Monster Media 1994 #2/Monster Media No. 2 (Monster Media)(1994).ISO/text/dl_21st.zip/NY-0494.TXT

Text File | 1994-05-07 | 15KB | 267 lines

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1. His Holiness the Dalai Lama's speech in New York, April 1994
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Forwarded by: International Campaign for Tibet <[e-mail]>
By His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

        Reflections on the Challenges of the 21st Century

   [Speech delivered to New York Lawyers Alliance for World Security
   and the Council on Foreign Relations]

New York City April 27, 1994

        As the twentieth century draws to a close, we find that
        the world has grown smaller.  The world's people have
        become almost one community.  Political and military
        alliances have created large multinational groups;
        industry and international trade have produced a global
        economy.  Worldwide communications are eliminating ancient
        barriers of distance, language and race.  We are also
        being drawn together by the grave problems we face:
        overpopulation, dwindling natural resources, degradation
        of the environment, military build-up and aggression and
        terrible human rights situations.

        I believe that to meet the challenge of the next century,
        human beings will have to develop a greater sense of
        universal responsibility.  Each of us must learn to work
        not just for his or her own self, family or nation, but
        for the benefit of all mankind.  It is very old fashioned
        to think in terms of my nation, or my country.  Universal
        responsibility is the real key to human survival.

        Whether we like it or not, we have all been born on this
        earth as part of one great family.  Rich or poor, educated
        or uneducated, black, white or yellow, belonging to one
        nation, religion, ideology or another, ultimately each of
        us is just a human being like everyone else.  We have the
        common human needs and concerns.  We all seek happiness
        and try to avoid suffering regardless of our race,
        religion, sex or political status.  Human beings, indeed
        all sentient beings, have the right to pursue happiness
        and live in peace and in freedom.

        As free human beings we can use our unique intelligence
        and try to understand ourselves and our world.  But if we
        are prevented from using our creative potential, we are
        deprived of one of the basic characteristics of a human
        being.  It is often the most gifted, dedicated and
        creative members of our society who become victims of
        human rights abuses.  Thus the political, social, cultural
        and economic developments of a society are obstructed by
        the violations of human rights.  Therefore, the protection
        of these rights and freedoms are of immense importance
        both for the individuals affected and for the development
        of the society as a whole.

        If we accept that others have an equal right to peace and
        happiness as ourselves do we not have a responsibility to
        help those in need?  Respect for fundamental human rights
        is as important to the people of Africa and Asia as it is
        to those in Europe or the Americas.  All human beings,
        whatever their cultural or historical background suffer
        when they are intimidated, imprisoned or tortured.  The
        question of human rights is so fundamentally important
        that there should be no difference of views on this.  We
        must therefore insist on a global consensus not only on
        the need to respect human rights world wide, but also on
        the definition of these rights.

        Some governments have contended that the standards of
        human rights laid down in the Universal Declaration of
        Human Rights are those advocated by the West and cannot be
        applied to Asia and other parts of the Third World because
        of differences in culture and differences in social and
        economic development.  I do not share this view and I am
        convinced that the majority of Asian people do not support
        this view either, for it is the inherent nature of all
        human beings to yearn for freedom, equality and dignity
        and they have an equal right to achieve that.

         I do not see any contradiction between the need for
         economic development and the need for respect of human
         rights.  The rich diversity of cultures and religions
         should help to strengthen the fundamental human rights in
         all communities.  Underlying this diversity are
         fundamental human principles that bind all us all as
         members of the same human family.  Diversity and
         traditions can never justify the violations of human
         rights.  Thus discrimination of persons from a different
         race, of women, and of weaker sections of the society may
         be traditional in some regions, but if they are
         inconsistent with universally recognized human rights,
         these forms of behavior should change.  The universal
         principles of equality of all human beings must take
         precedence.

        Artificial barriers that have divided nations and peoples
        have fallen in recent times.  With the dismantling of the
        Berlin Wall, the East - West division which has polarized
        the whole world for decades has now come to an end.  We
        are experiencing a time filled with hope and expectations.
        Yet there still remains a major gulf at the heart of the
        human family.  By this I am referring to the North South
        divide.  If we are serious in our commitment to the
        fundamental principles of equality, principles which I
        believe lie at the heart of the concept of human rights,
        today's economic disparity can no longer be ignored.  It
        is not enough to merely state that all human beings must
        enjoy equal dignity.  This must be translated into action.
        We have a responsibility to find ways to reduce this gap.

        In this context, another important issue is
        over-population.  From a Buddhist point of view, life of
        every sentient being is precious, and birth control is not
        favored.  But today, we are facing a situation where the
        growing number of people poses a threat to the survival of
        humanity.  Therefor, I personally feel we need to be
        pragmatic and adopt birth control measures in order to
        ensure the quality of life today in southern countries,
        and protect the quality of life for future generations.
        Of course, as a Buddhist monk, I favor non-violent forms
        of birth control.

        Another issue which is very dear to my vision of the
        future is global demilitarization.  This may sound
        idealistic to many people.  I am aware that it needs a
        process of rethinking, education and a step by step
        approach.  Most important I believe, is to re-evaluate our
        concept of military establishment.  National forces should
        be gradually dissolved and collective forces on a regional
        basis should be formed.  An important further step toward
        the goal of global demilitarization is an international
        ban on arms trade and the expansion of demilitarized zones
        in all parts of the world.  Recent progress on dismantling
        nuclear arsenals and nuclear test bans are encouraging and
        significant developments.

        Many dictators in the developing world have survived by
        weapons and armaments supplied by northern countries.  So
        much money has gone towards buying guns instead of feeding
        people and meeting basic human and environmental needs.
        Costa Rica, a country which has followed the demilitarized
        path, has done quite well in areas such as education and
        health compared to neighboring countries.   On the other
        hand, take Somalia for example, it is such a tragedy that
        there is no shortage of guns and bullets, but a severe
        lack of food.  In such situations, thousands of innocent
        people can die, including many innocent children.

        Even in your own country, guns and violence are too
        prevalent.  And it seems that a contributing factor  is
        the availability of inexpensive automatic weapons sold to
        American consumers by companies owned by the Peoples
        Liberation Army.  Those cheap weapons are not only harming
        Americans, but also financially contributing to the army
        repressing my people in Tibet.

        I have always envisioned the future of my own country,
        Tibet, as a neutral, demilitarized sanctuary where weapons
        are forbidden and the people live in harmony with nature.
        I have called this a Zone of Ahimsa or non-violence.  This
        is not merely a dream -- it is precisely the way Tibetans
        tried to live for over a thousand years before our country
        was tragically invaded.  Also, for at least the last three
        hundred years, we had virtually no army.  Tibet gave up
        the waging of war as an instrument of national policy
        several centuries ago.

        I would also like to express my deep sense of satisfaction
        that elections are taking place in South Africa that allow
        all South Africans to participate.  I hope and pray that
        peoples of all backgrounds and leaders of all communities
        will continue to work together towards an open, democratic
        society.  I also had the opportunity to visit Israel
        recently, and there too, I was very heartened to see a
        process of negotiations towards a peaceful solution.  Both
        these conflicts are being resolved through personal,
        face-to-face dialogue which I have always believed is
        essential.

        Unfortunately, my efforts to resolve the situation in
        Tibet have not been as successful.  So far, we have not
        been able to make a breakthrough and establish direct
        talks.

        It has been thirty five years since the Chinese took
        complete control of Tibet.  At that time, I , along with
        over 100,000 fellow Tibetans, left my homeland to live in
        exile in India, Nepal and other parts of the globe.  As a
        result of the invasion and the ensuing occupation over 1.2
        million of our people died of unnatural causes.  Most of
        our monasteries, the learning centers and repositories of
        our culture-- over 6000 of them-- have been destroyed.

        Since that time I have pursued a cause of non-violence and
        have tried in every way I know to find some reasonable
        accommodation with the Chinese government so that the
        Tibetan people can resume a life in peace and with
        dignity.

        In 1979, Deng Xiaoping stated that all issues regarding
        Tibet were open for negotiations-- except that of
        independence.  I responded positively in agreement with
        the principles advanced by Mr. Deng Xiaoping with the hope
        that the Chinese government would be genuinely committed
        to negotiate on all other matters concerning the future of
        the six million Tibetans.

        After informing the Chinese of my position on this point,
        through my emissaries who traveled to Beijing and met with
        Chinese diplomats abroad as well as through some of our
        foreign friends, I was hopeful that a forthright response
        would come from the Chinese so that we could enter into
        serious negotiations.  My decision to make a short trip to
        Tibet in 1991 would have also given the Chinese government
        an opportunity to arrange direct meetings between me and
        some of their senior leaders who could have come to Tibet
        to meet me.

        Unfortunately the Chinese government has yet to accept any
        of my proposals over the last fourteen years and has yet
        to enter into substantive negotiations with my
        representatives, who remain prepared to meet with Chinese
        representatives anytime.
        Therefore, I take this opportunity to again state my
        willingness to meet with any of the present members of the
        Standing Committee of the Politburo in a third country of
        mutual convenience with the sincere desire to make a
        breakthrough in our relationship.

        On my part I am continuing with my sincere efforts to
        resolve the situation through negotiations.  If this
        approach does not bring about a positive result, then I
        must consult my people over our future course of our
        freedom struggle.  However, my commitment to non-violence
        is fundamental and there will be no deviation from this
        path under my leadership.

        I think we can say that, because of the lessons we have
        begun to learn, the next century will be friendlier, more
        harmonious and peaceful.  I am very hopeful.  At the same
        time, I believe that every individual has a responsibility
        to help guide our global family in the right direction.
        Good wishes are not enough; we have to assume
        responsibility.  Large human movements spring from
        individual initiatives.  I therefore believe strongly that
        it is the individual who makes the difference.

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excerpted from:

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ISSUE ID: 94/05/03 20:30 GMT                       Compiled by Nima Dorjee