RFA: In 1998 as Lord Mayor of Graz, you have extended an invitation to the Dalai Lama to conduct a Kalachakra event in Graz. Why?

Lord Mayor: We have contact with H.H. the Dalai Lama since long. He has been in Graz twice. His first visit was in conjunction with the handing-over of a Stupa in a Grazer Park. During his last sojourn, I was recommended by our buddhist community to extend an invitation to him to perform a Kalachakra here in Graz in the year 2002.

I have brought this to the notice of His Holiness. After the City of Graz repeated the offer and informed officially it´s decision to become the host city and after several rounds of talks His Holiness finally gave his consent that the meeting of World Buddhists, Kalachakra 2002, will take place in Graz from October 11 to 23.

This is a great honour, a big task, also a great pleasure. And with this we would like to honour one of the great world religions. On the other hand the Kalachakra 2002 will be a great event for peace. Hence it is a symbol for world peace.

The City of Graz would like to draw the attention to the people of Tibet. We want to draw the attention that the Tibetan people have a right to human rights. We also want to draw the attention that the Tibetans have the right to free religious practice and preservation of their culture.

RFA: May I interpose a question? Was there any political pressure against the decision of the City of Graz to support Kalachakra event? If so, a part from political pressure, does this event also give the City of Graz a positive publicity, afterall people from more than 60 countries of the world will be coming to Graz?

Lord Mayor: Of course, it is the pleasure to all of us in Graz that participants from all over the world have already registered themselves, at the moment guests from 68 countries of the world. Many international journalists will also be coming to Graz.

But the most important thing is that eight to ten thousand odd guests coming to the second biggest Austrian city would feel happy, they feel that we are a city which is dedicated to humanistic values and they feel that we are a university city with a long tradition of grown culture, where there is a respectful intercourse with religions and in fact with all religions. They should also know that Graz is a fertile ground for inter-faith dialogue.

Pressure from the politics? Your question could only imply whether there are irritations from the side of the PR China. There had always been such irritations in the past whenever HH the Dalai Lama was in Graz and these irritations were centred around symbols such as Tibetan flag which we hoisted on the Town Hall or when we expressed our concerns about the human rights. At the moment it is relatively calm.

There have been some enquiries and there was at one point a consideration whether we should better cancel the Kalachakra altogether. This would of course not happen. We are sovereign in our decisions. I always say that the Dalai Lama is a Nobel Peace Leaurate. He is a man without weapons. He is a man without worldly powers. He is a man without an army. And that is why he is respected throughout the world as a personality who is contributing his part towards the peaceful development of the world.

I would like to point out here that he has delivered major speeches at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, in the German Bundestag, as well as in many other significant bodies throughout the world. Therefore, we are proud that His Holiness will be in Graz for 11 whole days and he is absolving a heavy programme pertaining to religious ceremonies, teachings, rituals, as well as public programmes in Graz. He will be conferred with the Human Rights Prize by the Karl Franzens University and there will be a public event for interested citizens of Graz. The Kalachakra will be one of the biggest international events in our city.

RFA: There are criticisms from certain sections of Christians to the Kalachakra event. On the other hand this Kalachakra event is under the patronage of UNESCO-Commission of Austria and Austrian Buddhist Union. In the meantime a number of politicians both at the state and central government levels are honorary members of the Kalachakra Commitee. Do you feel reconfirmed in your decision in extending an invitation to the Dalai Lama?

Lord Mayor: I feel reconfirmed because the reactions of the people are full of expectations. I know from the last encounter in the Grazer Schloßberg, the inter-faith gathering, where there was a joint peace prayer with the Dalai Lama, the Catholic Bishop, the Superintendent of the Protestant Church, representative of Islam in Graz and the president of Jewish Community. For the people it was a deep experience that representatives of world religions gathered for a peace prayer. This has led to a very special atmosphere in the city and this is the first confirmation.

The second confirmation indeed is the interest members of the Austrian Federal Government and material support from the Federal Chancellor as well as from the responsible Minister for Cultural Affairs, amply show that this Kalachakra has significance to whole of Austria. There is also support from the federal state of Styria in the person of the Governor who represents the entire state government. In the city of Graz itself, the whole municipal body which is made up of 4 parties and the entire municipal council support this project as everyone is convinced that Graz should be the host city while the religious ritual shall remain a matter of the buddhist community itself. Graz as the host city does not wish to interfer in the religious ceremonial matters.

We had good talks with the christian churches including with the Diocese Bishop of the Diocese Grat-Sakert, Dr. Kapilari, who has extended an invitation to accommodate the monk guests in the parocial facilities. This is a positive guesture. He made a remark that there is of course difference between the Catholism and Buddhism. Unfortunately, part of this was deliberately misinterpreted.

There are criticisms from the so called Evangelical Alliance from the Upper Styria, from the Enns Valley, which has somewhat fundamentalistic approach towards Buddhism. One has to understand this within the context of their history. From the time of the reformation and counter-reformation there is an enclave of Protestants in this area. They have some what fundamentalistic approach towards Buddhism. Just recently, I have sent an explanatory reply to the ladies and gentlemen who wrote a letter to me. I am confident that this could be resolved in a good culture of dialogue.

Once again, the City of Graz is not a PR agency for Buddhism. The City of Graz will be the host city for the meeting of world Buddhists.

RFA: One final question concerning your city. Here in this brochure it reads "Graz - Austrian covert love". Graz will be the Cultural Capital of Europe next year. Can you give a brief introduction of your city?

Lord Mayor: Graz is the second biggest city of Austria and a historically grown University city. We have over 40000 students in three universities. Graz is the Economic centre of the state of Steiermark. Over 40% of the added value of the federal state of Styria come from the Graz area. We have several major research undertakings, many leading enterprises which export to all over the world. We have a good employment situation, currently there are more than 160000 jobs in the city. The current rate of umemployment is little under 5%, even this is too high, as every percent is too much, but compared to European or Austrian national average it is a good one.

We are of course a historically grown cultural city. This is now recognized by the EU as we will be only the Cultural Capital of Europe for the year 2003 which will carry out the project Cultural Capital of Europe. We are combining this project "Cultural Capital of Europe" with another project which may perhaps interest you. The UNO has invited Graz to become a Human Rights City. We are now combining the project "Cultural Capital" with the UN-Human Rights City. It is a great honour for us that we have received last year the Refugee Aid Prize from the UNHCR, UN-Aid for Refugees.

There are some 33000 foreign citizens in Graz coming from approximately 150 nations. Generally speaking the relation is untroubled. This gives us inspiration to design the human rights project and the European Cultural Capital in order to leave sustainable success for the people of Graz.

RFA: Thank you very much, Lord Mayor, for giving me this interview.

Note: For information about the forthcoming Kalachakra in Graz, Austrai, please contact:

Chungdak Koren
Public Relations
Kalachakra Office Graz
c/o She Drup Ling Graz, Buddhist Center
Griesgasse 2 . A-8020 Graz . Austria
phone +43-316-717297-0 . fax -4
mailto:ck@kalachakra-graz.at
www.kalachakra-graz.at
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Last updated: 31-July-2002