Personal peace first, then world peace

To open the 2009 Vancouver Peace Summit, four of the world’s leading thinkers will come together to explore the role of inner peace in facilitating world peace. His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Matthieu Ricard, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Eckhart Tolle will discuss how inner transformation can help us work towards building a peaceful world. The session is called World Peace Through Personal Peace.

The speakers have a wide arrange of experiences to share at this one-of-a-kind event. Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard, dubbed the “world’s happiest person”, was a scientist studying the anatomy of cells before turning to Buddhism, an opportunity to study the anatomy of happiness.  Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who played a critical role in promoting peace in South Africa, has spoken extensively on the power of reconciliation and forgiveness in achieving peace. Author Eckhart Tolle long suffered from depression before he had a life-changing moment in which he believes he discovered the key to achieving inner peace, chronicled in his best-selling book The Power of Now.

The session will also feature the inaugural presentation of the Fetzer Institute Prize for Love and Forgiveness. The prize will be awarded to the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu for their work in promoting the power of love and forgiveness in the global community.

The event will be held at the Chan Centre for Performing Arts on Sunday, September 27 at 9:00am.

The Vancouver Peace Summit is a four-day event, held September 26-29. Speakers from across the globe will gather in Vancouver to discuss education and compassion as a means of achieving peace.

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