US Organisation to Award Democracy Service Medal to His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Friday, February 12, 2010

Tibet.net
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File Photo: His Holiness the Dalai Lama waves to supporters in front of the Capitol in Washington, DC, on 17 Oct 2007

Washington: The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) will present His Holiness the Dalai Lama with the Democracy Service Medal in recognition of the His Holiness' commitment to advancing the principles of democracy and human dignity on Friday, 19 February 2010 at 10:30 am in the Coolidge Auditorium at the Library of Congress.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is expected to address an audience of approximately 500 at his only public appearance during his upcoming Washington visit.

Commenting on the significance of the honour for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people, NED President Carl Gershman said, "The struggle of the Tibetan people to preserve their culture is world renowned. What is little known, however, is that the Dalai Lama, even before leaving Tibet, sought to implement significant reforms in the system of government. Only in exile was the Dalai Lama able to implement those reforms. Today, the Tibetan community in exile operates under a democratic constitution, with an elected National Assembly and a Supreme Court, with day-to-day powers vested in an elected prime minister. The Dalai Lama himself has often said that it is not enough to oppose Chinese totalitarianism, but that it is necessary to offer a democratic alternative."

"Because the Tibetan people have transformed their suffering into a source of moral strength, they have become an inspiration to others who have suffered injustice," Carl Gershman added.

The award ceremony is open to press and coverage is invited, the organisers said.

The National Endowment for Democracy is a private, nonprofit, bipartisan grant-making organisation created in 1983 to strengthen democratic institutions around the world. It is active in more than 90 countries, supporting grassroots, democratic initiatives. To learn more about NED and the Democracy Service Medal, visit http://www.ned.org.