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Zone of Peace
Introduction
It is my dream that the entire Tibetan plateau should become a free refuge where humanity and nature can live in peace and in harmonious balance. It would be a place where people from all over the world could come to seek the true meaning of peace within themselves, away from the tensions and pressures of much of the rest of the world. Tibet could indeed become a creative center for the promotion and development of peace.
-- His Holiness, the Dalai Lama.
Tibet As A Zone of Peace
In his "FIVE POINT PEACE PLAN STATEMENT" delivered in 1989 the Dalai Lama committed himself to developing Tibet, following liberation into a "Zone of Peace". The specific points regarding the Zone of Peace he made in his lecture in Norway on 12/11/89 were as follows:
- a. the entire Tibetan plateau would be demilitarized;
- b. the manufacture, testing, and stockpiling of nuclear weapons and other armaments on the Tibetan plateau would be prohibited.
- c. the Tibetan plateau would be transformed into the worldıs largest natural park or biosphere. Strict laws would be enforced to protect wildlife and plant life; the exploitation of natural resources would be carefully regulated so as not to damage relevant ecosystems; and a policy of sustainable development would be adopted in populated areas;
- d. the manufacture and use of nuclear power and other technologies which produce hazardous waste would be prohibited;
- e. national resources and policy would be directed towards the active promotion of peace and environmental protection.
- f. organizations dedicated to the furtherance of peace and to the protection of all forms of life would find a hospitable home in Tibet;
- g. the establishment of international and regional orga-nisations for the promotion and protection of human rights would be encouraged in Tibet.
Since that time the topic has appeared here and there in his lectures as he has networked around the world. Other governmental and non-governmental organizations have made reference to it as they have anticipating the prospects of disrupting the stranglehold China continues to have on Tibet.
Clearly this is a vision or a "dream" as the Dalai Lama calls it that can capture the imagination of serious scholars, environmentalists and citizens in a world that is spinning out of control. It calls forth an idea thatıs time has truly come. There is still unlimited potential for ending the process of dissembling the earthıs resources and reversing this avaricious trend to bring about a healthy whole living environment in Tibet.
His Holiness' vision has been laid out, but the pressures in dealing with world leaders and organization to put Tibet's problems high on the international agenda has kept the focus at another political level. The concept of "The Zone of Peace" or "Ahisma" as used by Ghandhi has sadly lacked sufficient worldwide attention.
The team that manages this web site believes that His Holiness' vision is ripe for fuller development. This development could take the form of a pre-visualization of how Tibet with its natural features and resources, its wildlife, its people and culture could re-emerge as a healthy, stable and humanistic environment dedicated to international peace.
While the world waits for the tide to shift the balance toward liberty and justice for Tibet, it is none too soon to begin to fill in the outer and then inner outlines of how such a society may solve its problems and be a service to mankind.
The conceptualizations can begin from the general and eventually lead to specifics. The areas of concern are many and all interrelated. They must move from the arena of survival, survival of people, culture, land, wildlife, natural environment etc. to one of thriving.
We would like to use this site as a forum to gather together ideas from serious thinkers as to how such an exciting concept might be developed and look once it is put in place. As the notion is almost as large as Tibet itself, there is room for the generalist and the specialist from many fields to contribute their thoughts.
We wish to encourage the readers of www.tew.org (Tibet Environmental Watch) to submit their ideas to us via e-mail: rapte@dnai.com. Should one wish to write essays or papers regarding the subject they would be seriously considered for posting. While TEW is not an official site, useful ideas and contributions become available for those who are working from around the world for the future Tibet.