International Campaign for Tibet honored for leadership in non-violent resistance
Dharamsala 25 January 2005: The International Campaign for Tibet will be awarded the prestigious Geuzen Medal 2005, the Dutch Geuzenverzet 1940-1945 Foundation announced on 19 Jan.
Established in memory of the “de Geuzen†resistance group that fought against the Nazi occupation of The Netherlands during World War II, the award honors the work of organizations and individuals characterizing the spirit of resistance against repression.
The members of the organization’s board unanimously decided to present ICT with the award “to express its admiration for [ICT’s] consistent non-violent efforts for a democratic Tibet and for the respect of the human rights of the Tibetan peopleâ€ÂÂÂ.
“I am delighted that ICT has been recognized for its inspiring work in support of the Tibetan people’s non-violent quest for democratic freedom”, said Kalon Tripa Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche.
“This award sends a strong message to the Tibetan people of the legitimacy of our approach under the leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It reminds us of the suffering of so many in the Second World War, and rewards the courage of Tibetans in Tibet in their day-to-day struggle. It is essential that the importance of non-violent resistance is recognized in a world focused on combating terrorism. At this point in our history, it is critical that the international community reward dialogue over violent conflict.”
The Geuzen Resistance Medal is an annual award honoring people and institutions that have committed themselves to the maintenance of democracy and/or have fought against racism and discrimination. Previous recipients include the Anne Frank Foundation, Amnesty International (Netherlands branch), Richard von Weizsäcker, president of the Federal Republic of Germany, former Czech President Václav Havel, Chinese human rights activist Mr. Harry Wu, HM Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands (Posthumous) and the kidnapped Colombian presidential candidate Ms. Ingrid Betancourt.
The award ceremony will be held on 12 March 2005 in Vlaadingen, The Netherlands. A number of activities to raise awareness of Tibet and ICT’s work are planned at the Verzetsmuseum (Resistance Museum) in Amsterdam in the weeks prior to ICT’s receipt of the award.