NEWS

Dalai Lama Counsels Youth Leaders from Conflict Zones Against Action Founded in Anger

By Craig Lewis | | Buddhistdoor Global

Hosting a gathering of 28 youth leaders from 14 countries plagued with conflict and war, His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Wednesday counseled the young visitors to his official residence in Dharamsala, northern India, with one of the fundamental understandings of the Buddhist teachings—that even when based on justified reasons or with sincere motivations, actions founded in or motivated by anger only exacerbate and continue the cycle of violence and conflict. His Holiness observed that the overriding and growing interdependency between nations and communities as a result of an increasingly globalized economy and digitally connected societies, coupled with the global impact of climate change, renders striving to recognize and act upon the oneness of humanity a global imperative. The assembly of youth leaders hailing from Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Columbia, India, Iraq, Libya, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United States, and Venezuela were present as part of an exchange initiative organized by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). The dialogue is aimed at helping the young leaders to develop practical skills and build personal resilience in dealing with and working to overcome the violence and conflict in their communities, the USIP said. The 28 participants in the dialogue with His Holiness shared stories of personal tragedy and of efforts toward peace-building and conflict resolution in their homelands.