Chris Wege Attends Dalai Lama Lecture

Dalai Lama Champions Universal Responsibility

Chris Wege of Fairfield met with the Dalai Lama in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at an Earth Day lecture at the University of Michigan.

Chris Wege and his brother Jonathan recently represented their dad’s organization, the Wege Foundation, at a special lecture delivered by the Dalai Lama and organized by the University of Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems.

The Wege Foundation, established in 1976 by Chris’s father, Peter M. Wege, is a strong supporter of sustainable living programs. Peter Wege served as the first Chair of The External Advisory Board for the National Pollution Prevention Center (NPPC) and is now Chair Emeritus of the Center for Sustainable Systems (CSS) External Advisory Board at the University of Michigan, where he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 2007. Mr. Wege coined the term “economicology,” which means a strong economy requires a strong ecology. He has also provided major support for the Healing Our Waters initiative to restore and protect the Great Lakes.

Addressing a special Earth Day celebration in Ann Arbor, the Dalai Lama said, “We are . . . being drawn together by the grave problems we face: overpopulation, dwindling natural resources and an environmental crisis that threatens our air, water, and trees, along with the vast number of beautiful life forms that are the very foundation of existence on this small planet we share. I believe that to meet these needs each of us must learn to work not just for his or her own self, family, or nation, but for the benefit of all mankind. Universal responsibility is the real key to human survival.”

Following in his father’s footsteps, Chris uphold sustainable values through his work as President of Citizens for Mandatory Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods, a 501(c)4 political advocacy group headquartered in Fairfield.

In June, Chris, along with executive director Anne Dietrich, made a presentation on mandatory labeling of food to The Wege Foundation in Grand Rapids. They were joined by author Andrew Kimbrell, founder of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Food Safety.

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