Ottawa Citizen
OTTAWA -- A historic event will take place on Parliament Hill Monday when Prime Minister Stephen Harper meets with the Dalai Lama.
Never before has a Canadian prime minister publicly hosted the Buddhist monk from Tibet in an official venue. In 2004, then-prime minister Paul Martin met with the Dalai Lama but it was at a private function at the home of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Ottawa.
Harper will meet the Dalai Lama in his office at 2 p.m. ET. Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean will host the Dalai Lama later in the day at her official residence, Rideau Hall. On Tuesday, the exiled spiritual leader will meet with Liberal Leader Stephane Dion, Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe, and NDP Leader Jack Layton.
The Dalai Lama was presented with a new hat before the dialogue with students began at the Orpheum theater, Vancouver. September 8, 2006
The Dalai Lama is on a three-day visit to Canada. He arrived in Ottawa on Sunday and spoke for nearly two hours at a sold-out event. The theme of the 72-year-old's talk was "Global citizenship through universal responsibility."
An "inner disarmament" of the human soul that replaces jealousy and hatred with compassion and a holistic world view is the first step toward peaceful co-existence, he told a packed arena.
No better option exists for an interconnected world facing man-made threats that range from terrorism and dictatorships to climate change and nuclear weapons, the Dalai Lama told about 9,000 people gathered inside Ottawa's Civic Centre during a relaxed, humour-filled talk.
"The problems which we are facing, including Tibet, ultimately they are here," he said, pointing at his heart. "First inner disarmament, then outer disarmament."
The speech had concrete political elements as well. He pointed to the European Union as a successful anti-war device on a traditionally blood-soaked continent. He said the EU's integration model should one day spread to Africa and Latin America, as well as to Canada, the United States and Mexico.
He also pledged support for pro-democracy monks under attack by Myanmar's military regime, urged the west to show greater patience toward Russia, and promoted closer contact with Iran.
Aside from emphasizing the need for better health and education for Tibetans, the Dalai Lama spent little time discussing his homeland. That will likely change at Monday's meeting with Harper, causing concern on both sides of the Pacific.
While foreign heads of state, such as U.S. President George W. Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, have greeted the Dalai Lama as a revered foreign dignitary, the Chinese government views him as an agitator calling for the independence of a region integral to their country.
Last week, a spokesman from the Chinese Embassy denounced Harper's decision to host the Dalai Lama.
"On one hand they say they recognize Tibet is a part of China, and on the other hand he is receiving him in an official venue in an official capacity," said Sun Lushan, a counsellor with the embassy. "This will give people a wrong signal."
The Canada Tibet Committee responded by urging the federal government to adopt six priorities regarding Tibetan autonomy, including a negotiated settlement with the Chinese government, residency for exiles, and raising environmental concerns with the Chinese authorities.
Conservative Senator Consiglio Di Nino further provoked the Chinese embassy recently by saying China would "huff and puff," but predicted the visit would have little consequence to Canada's strong economic relationship with its second-largest trading partner.
The Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, an honourary Canadian citizenship in 2006 and the United States Congressional Gold Medal one week ago.
OTTAWA -- A historic event will take place on Parliament Hill Monday when Prime Minister Stephen Harper meets with the Dalai Lama.
Never before has a Canadian prime minister publicly hosted the Buddhist monk from Tibet in an official venue. In 2004, then-prime minister Paul Martin met with the Dalai Lama but it was at a private function at the home of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Ottawa.
Harper will meet the Dalai Lama in his office at 2 p.m. ET. Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean will host the Dalai Lama later in the day at her official residence, Rideau Hall. On Tuesday, the exiled spiritual leader will meet with Liberal Leader Stephane Dion, Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe, and NDP Leader Jack Layton.
The Dalai Lama is on a three-day visit to Canada. He arrived in Ottawa on Sunday and spoke for nearly two hours at a sold-out event. The theme of the 72-year-old's talk was "Global citizenship through universal responsibility."
An "inner disarmament" of the human soul that replaces jealousy and hatred with compassion and a holistic world view is the first step toward peaceful co-existence, he told a packed arena.
No better option exists for an interconnected world facing man-made threats that range from terrorism and dictatorships to climate change and nuclear weapons, the Dalai Lama told about 9,000 people gathered inside Ottawa's Civic Centre during a relaxed, humour-filled talk.
"The problems which we are facing, including Tibet, ultimately they are here," he said, pointing at his heart. "First inner disarmament, then outer disarmament."
The speech had concrete political elements as well. He pointed to the European Union as a successful anti-war device on a traditionally blood-soaked continent. He said the EU's integration model should one day spread to Africa and Latin America, as well as to Canada, the United States and Mexico.
He also pledged support for pro-democracy monks under attack by Myanmar's military regime, urged the west to show greater patience toward Russia, and promoted closer contact with Iran.
Aside from emphasizing the need for better health and education for Tibetans, the Dalai Lama spent little time discussing his homeland. That will likely change at Monday's meeting with Harper, causing concern on both sides of the Pacific.
While foreign heads of state, such as U.S. President George W. Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, have greeted the Dalai Lama as a revered foreign dignitary, the Chinese government views him as an agitator calling for the independence of a region integral to their country.
Last week, a spokesman from the Chinese Embassy denounced Harper's decision to host the Dalai Lama.
"On one hand they say they recognize Tibet is a part of China, and on the other hand he is receiving him in an official venue in an official capacity," said Sun Lushan, a counsellor with the embassy. "This will give people a wrong signal."
The Canada Tibet Committee responded by urging the federal government to adopt six priorities regarding Tibetan autonomy, including a negotiated settlement with the Chinese government, residency for exiles, and raising environmental concerns with the Chinese authorities.
Conservative Senator Consiglio Di Nino further provoked the Chinese embassy recently by saying China would "huff and puff," but predicted the visit would have little consequence to Canada's strong economic relationship with its second-largest trading partner.
The Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, an honourary Canadian citizenship in 2006 and the United States Congressional Gold Medal one week ago.