Published by: World Tibet Network News, Tuesday, August 6, 1996

Sunday Herald Times - Bloomington, Indiana

July 28, 1996

Buddhist leader talks ecology with Peace Jam group

By Lisa Sorg

Sunday Herald-Times

When the Dalai Lama ambled past a Peace Jam delegation on Indiana youths Friday at a tree-planting ceremony, it appeared the 80 teens had stopped breathing.

Many were awestruck. Others were speechless. and some barely could keep the tears in their eyes.

In conjunction with the Dalai Lama Lama's visit, during the two-days workshop the Peace Jam participants studied the Buddhist leader's life and the history of Tibet and learned how to integrate peace an environmental awareness into their lives.

Peace Jam, an organization with headquarters in Denver, Colo. coordinated the seminars as part of a five-year international plan which bring together teenagers and winner of the Nobel Prize.

During the tree-planting ceremony, teens read stanzas from the Dalai Lama's poem "The Sheltering Tree of Independence."

Afterward, the grinning Dalai Lama draped a white prayer scarf over a blue spruce and joked, "Christmas tree."

Wooden prayer beads wrapped around his right wrist the Dalai Lama greeted each delegate and clasped their hands as they bowed to him.

With help from a interpreter, the Dalai Lam, who won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1989 spoke about the Peace Jam theme "Ecology and the Human Heart."

"This is our only home," the Dalai Lama said. "It is very important to take care of our own planet.

"My generation - we are saying goodbye to this world, "the Tibetan leader told the teens. "For this generation the responsibility is on your shoulders."

After the ceremony, 14-year-old Emily Ebel Orr chattered with friends, her face transfixed in a permanent smile.

"That was amazing," said Ebel Orr, a Harmony School freshman. "He's such a spiritual person."

IN contrast, a quite Jonah Schmiechen was calm after the Dalai lama's blessing. "He made me feel totally at peace," the 17-year-old Harmony School senior said. "I wasn't nervous."

As part of the two-day conference, teens designed projects to improve and enrich their communities while advocating non-violence.

A group representing the Indianapolis Children's Museum Youth Advisory Council hosted a carnival Wednesday where children could trade their toys guns for prizes.

"We wanted to do something to promote nonvilence in the community," said 17-year-old Grace Tryon of Indianapolis. "We wanted to show kids they can have fun without violence."

While Peace Jam participants plan to implement their ideas into their neighborhoods and families, many said the experience has affected them on a deeper, personal level.

"It given me new ideas about peace and myself," said Indianapolis resident Christina Bhatti, 16. "I'm staring to find myself more."

Tryson said Peace Jam has given her confidence to create non-violent solutions for an increasing violent world.

"It seems like one person can't make a difference," Tryson said. "But you can. The Dalai Lama is just one person."

An overgrown Indianapolis field know as WISH par at 72nd Street and Michigan Avenue caught the eye of Diana Kogan, a member of the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization.

Her group called several city organizations including the park's namesake, Indianapolis television station WISH, and requested a grant to help pay the $ 1,000 needed to revamp the area.

"It's just a field. We want to fix it up," said Kogan, 15, of Indianapolis. "We want to put flowers in and make a playground for kids."

The same act of revamping a neighborhood park is the first step Kogan said, in building a peaceful and ecological sound foundation for future generations.

"The Dalai Lama shows there's lots of hope for the future," Kogan said. "We are the future. It's up to us."

For several months Bloomington High School South freshman Mike Sullivan has noticed debris in the alleys on the way to downtown comic book store.

As part of their project, "Downtown Scrubdown," Sullivan and his friends in the St. Pauls Catholic Center youth group plan to pick up trash and paint over graffiti in the Kirkwood Avenue area the first Sunday of each month.

After hearing the Dalai Lama speak about compassion, altruism and forgiveness, Sullivan said he see the commonalties between Buddhism and Catholicism.

"The Dalai Lama said it doesn't matter, you can be Buddhist and Catholic at the same time," the 14-year-old said.

And with a border understanding of what the Dalai Lama calls the "oneness of humanity," Sullivan said he will leave Peace Jam "one step closer to being enlightened."