Nobel laureates spread love and forgiveness in Hiroshima

His Holiness the Dalai Lama signing the Hiroshima International Peace Summit Joint Statement. Also seen Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Ms. Betty Williams standing. 2 November 2006(Photos: Lobsang Wangyal)

Dharamshala: Nobel Peace Prize laureates, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Ms. Betty Williams, issued a joint statement affirming a message of love, forgiveness and non-revenge for all humankind at the conclusion of the two-day Hiroshima International Peace Summit.

The essence of the message: "Destruction of your neighbor and even your enemy is destruction of yourself.

The three Nobel Peace Prize laureates pose for photo before conclusion of the summit. 2 Nov. 2006

A crisis anywhere in health, education, human rights, care of children, or the environment has repercussions everywhere".

It therefore stated that acceptance of global responsibility and interdependence is essential both for your won well-being and for others' benefit.

The statement affirmed that compassion, human rights, forgiveness, loyalty, cooperation, care and education should not be restricted to only one group, city or nation but for all.

Following is the full text of joint statement.

We have gathered in Hiroshima to reinforce this city's spirit of forgiveness and passion for peace. In the face of the enormity of the devastation wreaked on it by atomic catastrophe, the people of Hiroshima saw the utter horror of war and sought a new solution, rebuilding a city that has become the world's premiere center of dialogue for peace. We wish to draw attention of its message of forgiveness and non-revenge for all humankind. This, the actual place of pain of the world's worst destructive weapon, is a dynamic source of inspiration for putting not one's own nation, city, or group first, but for putting the global human community and the entire planet first. We affirm and call on all to consider that:

Destruction of your neighbor and even your enemy is destruction of yourself. A crisis anywhere in health, education, human rights, care of children, or the environment has repercussions everywhere. Therefore, acceptance of global responsibility and interdependence is essential both for your own well-being and for others' benefit.

Since we are one family of sisters and brothers and one body of humanity, we must transform indifference to others' pain--children, the infirm, and the aged--into global concern. The problem starts with oneself, and so the solution also starts with oneself. Everyone from childhood on up needs to learn that the power to transform the world resides in them.

Betty Williams, Northern Ireland (1976)
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, South Africa (1984)
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tibet (1989)

And all the participants of Hiroshima International Peace Summit 2006.

  (www.tibet.net is the official website of the Central Tibetan Administration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.)

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