"Through such a gathering we get new ideas and new visions," the 64-year-old Buddhist leader told the closing ceremony of the third Parliament of World Religions. "But we get change not through prayer and meditation but through action."

He urged the parliament, which brings together Buddhists, Baptists, Jains, Jews, Moslems, Hindus, Sikhs and Zoroastrians among others, to send delegations to the world's trouble spots to find out what was going on, rather than lament from afar.

The Dalai Lama, in exile since fleeing from the 1959 Chinese invasion of his Himalayan homeland, said the focus should be on a common humanity rather than individual religions.

"For that you need genuine respect for other traditions. By interaction you can develop that," he said. "All humanity has a responsibility to look after ourselves and our own planet."

To a standing ovation he urged people to be open, unbiased and sceptical, to question continuously and to make a special effort to make the coming millennium the age of humanity.

"The new millennium itself is nothing special. Day, night, sun, moon," he said. "But if you human beings make a special effort then you can make the new millennium much better."

PARLIAMENT CALL FOR ETHICAL WORLD

The Dalai Lama earlier caused a minor furore when he declined to meet South African President Thabo Mbeki, citing a packed schedule as his reason.

Mbeki has been under attack for previously cancelling a meeting with the Dalai Lama, who will open the World Festival of Sacred Music on Thursday.

There has been speculation that Mbeki bowed to pressure from China's second most powerful man, Li Peng, who visited South Africa last month.

However, Mbeki's office has consistently denied that the subject ever came up during Li Peng's visit. Sources say instead that the pressure came from South Africa's own foreign ministry.

Presidential spokesman Parks Mankahlana said the rejection of the invitation was not regarded as a snub but simply a matter of a clash of timetables.

However, the rejection is also a neat face-saving device for both sides. It allows both to cite packed schedules as a reason for not meeting, while satisfying the demands of the public that Mbeki should at least try to meet the man revered by six million Tibetans.

The parliament, which cost $3 million and only met three times in 106 years, urged institutions such as the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to ensure human rights and equality in the new millennium.

Representatives of the 7,000 delegates, who attended the gathering that started on December 1 in South Africa's top tourist destination, pledged earlier on Wednesday to push their local non-governmental organisations to co-operate more closely.

"Bridges of understanding have been built," local organiser Amy Marks told reporters. "Over 250 practical projects were initiated here."

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Last updated: 8-Dec-99