Ngawang C. Drakmargyapon
Phayul Special Correspondent
Geneva, 6 April – Swissinfo.ch an online news agency airs a documentary on the 50th anniversary of arrival of Tibetan refugees in Switzerland. Introducing this around 5 minutes film, Julia Hunt says: “Switzerland is home to the biggest Tibetan community in Europe, numbering almost 4,000. They fled their homeland after the Chinese invasion in 1959. They are now preparing for a visit from their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to mark the 50th anniversary of their arrival here.”
On 8 April afternoon, at the “Merci Schwiiz” (Thank You Switzerland)anniversary celebrations at the Swissotel in Zurich, many Swiss personalities from regional and local governments, including the Mayor of Zurich have confirmed their attendance. The Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual and temporal leader, will address the gathering of more than 300 people on the theme: “Helping is a human virtue.” According to the spokesperson of the Tibetan Community in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, some parliamentarians of major political parties in Switzerland have also confirmed their presence.
“Keeping Tibetan Culture Alive” traces the Phurtag family of three generation of Tibetans living in Switzerland whose three sons team up in their rock band. When Norzom Phurtag, the mother, is asked about her future hopes for Tibet, she reacts with emotions saying: “I sincerely believe that one day we will be able to return to Tibet if not in this life then in the next.”
The Dalai Lama who is scheduled to arrive in Zurich tomorrow afternoon from Slovenia. The Tibetan leader first visited Switzerland in 1973 during an inaugural visit to Europe which included programmes in Italy, The Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, United Kingdom, West Germany and Austria.
According to the website of Tibet Bureau, Geneva, from 9 to 11 April, the Dalai Lama will participate in the XX Mind and Life Conference at the Kongresshaus in Zurich where the discussion will focus on “Altruism and Compassion in Economic Systems: A Dialogue between Economics, Neurosciences and Contemplative Sciences.” Mind and Life International says: “The ongoing global financial crisis shows clearly just how vulnerable economic systems are to human behavior, particularly to corruption and greed. This strongly suggests that other qualities, such as empathy, pro-social motivation, altruism and compassion may play an essential role in our increasingly competitive global economic system.”
On 11 April afternoon, hours before speaking to the Tibetans, the Dalai Lama will deliver a public talk on the subject “Universal Responsibility and Economics” at Hallenstadion, Zurich. The website for the event says, “His Holiness the Dalai Lama will investigate how important personal and universal responsibilities are in economic systems. Can we develop an economic system as well as cultivate our lives in ways that reward altruism and compassion in order to solve actual problems in the areas of poverty and environment?”
View “Keeping Tibetan Culture Alive“:
