23 June 2011 (Photographs courtesy of Rusty Stewart/DLIAL)

I had the most enriching experience of travelling with His Holiness over the last two weeks and sharing my insights from the tour with you. Thank you for sending your positive feedback on my blogs.

The success of the Dalai Lama’s visit clearly reflects the Australian community’s respect for him and their recognition of his advocacy for human values and global responsibility.

For ATC, the Dalai Lama’s meetings with politicians in Canberra were the most significant part of his visit. It was because of your efforts that 90 MPs and Senators came to hear His Holiness’ views on Tibetan rights and democracy, Australia’s relationship with China, equality for Aboriginal people, global responsibility and the environment.

The passing of a motion on Tibet in the Senate on 14 June demonstrates that your efforts in contacting your local politician in the weeks ahead of the Dalai Lama’s visit were recognised.

I am now back in the office after the whirlwind tour, moving on with the next immediate task, i.e. following up with the politicians who came to meet the Dalai Lama. There cannot be a stronger embodiment of the Tibetan people’s aspiration to return to Tibet than the Dalai Lama himself. We are thankful that our friends in the Australian All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet gave the Dalai Lama the platform to interact with so many of our political representatives.

Once again with your support, ATC will continue to work with those MPs and Senators to make sure that their enthusiasm in meeting the Dalai Lama translates into real action for Tibet. It is important that we leverage the opportunity generated by his visit to strengthen support for Tibet. We are already working on bringing our next high-profile Tibetan visitor to the Parliament - Mr Lodi Gyari, the Special Envoy of the Dalai Lama with two decades of successful lobbying in the US Congress.

Please continue to play your part in this important effort by becoming a Voice for Tibet today. With as little as $10 a month you will help us ensure that Tibet remains on the agenda for our parliamentarians in Canberra.

Just the other day I was asked in an interview who the Dalai Lama is! I mentioned a few striking qualities that I observed first-hand during this visit. The Dalai Lama is a pragmatist on China. He supports Australia’s strong trade ties with China as long as economic development does not come at the cost of the environment. He is a visionary for modern democratic values, who handed his inherited political power directly to the Tibetan people. He is an advocate of equality for indigenous people, who encouraged the Aboriginal people to seek out a modern education while preserving their culture. He has a scientific mind, pursuing a serious study of the relationship between modern science and Buddhist science.

Let’s continue to spread the Dalai Lama’s message. And let’s make our common values a shared responsibility.