His Holiness engages education in dialogue during Canada visit

Monday, 11 September 2006, 10:30 a.m.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Mayor Sam Sullivan

Vancouver: Honourable Jason Kenny, M.P. and Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, on 9 September, called on His Holiness the Dalai Lama on behalf of the Prime Minister. Mr. Kenny conveyed to His Holiness the Prime Minister’s welcome greetings and invitation to visit Ottawa. The audience lasted for over half an hour.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama was in Vancouver for a three-day visit to launch the inaugural Vancouver dialogue on education, compassion and promotion of human values.

On 8 September, His Holiness the Dalai Lama shared the Orpheum stage in the morning with a select group of high school students. His Holiness listened to the students’ personal stories of acts of compassion and courage and engaged in conversation with them on these topics.

In the afternoon, the Dalai Lama engaged in dialogue with leading educators, researchers and policy makers on the themes of cultivating compassion and educating the heart.

While engaging in dialogue with students

The morning session of the dialogue, on 9 September, with some the top social scientists and mental health researchers for two and half hours was on happiness as a determinant of mental health. The dialogue began with opening remarks by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the nature of happiness from a Buddhist perspective and its importance in mental well-being.

This was followed by a brief presentation by each of the four experts and a couple of questions for His Holiness. This set the tone and direction of a very lively and educative session. The capacity audience showed very keen interest in the dialogue.

The afternoon session was on stress as a negative determinant of mental well-being. A panel of three experts made a brief presentation each and asked His Holiness some questions.

From there His Holiness went to the G.M. Place for the public talk. Before the public talk His Holiness met with 10 members of the Parliamentary friends of Tibet, Mayor of Vancouver, Sam Sullivan, along with the leaders of the opposition in the city council and the Federal Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Monte Solberg, who then escorted His Holiness to the auditorium of the public talk.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama also met Victor Chan, a longtime friend of His Holiness and founder of the Vancouver centre.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama honoured with honourary Citizenship of Canada

The Federal Minister of Citizenship and Immigration presented His Holiness the honorary citizenship of Canada. In his remarks before the presentation the Minister recognised His Holiness’ major contribution to peace, harmony and better understanding in the world. The Minister said the decision to confer the honourary citizenship to His Holiness was unanimous in both the Houses of Parliament reflecting the public esteem for His Holiness. After the presentation the Canadian national anthem was sung.

Thanking the people of Canada and parliament’s unanimous vote to make him an honourary citizen of Canada, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said he was privileged and honoured to receive the honourary citizenship. “I am far more interested in the rights and privileges of his new citizenship than the duties. Because my visit is so short, I want to realize all the rights and then say’ goodbye, he said jokingly after receiving the honour.

The public talk auditorium was full with nearly 15,000 people. The Federal Minister, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, the members of the Parliamentary Friends of Tibet, the Mayor and others stayed to attend the public talk. Despite the full day’s heavy schedule of His Holiness starting from 8:30 a.m. His Holiness was full of energy and spoke for nearly one and half hours followed by question-and-answer session. There was a standing ovation at the end.

Report sent by the Office of Tibet, New York

(www.tibet.net is the official website of the Central Tibetan Administration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.)