The Dalai Lama met the General Secretaries of CGIL CISL and UIL of Piedmont on 16th December, before sitting in the stand of the RAI Auditorium, in front of an crowded audience.
Mario Scotti, the General Secretary of CISL, as representative of the Trade Union of Piedmont, explained the strategies of the Trade Union to assert the human and Trade Union rights in China and Tibet.
The Dalai Lama liked to thank the Italian Trade Unions and the leader of the Campaign of Solidarity with Tibetan People for their steady commitment to support his people’s cause and reasserted that “only a democratic China can give a real autonomy to Tibet”.
Then the Tibetan leader invited the representatives of the workers “to support in every way the spontaneous protests of the Chinese workers claiming better conditions of life and working and asking for the respect of the fundamental rights”.
At 10 o’clock there was the scheduled conference in the RAI Auditorium that was broadcast on the big screen in Piazza Castello. Thousands of people that couldn’t get a seat in the small room gathered there.
In the afternoon there was the meeting on “Governance and Compassion” at Palazzo Lascaris, where participated the Presidents of the Regional Councils Franz Pahl, for Trentino-Alto Adige, Ettore Albertoni, for Lombardia and Giacomo Ronzitti, for Liguria. Just before the debate started, Maurizio Grassano, President of the Town Council of Alessandria, and Daniela Ruffino, Mayor of Giaveno, gave to the Dalai Lama the “freedom of the city”. Besides He received the “seal” of Liguria Region by the President Mr. Ronzitti.
Mrs. Mariacristina Spinosa and Mr. Giampiero Leo, leaders of “The Italian Association of Town , Provinces and Regions for Tibet” participated at the meeting in the Council Room.
Tenzin Gyatso said again on the tibetan issue: “the spirit of Tibetans is very strong, but recently they started to get annoyed. For this reason it is very important that your support goes on. Our cause is right – Tenzin Gyatso said to the members of the Regional Council of Piedmont – Tibetan culture has to be preserved not only for Tibetan people but for all the International Community”.
The meeting was closed by the speeches of the regional counsellors Rocchino Mulier, Gian Luca Vignale, Luigi Ricca, Oreste Rossi, and of the leader of “Campaign of Solidarity with Tibetan People”, Claudio Tecchio.
At 4 p.m. the Mayor of Turin, Sergio Chiamparino and the President of the Town Council, Beppe Castronovo, gave to the Dalai Lama the “Freedom of the city”.
Both the official events were broadcast via internet by the respective institutional sites.

The editorial office of “Dossier Tibet”.