‘Love through education’ can help to change the world says Dalai Lama

Loving parents and proper infant care are the key to children developing properly – and the way to a peaceful world.

Those were the wise words from the Dalai Lama at the Compassion is Action event in Northern Ireland to mark the 20th anniversary of Children in Crossfire, a charity tackling global childhood poverty.

The Tibetan spiritual leader – who is patron of the charity – called for “a worldwide movement promoting the message of love through education” to tackle the world’s problems.

He said: “From the moment you are born, you have this immense show of love from one’s own mother, own’s own parent. Without this love, the child will not survive.

“Even in animals, you can see this. This is in our nature. The problem is that when the children grow up and start education, they are no longer talking about this inner value – this more compassionate nature.”

Theirworld’s #5for5 campaign has been highlighting five key factors needed in the first five years of a child’s life to provide nurturing care – nutrition, health, learning, play and protection.

90% of the brain develops during those crucial first few years.

The Dalai Lama said that if children are “taught” to have greater compassion towards others in their family, “this can bring a healthy family and a healthy community till it reaches a global level.

“What causes the troubles is fear and anger, which is very much based on a self-centred attitude – me, me, me. So compassion is the opposite.

“Taking care of one another, consider others. We must use our intelligence and combine it with warm-heartedness. Then I think we have the ability to extend infinite love, including our enemy.”

The Dalai Lama praised the work and commitment of Children in Crossfire director Richard Moore. Despite being blinded at the age of 10 by a soldier’s rubber bullet in Belfast, Richard has worked hard to help others.

The Dalai Lama said: “An indomitable spirit, he is a real practitioner of compassion and a living example of peace. He is my hero.”

Humanitarian and actress Joanna Lumley also showed her support for the charity, which is based in Northern Ireland. 

She said: “I am delighted to be associated with such a wonderful organisation that is doing inspirational work to help vulnerable children across the world.”