Dalai Lama endorses Auckland Peace City Declaration

The Peace Foundation’s efforts to forge peace through the Auckland Peace City Declaration received further impetus when His Holiness The Dalai Lama signed the Auckland Peace City citation yesterday in the presence of veteran and passionate peace campaigners, as well as Auckland Council representatives.

His Holiness The Dalai Lama graced the brief but momentous ceremony with his valuable support for the declaration at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland. Following a mihi, The Peace Foundation acting president, Yvonne Duncan officially welcomed His Holiness and invited him to sign the citation.

“As the Auckland City Council and the Auckland Peace City Committee work in partnership to apply the principles of the Auckland Peace City Declaration, His Holiness has already overcome great difficulties to set an example for us all by creating a ‘City’ for Peace at Dharamsala in India,” Yvonne Duncan said.

His Holiness addressed the gathering while appreciating the growing need for peace on the planet and “inner peace” for individuals. He also emphasised the importance of action to support the declaration.

The historic occasion, where The Peace Foundation associated with the Dalai Lama Visit Trust New Zealand, provides a powerful example of how global peace organisations and local communities can join hands to ratify the importance of peace in an at-times hostile world.

Trustee of the Dalai Lama Visit Trust New Zealand, Neil Cameron, said, “The coming together of The Peace Foundation with His Holiness The Dalai Lama to celebrate the Auckland City for Peace Declaration is a significant event. It provides a global endorsement for the efforts to highlight the ‘internationalism’ of peace.”

The Auckland City for Peace Declaration was adopted by the Auckland Council in 2011, recognising its role in the promotion of a culture of peace based on social, economic and environmental justice, tolerance and non-violence.

ENDS

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