A speech by HRH The Prince of Wales during a visit to the London Buddhist Vihara to meet tsunami disaster volunteers, Chiswick, London

Published 06 January 2005

I wanted to take this opportunity of visiting the London Buddhist Vihara to show support and solidarity for all those in Sri Lanka and elsewhere indeed, who have suffered so terribly as a result of this incomprehensible disaster.

I feel that there are so many of us in this country and elsewhere in the world who find it almost impossible to summon up the words to describe the full horror of such a tragedy, but, because there is such a deep desire to help, in some way or other, we can see the extraordinary results: the outpouring of kindness and compassion which you mentioned just now, has led to so much of what you are packing up now to send out to people in Sri Lanka and elsewhere who have suffered so much.

So many people will be hugely impressed. Certainly I think it is inspiring, to see the outpouring of generosity which has taken place in this country and, if I may say so, also through some of my organisations, for instance Business in the Community, an organisation of which I have been President for the last 20 years, and the International Business Leaders Forum.

The corporate sector is much involved in providing a whole range of support, certainly for the long term. I am very much hoping that these organizations can also help to encourage further support in the future, which is of such vital importance, if these communities are to rebuild themselves.

So again, I just wanted to take this opportunity to express, for what it is worth, my most heartfelt appreciation to all those volunteers who are making such an enormous difference in so many different parts of this country to the relief effort that is so badly needed in a country like Sri Lanka.

We hear a certain amount about how as a result of this terrible disaster, people's faith might be challenged, and it is very easy to understand how that might happen. But nevertheless, I think it has also helped in a strange way to reveal the love and compassion that exists in people's hearts, otherwise we would not have had this remarkable reaction.

Coming here reinforces my faith in the love and compassion that is in every single human being and you have shown it more that I would have thought possible. So may I wish you well in your hardest task here in helping to reconstruct so many people's shattered lives.