Dharamshala, India — "In order to develop a peaceful world, both men and women have the responsibility, therefore, boys and girls should have equal access to education to develop a peaceful world," His Holiness the Dalai Lama said in a speech on compassion, education, and equality to young peace-builders at the United States Institute of Peace on October 14, 2021.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama delivered a talk entitled compassion, education, and equality followed by a question and answer session with young peace-builders at the United States Institute of Peace online from his residence in Dharamshala, HP, India on October 14-15, 2021.
Mrs. Lise Grande, President, US Institute of Peace, welcomed His Holiness the Dalai Lama and introduced the event. She explained that the USIP is dedicated to the proposition that peace is possible, practical, and essential for the US and global security. It brings together young leaders from conflict-affected communities and provides training on leadership, prejudice reduction, and conflict transformation. The intention is to build bridges across social divides and to reduce the isolation they may feel in their work as peace-builders. There are currently 300 Fellows associated with USIP from 26 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.
“It is encouraging to see that the world is changing now. There was so much violence in the last century, including World Wars I and II, and looking back at that time, today I think the voice of peace is stronger, not only from a few leaders, but at the public level, where people are thinking seriously about world peace, and world peace means that individuals and communities create peaceful communities, and in order to create peaceful communities, individuals should create peace of mind,” His Holiness the Dalai Lama said.
“Peace of mind come from loving-kindness, compassion and mindset of not hurting other, including animal, this kind of attitude are very important. Being compassionate may seem like taking more care of others, but in reality, taking care of others is the best way to take care of ourselves. We should practice wise selfishness, not foolish selfishness,” he added.
Mithila Hore, a USIP Generation Change Fellow in Bangladesh, asked him how to advise a woman who had taken her daughter, not her son, out of school because of the pandemic. His Holiness replied, "Everyone should have equal access to education so that we can create an atmosphere of equality. It is wrong to differentiate between men and women, we should not follow the traditional way. In order to develop a peaceful world, both men and women have the responsibility, therefore, boys and girls should have equal access to education to develop a peaceful world.”
