By the XIV Dalai Lama
We live in a time of profound global challenges – climate change, inequality, conflict, and deepening isolation. These problems know no borders. They affect us all. And so, they call for something greater than individual or national interest. They call for a sense of universal responsibility.
At its core, this responsibility arises from recognising our deep interdependence. In the past, we lived in relative separation – villages, nations, and religions evolved independently. Today, information, goods, people, and ideas move freely, revealing how interconnected we truly are. The well-being of one is linked to the well-being of all.
We can no longer believe that our actions are contained within personal or national boundaries. When forests disappear in one country, the air suffers everywhere. When war breaks out in one region, it displaces people and shakes the peace of others far away. The pain of one becomes the burden of many.
