His Holiness the Dalai Lama Extends Message to 1st Europe Tibetan CongressSaturday, 11 October 2008, 12:21 p.m.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama/File Photo

Dharamshala: His Holiness the Dalai Lama has extended his message to the representatives of Tibetan communities across Europe, who are holding the first Europe Tibetan Congress in Basel, Switzerland, from 11 – 12 October.His Holiness the Dalai Lama could not attend the inauguration ceremony of the congress, since His Holiness had to cancel his visit to Switzerland due to slight indisposition.In his message issued on 3 October, His Holiness said: “I am pleased to know that a congress of Tibetans is being held in Basel, Switzerland, to which representatives of Tibetan communities across Europe have been invited.”His Holiness said: “Tibetans in Europe, of whom the largest number have been settled in Switzerland since the early 1960s, have been well integrated in their adopted countries. They have also worked hard to preserve their identity and our Tibetan culture, which, deeply influenced by Buddhism, embodies knowledge and values that I believe have the potential to be of benefit to humanity in general.”“The fact that new generations of Tibetans, who have been born and brought up in foreign lands, are able to follow their elders in upholding our cultural heritage in exile and creating a greater awareness of the Tibetan issue amongst the international public is a source of pride. Therefore, I offer my greetings to all of you on this occasion and encourage you to redouble your efforts in these activities,” His Holiness said.His Holiness said: “The Kalon Tripa, Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, who is Chairman of the elected Tibetan political leadership in exile will be attending this congress. I have no doubt that he will give a thorough explanation of the issues that are of greatest concern to us today.”The two-day congress will begin with a long life prayer for His Holiness the Dalai Lama, followed by a keynote address by Kalon Tripa, Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche.During the course of the meeting, the delegates will focus on discussing responsibilities and challenges for Tibetans living in Europe on how to preserve and promote Tibet’s unique culture, religion, language and identity.They will also deliberate to find ways to improve the Tibetan people’s social, culture and human rights situation in Tibet.