his message on love, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, reconciliation, and harmony, with the ultimate aim of promoting peace on this earth.

As he has always stressed, His Holiness has three main commitments in his life.  First, as a human being, His Holiness is committed to promoting basic human values such as compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment and self-discipline. His Holiness refers to these human values as secular ethics. Second, as a religious practitioner, His Holiness is committed to promoting religious harmony and understanding among the world’s major religious traditions.

Third, as a Tibetan and as the “Dalai Lama” in whom Tibetans place their trust, His Holiness is committed to the Tibetan issue. He has a responsibility to act as the free spokesperson of the Tibetans in their struggle for justice. His Holiness also says that while the first two commitments will remain with him until he passes away, the third commitment will cease once a mutually beneficial solution is reached between the Chinese and the Tibetans.

In September 2011, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will once again visit Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. There is no doubt that the upcoming visit will be memorable one. Although more and more leaders in the region are reluctant to receive formally His Holiness due to growing pressure from Beijing, His Holiness’ influence among the people in the region has grown enormously. Most of the Latin Americans respect His Holiness as one of the last icons of the 20th century in terms of moral leadership. Many people believe that His visit has a pacifying impact on a region that bears painful historical memories. This time, His Holiness will be speaking to even larger public gatherings than before, a sign of the respect and affection of Latin Americans for His Holiness.

This piece is contributed by Tsewang Phuntso for El Manana newspaper’s supplementary issue on the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Mexico which comes out today.