A unique travelling exhibition, detailing contemporary Tibetan life and the prospects for the future, was shown for the first time at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France from 4th -7th July 2005.
This exhibition was organised by Bill Newton Dunn, MEP and Vice President of the Parliament’s Tibet Intergroup, in cooperation with Bureau du Tibet in Brussels, which is the official representation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Administration to Belgium and the European Union, and the International Campaign for Tibet in Europe.
The opening of the exhibition was held on the eve of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 70th Birthday. In a speech presenting the exhibition, Newton Dunn said he was very pleased with the show, because it told the the personal stories of Tibetans, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, interwoven with the story of their nation.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s representative for Western Europe, Mr. Tashi Phuntsok, emphasised the importance of presenting Tibet’s history and visions for the future through texts, powerful photographs and video. Mr. Phuntsok highlighted the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the European Parliament in 1988 and his message of the five point proposal. “The leader of Tibet sees the EU model as an ideal one for peace, stability and mutual understanding in the international platform,” Mr Phuntsok said. As a token of gratitude he offered a Tibetan scarf to Mr. Bill Newton Dunn.
Members of the European Parliament, their assistants, Parliament officials and friends of Tibet attended the opening.
