Tibetan refugees have firsthand experience of living through such circumstances and, although we have not yet been able to return to our homeland, we are grateful for the humanitarian support we have received through the decades from friends, including the people of the United States.Ī further source of hope is the genuine cooperation among the world’s nations toward a common goal evident in the Paris accord on climate change. The combination of circumstances draws attention to the vital importance of collective action toward restoring genuine peace to the lands these refugees are fleeing. I can also understand the fears of people in host countries, who may feel overwhelmed. As a refugee myself, I feel a strong empathy for their situation, and when we see their anguish, we should do all we can to help them. It is encouraging that we have seen many ordinary people across the world displaying great compassion toward the plight of refugees, from those who have rescued them from the sea, to those who have taken them in and provided friendship and support. These must be grounded in the perspective that we all belong to one human family and that together we can take action to address global challenges. There are solutions to many of the problems we face new mechanisms for dialogue need to be created, along with systems of education to inculcate moral values. Indeed, history has shown that nonviolent resistance ushers in more durable and peaceful democracies and is more successful in removing authoritarian regimes than violent struggle.
Violence inevitably incurs further violence. The notion of absolute victory for one side and defeat of another is thoroughly outdated in some situations, following conflict, suffering arises from a state that cannot be described as either war or peace. Significant reductions in the world’s arsenal of nuclear weapons mean that setting a timetable for further reductions and ultimately the elimination of nuclear weapons - a sentiment President Obama recently reiterated in Hiroshima, Japan - no longer seem a mere dream. Across the world, many are doing valuable work to prevent terrorism, recognizing the depths of misunderstanding and the divisive idea of “us” and “them” that is so dangerous. Particularly among the younger generation, there is a widespread rejection of war as a means of solving problems. There is growing international consensus in support of gender equality and respect for women. Recognition of universal human rights, including the right to self-determination, has expanded beyond anything imagined a century ago. There are many reasons for us to be hopeful.
While it would be easy to feel a sense of hopelessness and despair, it is all the more necessary in the early years of the 21st century to be realistic and optimistic.
Appalling terrorist attacks - as we were sadly reminded this weekend - have created deep-seated fear. Today, there is no end in sight to the horrific violence in the Middle East, which in the case of Syria has led to the greatest refugee crisis in a generation. My generation has witnessed so much violence - some historians estimate that more than 200 million people were killed in conflicts in the 20th century. Thanks to the kindness of the government and people of India, we Tibetans found a second home where we could live in dignity and freedom, able to keep our language, culture and Buddhist traditions alive. Since 1959, he has lived in exile in Dharamsala in northern India.Īlmost six decades have passed since I left my homeland, Tibet, and became a refugee. The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual leader of Tibet.