Senator of Val d'Oise, I have had the honor of chairing, for three years, the Senate's international information group on Tibet, which was created in 2000. It has twenty senators, of all political tendencies, all committed to the defense of Tibetan culture and identity.
The year 2023 will have been marked by the trip of a delegation of three senators from our group to Dharamsala who had the great honor of being received, in a private audience, by the Dalai Lama at his residence. This trip focused in particular on the future of the Tibetan plateau and the climatic and geopolitical challenges of this area, which concentrates on the water resources of several countries, including India, Nepal and China. In a few days, the senators were also able to meet with the Speaker of Parliament in exile and other parliamentarians, actors from civil society, representatives of NGOs, and young people and visit the Tibet Museum, which represents a cultural richness both for Tibetans and for the world.
The Dalai Lama is considered by Tibetan Buddhists as the emanation of Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of compassion and patron saint of Tibet. Spiritual leader, his word and his wisdom have a sacred value for all Tibetans.
During this audience, the Dalai Lama recalled the need to live in compassion. He also recalled that every human being arrives on earth and leaves this earth in the same way, whatever their religion, whatever their state of mind and whatever their beliefs. Thus, he must make sure to live in harmony with his fellow men all his life.
Aware of the current difficulties in Tibet, the Dalai Lama nevertheless remains in his place of spiritual leader and keeps hope in the strength of the Tibetans to preserve their culture, their religion and their identity, while respecting this "middle way" that he always defended. The delegation was deeply touched by this meeting and was particularly marked by the central place of the Dalai Lama in the hearts of Tibetans.
Indeed, the senators met eight Tibetan refugees who arrived in March from Nepal, including a very young child and his grandmother who had been picked up in Nepal. Three out of eight said they came to Dharamsala because they wanted to see the Dalai Lama before they died. This trip will have made it possible to further strengthen the commitment of the senators of the group in favor of the Tibetan people who will always find them at their side.
Like every year, we will celebrate the birthday of the Dalai Lama, in conjunction with the Tibet Office with which we work closely. This event will take place in the presence of members of the information group, representatives of associations, NGOs and the Tibetan community in France.
On behalf of the International Tibet Information Group, I most sincerely wish full health and long life to His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso. May he remain a landmark in this hectic and constantly changing world, and continue to pour out his ocean of wisdom for many more years.
Jacqueline EUSTACHE-BRINIO
Senator of Val d'Oise
President of the International Tibet Information Group