By Tendar Tsering

DHARAMSHALA, May 19: Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who is currently in Europe on a five-nation tour, met two of his fellow Nobel Peace Laureates this week in the European cultural city of Maribor.

The three Nobel Peace Laureates, including Prof. Muhammad Yunus, Bangladeshi economist and founder of the micro-credit concept Grameen Bank and Dr Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Guatemalan human rights activist on Thursday spoke on the theme “Dialogue, Solidarity and Reconciliation.”

“Dialogue and solidarity are extremely relevant to our world,” the Dalai Lama said. “At the same time the severe gap between rich and poor is wrong from both a moral and practical standpoint. Damage to our environment and climate change are problems not just for one or two nations, but the whole of humanity.”

Remarking that almost all the problems on earth are man-made, the Tibetan spiritual leader said that man should also find the solutions.

“We cannot fix the problems we face by force, we must enter into dialogue with each other, an approach that means both sides win instead of leaving a winner and a loser,” the Dalai Lama said.

“Dialogue is not a luxury we may choose to enjoy, but a simple necessity.”

Visiting Maribor, Slovenia’s second city at the invitation of Mayor Franc Kangler, His Holiness joined the Maribor for Peace initiative and gave a public talk on ‘Cultivating Peace of Mind.’

Currently in the Austrian city of Klagenfurt for two-day religious teachings, the Dalai Lama was yesterday awarded the city gold medal. The governor of Carinthia and Mayor Christian Scheider presented the Tibetan leader with the Gold medal of Kagenfurt.

The 76-year old Tibetan leader is scheduled to address a mass solidarity rally for Tibet in Vienna on the 26th of this month.

This is the first occasion, since his retirement from political duties last year, that the Dalai Lama will be addressing a mass public rally on Tibet. He had skipped the official commemorations of the 53rd Tibetan National Uprising Day on March 10 this year.

Organisers have said that the solidarity rally will urge Governments of the Member States of the European Union to jointly express “strong concern” to the Chinese government at their “highest political levels” over their “repressive” policies in Tibet, to increase pressure on China to agree to a “high level EU delegation visit” to Tibetan areas, and to appoint a “EU Special Coordinator” for Tibetan issues.

Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay, the elected leader of the Tibetan people will also address the rally.

According to organisers, over 10,000 people are expected to attend the all-Europe solidarity rally.