DHARAMSHALA: Mr. Thuten Kesang, a Tibetan born in Tibet and now settled in New Zealand has received the prestigious Peace Award from the Peace Foundation in Auckland, New Zealand.

In presenting this award, the Peace Foundation stated that he is “Awarded for lifelong commitment to the principles of peace by standing up for human rights and through work in multicultural education.” He is also a recipient of ‘Unsung Heroes of Compassion’ award presented by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2009. First Tibetan to arrive and settled in New Zealand in 1967, he has been passionate about helping his fellow Tibetan refugees.

Inspired by a passion to help and an awareness that the need for aid to Tibetan children far surpasses available resources, Thuten was the founding chairman of Friends of Tibet (New Zealand), an organization that educates New Zealanders about the plight of the Tibetans, raises funds to educate exiled Tibetan children in India, and provides support to ex-political prisoners who have escaped from Tibet to India.

He has also served as President of the Auckland Multicultural Society.