By Maurice Bridge in Vancouver Sun
VANCOUVER, May 27 – The University of B.C. will pick up a tab of nearly $93,000 for last year’s visit to Vancouver by the Dalai Lama and other international spiritual leaders.
According to information obtained by The Vancouver Sun under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the exact amount of the shortfall is $92,806.96.
Total cost of the four-day visit to Vancouver by the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader and Nobel Prize winner was $450,641.50, while revenues and donations amounted to $357,834.54.
Highlights included two packed public lecture sessions at the PNE Coliseum, a roundtable discussion at UBC’s Chan Centre and presentation of honourary degrees to the Dalai Lama, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Iranian human-rights activist Shirin Ebadi by UBC and Simon Fraser University.
One of the Dalai Lama’s reasons for visiting Canada was to celebrate the inauguration of the Centre for Contemporary Tibetan Studies at UBC’s Institute of Asian Research, and to address a major conference of Tibetan scholars.
Scott Macrae, director of UBC public affairs, said Thursday the university regards the money as well spent.
“We didn’t set out to make a profit on it,” he said, “and what we got was really something quite extraordinary for our community and, in fact, for the city and the province.”
An opinion poll conducted by the Mustel Group for The Sun shortly before the visit found the Dalai Lama is the most-respected spiritual leader among British Columbians, with then-pope John Paul II and Archbishop Desmond Tutu running close behind.
The survey found 25.6 per cent of the people of B.C. said the global spiritual leader they most admired was the Dalai Lama, followed by 19 per cent who named the late head of the Catholic church, and 14 per cent who chose Tutu. More than 26,000 people bought tickets to the Dalai Lama’s two sold-out talks at Pacific Coliseum.
The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in the Indian hill town of Dharamsala since 1959, when Chinese troops occupied his homeland.
PAYING THE PRICE OF A SPIRITUAL CELEBRATION:
Organizers of the Dalai Lama’s April 18-20, 2004 spiritual summit in Vancouver raised $358,000 to cover expenses. But costs of $451,000 exceeded income, resulting in a deficit. Some highlights of the visit, as told by new information brought to light by the Vancouver Sun:
Spiritual teaching by Dalai Lama
(12,500 people)
Rental cost for PNE
$57,300
Gift for Dalai Lama
$1,753
Musical tribute
Hire Vancouver Symphony Orchestra $25,000
Overtime for musicians $2,512
Prayer flags $37
Composing and arranging $3,350
“Balancing, Educating the Mind” roundtable dialogue)
Airfare, Rabbi Schacter-shalomi $8,125
VIP accommodation, Sheraton Wall Centre $29,419
Honorarium for Desmond Tutu $3,000 US
(same as for Rabbi Schacter-Shalomi, Shirin Ebadi, Jo-Ann Archibald)
Travel for Dalai Lama and his entourage $20,967
Honourary PhD conferral ceremony
Citations/Diplomas $555
TOTAL DEFICIT FOR HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA VISIT
$92,807
Source: University of B.C., Vancouver Sun
