Community Corner

Panel Kicks Off Newark Peace Education Summit

The Dalai Lama: Reduce poverty, increase education

A singing, joyful audience of nearly 500 people belted out the 1920's gospel song, "Down by the Riverside" at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and embodied the mood of the Newark Peace Education Summit Friday morning, as the crowd awaited the arrival of The Dalai Lama.

"There is a profound understanding that comes from any view of history that shows we are in many ways controllers of our destiny," said Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker, who stood on stage with a painted backdrop depicting pictures of children along with symbols of peace. "Today, we understand the need to come together, to join together to recognize that we have an interwoven, interdependent destiny."

TheTibetan spiritual leader, The Dalai Lama, kicked off the three-day summit with a nine-person "Peace Within" panel that included Nobel Laureates Shirin Ebade and Jody Williams and Mahishan Gnanaseharan, a seventh-grader from Science Park High School in Newark.

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"How to bring the real peace and compassion for society … we have to talk frankly," said The Dalai Lama. "My part … nothing special … You can consider me a small buddhist psychologist today."

The panel focused on violence and democracy. "If we want to have tranquility or hope … we have to understand that it is in us from childhood," said Ebade, as she referred to stopping violence. "It starts with us, then it goes into our families and then goes into the community."

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Williams said people need to "reconsider" forms of violence, "The violence in the family, the violence of a society that allows economic injustice, racial injustice … the violence of tax cuts to the wealthy while ripping apart the middle class." Her remarks were met with applause.

Gnanaseharan told the audience he witnessed violence first-hand while at school, "During the fourth grade, I was unfortunate enough to see one of my friends get severely injured. The impacts of youth violence extend beyond the individual. It is within us that the spark first starts."

The Dalai Lama also discussed his belief in a democratic government and the need to reduce "this gap of rich and poor." "The world belongs to people … not government," he said. "The leader of the government is chosen by the people for the people. Democracy system is the best system."

On Thursday, he said reducing poverty and increasing education are vital to vanquishing violence.

"Causes of frustration will not go away with violence," he said to reporters. "The only thing is: Keep determination, optimism ... work hard with education, learning, studying then the ... youth have a particular role to change this habit in society."

Nancy Novo, 22, of Newark, who attended the conference Friday, said she agreed with the Dalai Lama, "Growing up in Newark, it was hard to deal with certain cultures interacting. I think if there was more compassion within the classroom … within the families, it would change how students react with each other, instead of putting up this barrier."

Novo, who's a student at Union County College, said having more programs where students are required to learn about cultures is a start to more peace, “It will bring a change in and of itself. They all will have the same goal in mind."

The peace summit continues until Sunday with both panels and workshops from 9 a.m. to roughly 5 p.m.


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