Greg Wright: Dalai Lama visit proved controversial but was fitting finale

WE love our reputation as a place where anyone can speak the truth freely, without fear of censorship.

So, at a time when corporate greed and free speech are under the spotlight, it was always likely that the arrival of the Dalai Lama at the Yorkshire International Business Convention (YIBC) would cause a stir.

The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, was well-placed to give a cool, detached account of recent economic upheavals. It was a poignant moment, because his visit also marked the last YIBC in Leeds.

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His core message about the importance of the “altruistic mind” certainly chimes with recent shareholder rebellions against executive pay.

The ‘shareholder spring’ has caused embarrassment for some senior business figures, but has, at least focused minds on whether top people are giving value for money.

The Dalai Lama told the Yorkshire audience that greed, short-sightedness, speculation and ignorance were the root causes of the global financial crisis. Few people would argue with the wisdom of such sentiments. If shareholders and regulators had been more assertive we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in.

But his visit was dominated by loud “noises off”. The Chinese embassy is said to have sent representatives to Leeds City Council to complain about his appearance and, it was claimed, threatened to pull its Olympic team out of the city’s training camp ahead of next month’s games.

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The council did not send an official delegation to the event.

The Chinese regard the Dalai Lama as an anti-China separatist, although the Dalai Lama has always claimed that his goal is for Tibetan autonomy rather than independence.

Mike Firth, the organiser of the convention, yesterday described reports that the Chinese had threatened to pull their Olympic team out of Leeds as “a hollow threat”.

He said: “We were delighted to welcome the Dalai Lama to our convention and it certainly generated a lot of attention, thanks to the Chinese attempts to influence our decision.

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“At YIBC we have always upheld the principles of freedom of speech and have never dictated an agenda to our speakers.

“The Dalai Lama gave a wonderful non-political talk about peace, kindness, honesty and truth. Pity no one from the council was there to hear it.”

And what of the city council’s response? Well, the council has issued a statement stressing that the YIBC was a private event, and not organised by them. The spokesman told me that the council was aware of “sensitivities” around the convention and didn’t feel it was appropriate to comment further.

Which leaves an obvious unanswered question. Did the Chinese authorities attempt to lean on the council?

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I chatted to a well-placed source yesterday, who said the council had acted with complete integrity.

According to my source, the council never received any requests to meet the Dalai Lama and, although they were contacted by the Chinese authorities who expressed concern about the Dalai Lama’s visit, no threat was made to withdraw the Olympic team from Leeds.

Some employees from the city council accompanied the children who greeted the Dalai Lama, my source told me.

The council defended the principle of free speech in its dealings with the Chinese, the source added.

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So there you have it. The YIBC in Leeds went out with a bang, sparking a debate about ethics and international politics.

It’s just the sort of stimulating finale that Mr Firth would have dreamed of.

Although the Leeds event has died – it’s been killed off by the recession and a dwindling supply of top level speakers – a spin-off event will live on in Bridlington.

It’s hoped that Mr Firth may revive the YIBC format for one-off events with big name speakers.

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For regular attendees, there are plenty of golden memories, and the Dalai Lama’s sane words about greed and the immorality of censorship should stay with us forever.

On the subject of glittering dates in the corporate calendar, we’re on the hunt for great Yorkshire companies to enter our Excellence in Business Awards.

During times of austerity, it’s more important than ever that we bang the drum for the grafters and innovators who make Yorkshire the best place to live and work.

We welcome entries from firms of all shapes and sizes. It doesn’t matter whether your firm started life on a kitchen table or inside a giant foundry.

Don’t delay – the deadline is July 2. To enter, simply visit the business section of the Yorkshire Post website – www.yorkshirepost.co.uk