APEGA
You’ve done something not many people can say they’ve done: you’ve worked with the Dalai Lama. What has the work entailed? ND My involvement with the Dalai Lama centres on his vision of the 21st century as the century of dialogue. He often says that the 20th century was the century of war, but in this new century we should be talking to each other to resolve conflicts and address issues. Technology has allowed us to connect more than ever before, so the tools should exist for dialogue. Yet in this new world that has occurred, of increased nationalism and hatred, how do we use technology for the better of all? We seem to have used it, whether by intention or not, more to isolate ourselves and find barriers. There are three areas of transformation necessary for this dialogue to take hold: people, religions, and nations. When you talk about compassion and altruism, no faith or person has a monopoly. Everybody has a universal responsibility. Within compassion and altruism, you find values and ethics. 'I’m concerned with the big changes I’ve seen occurring, and those are the areas I want to provide extra leadership in. What I’m talking about are no longer emerging issues. They’ve emerged. They’re already here.'
The idea of nationhood in the future does not sit necessarily within the traditional definition. The European Union is a good example. You’re looking at a world that’s so interconnected, that the idea of having a common currency and military boundaries don’t really exist anymore, or at least not to the extent that they used to. So it’s interesting work and I was fortunate enough that the opportunity arose. How could I say no? If Martin Luther King, Jr., or Mahatma Gandhi were alive today, and you had the opportunity to work with them, what would you do? Why wouldn’t you see how you could work together and perhaps help create a better world? The Dalai Lama is approaching 84 years of age. What can we do while he’s still alive to ensure that his work continues? What happens when he’s no longer around? Not just for the Tibetan people but for the whole world? As for Tibet and Tibetans, it’s about a country that no longer exists, in a sense. Do we not have a duty to ensure that it does not become extinct? That’s always been a personal commitment, and it comes from being born within that context.
SUMMER 2018 PEG | 15
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