The Dalai Lama to meet Archbishop Tutu via Internet

Friday, October 07, 2011

Phayul
By Tendar Tsering

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, left, and the Dalai Lama are seen during a meeting in Cape Town in August 1996. (Mike Hutchings/Reuters)

DHARAMSHALA, October 6: His Holiness the Dalai Lama will address the inaugural Desmond Tutu Peace Lecture on October 8 to wrap up the events to celebrate one of South Africa's best-loved personalities but from his exile home of Dharamshala, north India via the Internet.

Speaking to Phayul, Chhime Rigzing, secretary of the Tibetan spiritual leader said that the Dalai Lama has accepted the proposal from his fellow South African Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu to have a worldwide live video conference this coming Saturday.

"In principle, yes, His Holiness has accepted the proposal, and from our side, we are in the process of arranging the video link," the secretary said.

"His Holiness has also sent a birthday video message to his fellow Nobel Peace Laureate," added Rigzing.

Archbishop Tutu had made the video conference proposal after the Dalai Lama had to call off his much anticipated South Africa visit after continued visa delays from Pretoria.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will, nevertheless, be sharing the dais with Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the University of the Western Cape on October 8 as part of Tutu's 80th birthday celebrations.

Ironically, the dialogue is expected to draw a much larger viewership from across the globe as it will be aired live on the world wide web.

The Tibetan spiritual leader was scheduled to visit South Africa from October 6 – 14, on invitations by a number of universities and organisations including Stellenbosch University, the Tutu Center and the Mahatma Gandhi Trust to give public talks, deliver lectures and to receive the Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Peace and Reconciliation.