Compassion and Universal Responsibility

UPF-Austria: Vienna, June 24, 2007

At an interreligious service in Vienna on June 24, 2007 Mrs. Tseten Zöchbauer received the “Ambassador for Peace” award from the Universal Peace Federation in Austria.

Mrs. Zöchbauer, the founder of the Tibetan Community in Austria, explained the meaning of “Compassion”, “Not being attached to material things” and “Universal responsibility” from the viewpoint of Buddhism. Her speech was received with great interest by all religious representatives in the audience: Christians, Alleviates (moderate Turkish Moslem group) and Unificationists. She continued to speak about the universality of Buddhist thinking. Having been raised by Christian parents and living in Europe since the age of 6 she is a natural bridge builder between the cultures and religions of Europe and her homeland Tibet.

For a long time Mrs. Zöchbauer has been ceaselessly working for her fellow Tibetan refugees, helping them to integrate into Austrian society. That is why she was able to build up the Tibetan Community in Austria within a few years. At the same time she has been running the only Tibetan restaurant and cultural centre in Vienna, for whom she has received awards from several institutions. Moreover, she has been honoured for representing Tibetan culture as well as Buddhism in the Austrian public on countless occasions.

Yet, she said: “Being given the “Ambassador for Peace” award means more to me more than any other recognition I have received until now, because it stands for everything that is important to me: family, tradition, interreligious peace, world peace, moral values, preserving the culture and, dialogue. You have made me so happy!”

The Ambassadors for Peace initiative was launched in January 2001 in New York. Ambassadors for Peace have been appointed worldwide since then, men and women from all fields of society who are practicing in their lives the principles stated in the text of the award: “Ambassadors for Peace are individuals whose lives exemplify the ideal of living for the sake of others, and who dedicate themselves to promoting universal moral values, strong family life, interreligious cooperation, international harmony, renewal of the United Nations, responsible mass media, and the establishment of a global culture of peace. Transcending racial, national and religious barriers, the Ambassadors for Peace contribute to the fulfilment of the hope of all ages, a unified world of peace, wherein the spiritual and material dimensions of all reality are harmonized.”

The Austrian Chapter of the Peace Federation congratulates Mrs. Zöchbauer for all her achievements and recognizes her as an exemplary Ambassador for Peace!