On Saturday, June 16, 2012, in Manchester, England, comedian and practitioner of transcendental meditation, Russell Brand will join Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to address thousands of young people on finding peace and purpose in their lives, Contactmusic.com reported.

Brand will serve as the master of ceremonies, and was chosen by Tibet HouseTrust officials because he turned to spirituality to beat his addictions, including drugs and alcohol.

“We are delighted to have Russell Brand as master of ceremonies for this once-in-a-lifetime event. Russell has demonstrated the power of spirituality to effect change in his own life,” the Dalai Lama’s representative for Northern Europe, Thubten Samdup, said in a statement.

“Change begins from within, from the grassroots up, one person at a time. So, in addition to meeting Presidents and Prime Ministers, His Holiness the Dalai Lama believes that it is essential to inspire ordinary citizens – especially young people – to find meaning and purpose in their lives.”