US Congress Honours His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Tom Lantos Human Rights AwardWednesday, 7 October 2009, 9:41 a.m.
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| His Holiness the Dalai Lama acknowledges applause after receiving the Tom Lantos Human Rights Prize award in the Capitol in Washington 6 October 2009. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the inaugural recipient of the award which he is wearing around his neck. Applauding from left are Senator John McCain, Annette Lantos, widow of former Congressman Tom Lantos, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.Reuters/Kevin Lamarque/US |
Washington, DC: The
US Congress on Tuesday conferred its prestigious Tom Lantos Human
Rights Prize award upon His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his steadfast
commitment to peace, justice and reconciliation. The ceremony was held
in the Capitol attended by a galaxy of top US lawmakers such as Speaker
Nancy Pelosi and Senator John McCain. Several members of Congress,
Administration officials, and members of the diplomatic corp attended
the ceremony.Prior to the award presentation, His Holiness the
briefly met with some members of Congress, who had been specifically
invited by Speaker Pelosi for the meeting.Speaker Pelosi then
accompanied His Holiness to the auditorium in the Congressional
visitors’ center where they were joined by Senator John McCain and
Congressman Howard Berman for the inaugural presentation of the Tom
Lantos award to His Holiness.The program began with Mrs.
Katrina Lantos Swett, one of the daughters of Tom and Annete Lantos,
and President of the Tom Lantos Foundation. She talked about the deep
friendship between her late father, Tom Lantos, and His Holiness.
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| His Holiness the Dalai Lama bows on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009, during a ceremony where he received the first Lantos Human Rights Prize. Annette Lantos, widow of the late California Rep. Tom Lantos is at center, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif is at right. (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg) (Harry Hamburg – AP) |
She
said, “It would be hard to imagine two individuals from more different
settings and circumstances in life. My father was a Hungarian
holocaust survivor who came to America as a penniless immigrant. His
Holiness is the revered spiritual and political leader of the Tibetan
people who was forced to escape into exile in 1959 in the face of the
brutal repression of his nation. Very different men, from
extraordinarily different lives.“But what brought them together
is the invisible crimson thread, if you will, which made their
friendship as inevitable as it was unbreakable, was their deeply shared
commitment to universal human rights.”She said the mission of
the Tom Lantos Foundation is to strengthen and uphold the role of human
rights in American foreign policy. “Sometimes this is easier said than
done because standing up for those whose rights are trampled usually
offends the tramplers,” Mrs. Swett said.She recalled, “On the
night of his historic and inspiring election, President Obama spoke of
the trajectory of history by saying, “The arc of history is long but
it bends toward justice.” These hopeful words should remind us that we
cannot simply stand by and wait for the arc to bend. We have a duty to
use our power and influence to hasten its trajectory.”That is
what His Holiness with his profound message of peace, justice and
reconciliation has done his entire life. And that is why the Lantos
Foundation is so honoured to be presenting this inaugural award to him
today.“She concluded by saying, “We have no doubt that the
Dalai Lama is on the right side of history. And we hope that our
country and our President will be standing there with him.”Thereafter,
Congressman Howard Berman, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs
Committee, spoke about the legacy of the late Congressman Tom Lantos.
He talked about missing Tom Lantos adding, “…but today is the day of
celebration for the proud legacy he left behind. The Lantos Foundation
for Human Rights and Justice, which has been established to strengthen
the role of human rights in American foreign policy, is awarding its
inaugural human rights prize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a great
man of peace, who, I know, Tom deeply, deeply admired. Just as Tom
throughout his life used his eloquence and his passion to draw
attention to the plight of oppressed people everywhere, the Lantos
prize will likewise focus the world’s gaze on heroic individuals like
the Dalai Lama, who through their brave examples inspire us to be more
fully be our brothers’ keepers.”There was then a video
presentation about the life of the late Tom Lantos. Following the
video, Senator John McCain was invited to make his remarks, the full
text of which is the following.
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| His Holiness the Dalai Lama (L) stands with Annette Lantos, widow of Rep. Tom Lantos, during an awards ceremony to honor the Dalai Lama with the Lantos Human Rights Prize at the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, DC/AFP. |
“I’m
honored to be here and make a few remarks at this inaugural
presentation of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Prize. I think it is very
appropriate that His Holiness the Dalai Lama, be the first recipient of
the award named for the good man, who cared so deeply for the dignity
of the people of Tibet and all people who are denied their God-given
rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.“Tom
Lantos believed American leadership in opposition to human rights
abuses, not silence, is the truest expression of our national
character. He was born outside the United States and knew personally
what evil human beings can do when they are ungoverned by respect for
the inherent dignity of every human being and unmoved by a moral duty
to defend them against oppression. His voice was among the clearest
and most persuasive in our country urging Americans to experience
assaults on anyone’s dignity as an assault on our own conscience.“When
he died, we lost one of the better angels of our national conscience,
and those of us who remain in positions of influence incurred a
responsibility to echo the convictions that guided his work and his
life. We can’t replace Tom’s voice, but we can help ensure it is not
forgotten whenever and wherever the rights of mankind are beset by the
ambitions of despots.“We are distinguished from other countries
because we were conceived not in loyalty to land or tribe or from a
particular race or creed, but in an idea, that liberty is the
inalienable right of mankind and in accord with nature and nature’s
Creator. To accept the abridgement of that right for other societies
should be no less false to the American heart than to accept its
abridgement in our own society. Injustice and tyranny abroad should be
as intolerable to Americans as they are intolerable here.“Human
rights are not an invention of America, nor do they reflect standards
to which particular cultures or religions can opt out. They are
universal, and recognized as such in the United Nations Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. As long as reflective people have lived,
they have identified those universal liberties that separate us from
the animals.“Those rights exist above the state and beyond
history; they cannot be rescinded by one government any more than they
can be granted by another. They inhabit the human heart, and from
there, though they may be abridged, they can never be wrenched.“His
Holiness, the Dalai Lama, has spent his life in the passionate,
tireless and non violent defense of his people’s right to
self-determination and dignity. For over half a century he has led
their struggle; petitioning governments and people of conscience
throughout the world to lend their voice to the just demands of
Tibetans. He has endured the long, trying years and every setback for
their cause with an unyielding determination that is singular because
of the patience, humility and kindness that are its most admirable
qualities.“He is an inspiration to all people who possess a
heartfelt sympathy for the suffering of their fellow human beings. He
is a father to his people. And though he has been long exiled from
their presence, he inhabits their hearts, as they inhabit his. He
gives them hope, and he gives us an example of moral leadership to
summon our own humanity. “At the end of his Nobel Lecture,
the Dalai Lama offered a prayer that spoke of the sense of shared
humanity that the world’s great religions all profess, and which has
been his own abiding conviction.‘For as long as space endures,And for as long as living beings remain,Until then may I, too, abideTo dispel the misery of the world.’”“I
have long believed that the true worth of a person is measured by how
faithfully we serve a cause greater than our self-interest, a cause
which encompasses us but is not defined by our existence alone. The
same holds true for the conduct of nations.
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| His Holiness the Dalai Lama (R) greets Sen. John McCain during a ceremony at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. His Holiness the Dalai Lama conferred Tuesday with top congressional leaders who offered him strong support./AFP |
“Whenever
people are imprisoned, brutalized, or murdered for demanding liberty
and justice for themselves and their people or for peacefully
exercising their faith it is not simply another tragedy in an imperfect
and often cruel world. It is a call for action, one worthy of a
country founded on the principle that every person, possessing
inalienable rights, deserves to be free.Should we be tempted to
look away, to ignore the trials of those deprived of the rights we so
safely enjoy, let us look to the example of the Dalai Lama, and his
good and righteous friend, Tom Lantos, and accept the moral
responsibility that will dignify our own life. Let us heed the words
of the great poet, John Donne, who offered a 17th Century echo of His
Holiness’s prayer:“‘Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am
involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell
tolls; it tolls for thee.’”Senator McCain’s remarks were
followed by another video about the Lantos award and His Holiness.
Thereafter, Speaker Nancy Pelosi made her remarks. The Speaker began by wishing everyone “Tashi Delek.” “Thank
you, Katrina [Lantos Swett], for bringing us all together today on this
very special occasion and for continuing your father’s work for justice
around the world. The The red thread that you talked about brought
many of us came together a generation ago when Tom Lantos invited us to
join His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Capitol of the United States.
He invited His Holiness, and it was the first time His Holiness would
visit the Capitol. But, as Tom always told us then, it was his
invitation, but it was his wife Annette’s idea. Tom and Annette shared
a passionate commitment to this man of peace and to his work. Thank
you, Annette, for continuing to shine a bright light on the dark
corners of oppression throughout the world.“Tom’s spirit, of
course, lives through your work at the Lantos Foundation for Human
Rights and Justice. It also lives in the House of Representatives. We
are proud to continue Tom’s work through the Tom Lantos Human Rights
Commission, as an official entity of Congress. It builds upon the work
of the Human Rights Caucus that was co-founded by Tom Lantos and John
Porter. And it is now ably chaired with great conviction by Frank Wolf
and by Jim McGovern. We thank them for their leadership. “We
heard from the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. It is
clear to see, Your Holiness, that Tibet has a friend in the Chairman’s
office of the Foreign Affairs Committee with Howard Berman, previously
with Tom Lantos, and before that Ben Gilman who is with us today.
Thank you, Ben, for your leadership as well. This has been bipartisan
from the start.“That special relationship between the United
States and the Dalai Lama is almost as old as His Holiness himself. It
goes back to when President Franklin Roosevelt sent the Dalai Lama –
who was a little boy at the time – a watch that showed the phases of
the moon and the days of the week. It was a wonderful gift of
friendship which also anticipated his Holiness’ love of science. His
Holiness took this watch with him when he left Tibet in 1959. He told
us earlier this morning that he had the pocket watch in his equivalent
of a pocket when he received the Congressional Gold Medal two years
ago. He received the medal from President Bush. From one President to
another, bipartisan, between generations, the bonds of friendship
between the United States and His Holiness and the Tibetan people are
as strong and durable as ever.“U.S. Presidents, Members of
Congress, and the American people continue to be inspired by His
Holiness’s message of peace, non-violence, human rights, and religious
understanding. And we can all learn from him. We had a delegation
that visited him in India last year and we were particularly stirred up
by his concerns and about what is happening in Tibet. His Holiness
reminded us then, particularly me, to rid myself of a negative attitude
and to think more of reconciliation, peace, and friendship. We are
learning from His Holiness. I am so pleased that President Obama
recently appointed a special envoy to Tibet, the Under Secretary of
State Maria Otero, who is with us today as well. She just visited His
Holiness in India as well and I thank her for being with us.
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| His Holiness the Dalai Lama wears his medal during an awards ceremony to honor the Lantos Human Rights Prize at the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, DC/AFP. |
“It
has been said over and over again that His Holiness describes himself
as a ‘simple monk, no more, no less.’ It is the simplicity that I
hear, and to millions of believers and admirers, that simplicity is a
source of wisdom and compassion.“Last week, His Holiness
visited the site where Martin Luther King was assassinated and received
the International Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum.
I am so pleased that John Lewis is with us today. John teaches us
every day here, Your Holiness, that each one of us contains a spark of
divinity and therefore is worthy of respect. We need to remember that
about everyone, including ourselves. In the legacy of Dr. King and
Mahatma Gandhi, His Holiness leads the way in employing the power of
non-violence to promote the freedom of his people and people around the
world.“For more than 20 years, His Holiness has advocated for
Tibetan autonomy within the framework of the People’s Republic of
China. His Holiness has expressed a desire to visit China and to
engage directly with Chinese officials. It is our hope that the
Chinese government will welcome this opportunity for a peaceful
resolution of the issue of Tibet. The cause of Tibet is a challenge to
the conscience of the world. We must not fail to meet that challenge.
In fact, unless we speak out on human rights in China and Tibet, we
lose all moral authority to talk about human rights anywhere in the
world.“The Dalai Lama, Tibetan culture, by the way His Holiness
spokes to us about the environment and ecological challenges in Tibet
22 years ago, he saw that, all of this is an inspiration to the people
of the world.“Your Holiness, I now have the great privilege of
giving you this special Tom Lantos Prize. On this medal are inscribed
the words of Tom Lantos: ‘The rights of one are the rights of all.’ On
behalf of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, the
entire Congress, and millions around the world, I thank you for your
work to ensure the rights of all people. “Now I have the
privilege of reading the citation on behalf of Annette, Katrina and the
Lantos Foundation. ‘The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice
hereby awards its inaugural Lantos Human Rights Prize to the 14th Dalai
Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, the religious and political leader of the Tibetan
people. With courage, compassion, and humility he has given voice to
the aspirations of all humanity for a life of dignity, justice, and
respect. As an unflinching advocate of non-violent reconciliation, he
has advanced the cause of human rights in every corner of the globe.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama is one of the most highly honored
peacemakers of our time and is a unique moral voice for our day.”Speaker
Pelosi than presented His Holiness with the medal as the other
dignitaries on the stage joined them. The entire gathering in the
auditorium gave a thunderous applause as this was happening. His
Holiness began his acceptance remarks by initially speaking in
Tibetan. He expressed his gratitude to be honoured by an award named
after such a dear friend. Then switching to English, His Holiness first
offered condolences to Mrs. Lantos on the passing away of Tom Lantos.
He then proceeded towards Mrs. Lantos and gave her a hug in a touching
moment. His Holiness admired Mrs. Lantos for adopting a good composure
despite the pain that she was going through. He said that it was the
nature of things that all people had to go sooner or later. He said the
important thing is their spirit and their wonderful service to
humanity, which we should not only remember but carry the tradition
forward. Talking about the importance of human rights, His
Holiness praised those people who dedicated themselves towards the
improvement of human rights as people who have some greater potential
to change the society and to build a better society.His
Holiness recalled the sense of dedication of the late Tom Lantos. He
said, “Personally, there are many similarities. He is also a refugee.
He experienced lot of difficulties in his life, but through his own
hard work, and spirit and will, he became successful. Not only
successful as an individual, but also in tremendous service to people.”His
Holiness said the medal gave him encouragement and saying that he was
74 years old, he said he will dedicate the rest of his life for
promotion of human value, human affection, compassion, equality, and
basic human rights whether in Tibet, or mainland China, Taiwan, or
Africa, or Latin America. His Holiness said even in the richest country
that is America there still are lot of poor people with a huge gap
between rich and poor. He said this is unhealthy and said that we
have to think seriously about those who are less privileged. He said
that if the poor people develop to a happier state, then the whole
American people will also benefit. His Holiness said the American
values of freedom, liberty, equality are real human value. He recalled
his love for the United States having started since his childhood when
he learnt of America as a champion of liberty, democracy and freedom.His
Holiness concluded by saying that although some may look at American
military force as a symbol of greatness, real greatness of America is
its ancestor’s principles. He said this must be preserved at any cost.Speaker
Pelosi saw off His Holiness to his car following the ceremony. As they
moved through the complex of the United States Congress, crowds of
people, visitors as well as staff of the Congress, were gathered at
every corner waiting to greet His Holiness.In the afternoon,
His Holiness met with members of China Working Group of the United
States Congress. Thereafter, he met with members of the Tom Lantos
Human Rights Commission. In both the meetings His Holiness and the
Members of Congress discussed the situation in Tibet and the role that
the United States could play in encouraging a peaceful resolution.Following
these meetings, His Holiness visited Arlington Cemetery to pay his
respects at the gravesites of Senator Edward (Teddy) Kennedy.
Accompanying His Holiness from his meeting on Capitol Hill was the late
Senator’s son, Congressman Patrick Kennedy, and Teddy Kennedy, Jr.
Upon arrival, His Holiness was met by 50 additional members of the
Kennedy family, including Mrs. Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Senator
Bobby Kennedy, and her daughter Kerry Kennedy, founder of the RFK
Center for Human Rights. After first laying a khata at Senator
Kennedy’s gravesite His Holiness went to the grave of Senator Robert
Kennedy and then President Kennedy. After laying a khata at the
gravesite of the President, His Holiness made a few brief remarks to
the Kennedy family.His Holiness said that President Kennedy
made people think about others, with his famous line about “ask not
what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your
country.” He said that it is important that the American people think
about others. Referring to the passing away of the Kennedy brothers,
His Holiness said what is important between the time one is born and
the time one dies is what one does for others.
