World
Dalai Lama to attend Rome summit of Nobel laureates
Dharamsala: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama will visit Italy next month to attend the 14th World Summit of Nobel Peace laureates, which was earlier scheduled in South Africa but cancelled in protest over denial of visa to him, his aide said Monday.
“His Holiness will participate in the summit of Nobel Peace laureates in Rome Dec 12-14,” Tenzin Taklha, joint secretary at the Dalai Lama’s office, told..
The summit was suspended earlier in September after the South African government failed to issue a visa for the Dalai Lama who wanted to attend the summit in Cape Town, a statement by the summit’s secretariat said.
“His Holiness the Dalai Lama with 22 other peace laureates has confirmed his attendance. Among these include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Shirin Ebadi, Leymah Gbowee, Tawakkol Karman, Mairead Maguire, Jose Ramos-Horta, David Trimble, Lech Walesa, Betty Williams,” it said.
Rome is the city where the summit was originally conceived. The city has previously hosted the first eight world summits.
Breaking his silence last month over the South African government denying him visa under Chinese pressure, the Dalai Lama described the action like “bullying”.
“The treatment by the South African government is like bullying a humble person who has no protection,” the Nobel Peace laureate said in his address in Dharamsala Oct 2.
“They are my protection,” he said, pointing towards fellow laureates Shirin Ebadi of Iran and Jody Williams of the US, who were present at a function here to mark the silver jubilee celebrations of the Dalai Lama’s Nobel Peace Prize.
Ebadi and Williams with several laureates pulled out of the 14th World Summit of Nobel Peace laureates in protest over denial of visa to the spiritual leader. This led to cancellation of the summit.
The Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in Dharamsala, applied for a visa to South Africa Aug 27, his aides said.
This is the third time in five years that the Dalai Lama has called off his visit to South Africa, they said.
The Dalai Lama, who in 1989 was given the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for Tibet, now lives in exile with some 140,000 Tibetans.
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.