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Hobart, Australia, 8 December 2009 (ATC) - His Holiness the Dalai Lama has returned from New Zealand to resume his program in Australia, today travelling to Hobart in Australia’s small island state of Tasmania.

Tasmania has a special relationship with Tibet through an ongoing exchange program between the University of Tasmania and the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies in Sarnath, India. Tasmania is also the heartland of Australia’s environment movement and there was a strong environmental theme to many of today’s events.

Senator Bob Brown introduces His Holiness at the Melbourne Public Talk (photo: ATC)

The day began with an address to staff and students at the University of Tasmania on the theme of “Compassion in Diversity”. His Holiness spoke passionately about the value of cross-cultural learning and of the enormous benefit it has brought to Tibetans and the West through scholarly exchanges such as Tasmanian Buddhist Studies in India Program.

After being driven to his press conference by Tasmanian Greens politician Nick Mckim in a fuel-efficient hybrid car, His Holiness once again spoke to the media about the immense environmental significance of Tibet, the earth’s “Third Pole”, and our collective responsibility to take strong action on climate change.

In the afternoon His Holiness met with long-time friend Senator Bob Brown, leader of the Australian Greens and Senator for Tasmania, along with Don Henry, President of the Australian Conservation Foundation and Lisa Singh MP, Tasmanian Minister for Climate Change. His Holiness then delivered a talk to four thousand people on the subject of “Our Earth: Who is Responsible?”