by Staff Reporter
Belfast, July 18: THE Dalai Lama arrived in Londonderry yesterday with a powerful tribute to his host Richard Moore from Children in Crossfire – “You are my hero.”
The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists said the words to Mr Moore as he hugged him after touching down at City of Derry Airport yesterday.
The Nobel Prize winner is visiting the city to take part in the 10th anniversary celebrations of local children’s charity, Children in Crossfire.
It is the second time that the 14th Dalai Lama has visited it at the invitation of Richard Moore, who was blinded by a rubber bullet by the Army in 1972.
During his visit, the Dalai Lama will be received in the Guildhall this morning by the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Patricia Logue.
He will also speak at an invitation-only event in the Millennium Forum to mark the anniversary of Children in Crossfire.
Speaking yesterday, Foyle MP Mark Durkan MLA expressed hopes that His Holiness’s visit to the city would help to foster and support peace among different communities, and that “his teachings on kindness, compassion and interconnectedness will not be lost”.
He said: “The people of Ireland have long been impressed by his steadfast commitment to peaceful means in the struggle for Tibetan independence.
“I look forward to dialogue between the Chinese government and the Tibetan government-in-exile as the only way to resolve this long standing issue.
“In addition, I acknowledge the patience and peaceful means that the Dalai Lama has followed over many years in promoting human rights in Tibet. “His Holiness has a unique and compelling appeal as a world figure who reaches out to all people with a message of compassion, kindness and mutual understanding.”
