Dalai Lama tells Irish audience the developed world is in crisis
The Dalai Lama has told an audience in Derry City that the developed world is experiencing a mental crisis.
He railed against too much war, fear, distrust and anger and called for world leaders to create a century of peace.
The Tibetan spiritual leader also said he was an admirer of the European Union and urged Russia to join the bloc.
The 82-year-old said: "Our goal should be a century of peace, a century of dialogue based on a sense of oneness of seven billion human beings."
Speaking in Derry today the leader in exile of the Tibetan Himalayan kingdom - which was annexed by China in 1950 -revealed how he had visited Northern Ireland several times: in October 2000, November 2005 and April 2013.
The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 has become a symbol of peaceful resistance to oppression throughout the world.
He said thinking which led to warfare was outdated - referring to fighting in Burma, Iraq and Syria - adding: "Those developed countries are mentally in a lot of crisis.
"Unrest, too much warring, fear distrust and anger."
He is a guest of charity Children in Crossfire, which is marking 20 years of international development work.
The anti-poverty organisation was established by Richard Moore, who was blinded after he was injured during the Northern conflict.
Mr Moore was walking past an Army post when he said a soldier fired a rubber bullet from 10 feet away.
In Derry the Dalai Lama holds the hand of Richard Moore, Children in Crossfire founder who was blinded by a rubber bullet as a child pic.twitter.com/95Kz6vvAxJ
— Charles McQuillan (@photomcq) September 10, 2017
The Dalai Lama urged a greater sense of compassion and love during his speech to a sell-out crowd in the city.
He alluded to Brexit during a lengthy address.
He said: "I am an admirer of European Union", adding, "Eventually Russia should be part of the European Union."
He made a few jokes about US President Donald Trump and climate change, noting recent events (hurricanes in the Caribbean) may be teaching him something different.
