Canberra: The Tibet Information Office in Canberra, in collaboration with the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, hosted an international symposium at the Great Stupa in Bendigo on 22 March 2026 as part of the Year of Compassion. The event brought together around 200 participants, including Buddhist leaders, scholars, and community representatives, to explore how timeless Buddhist values can be applied practically to help build a more peaceful and harmonious world.
Representative Karma Singey welcomed participants, highlighting the four principal commitments of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the significance of the Year of Compassion, which is being celebrated globally to honour His Holiness’s 90th birthday.
The Chief Guest, Maree Edwards, MP, Speaker of the Victorian Parliament, praised the Great Stupa as a beacon of peace and intercultural understanding and expressed her joy and honour in attending the event.
Distinguished panellists included Geshe Lhakdor, Director of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives; Most Venerable Kalmchiye Rathanasiri, Abbot of Abhayagiri Maha Viharaya; Venerable Chi Kwang Sunim, Head of the Seon Meditation Centre; Venerable Ronrawee, President of Dhammakaya Communities in Australia; Venerable Thich Nguyen Tang, Abbot of Quang Duc Monastery; and Venerable Thubten Chokyi, Director of IMI of FPMT Monastics and Chair of the Australian Sangha Association.
The panellists emphasised that Buddhist concepts such as mindfulness, compassion, and impermanence provide essential tools for navigating today’s challenging world by fostering inner balance, ethical living, and resilience. By highlighting interdependence and reducing ego-driven behaviour, these values help alleviate anxiety, promote peace, and encourage sustainable, compassionate action amid global crises.
The symposium concluded with a collective commitment to fostering compassion as a guiding principle for addressing the pressing challenges of today’s world. Participants emphasised that by cultivating compassion in thought, speech, and action, individuals and communities can contribute to a more peaceful, harmonious, and resilient global society.
– Report Filed by Office of Tibet, Canberra