Dharamshala, India — His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Spiritual Leader of Tibet, received the Gandhi-Mandela Award from the Gandhi-Mandela Foundation on November 19, 2022 in Dharamshala, India, for his outstanding contribution to world peace and harmony.
The Gandhi-Mandela Foundation organised a ceremony to present the Gandhi-Mandela Award to His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his contribution to the promotion of peace and non-violence in the world, at the main Tibetan temple (Thekchen Choeling) in Dharamshala, HP, India, on November 19, 2022
Himachal Pradesh Governor Shri Rajendra Arlekar, Chairman and Vice Chairman of the jury, Justice KG Balakrishnan and Gyan Sudha Misra. A jury of five chief justices from three countries selected His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his outstanding contribution in the field of world peace and harmony. Top officials from the central Tibetan administration were presented at the ceremony. Tibetans including monks, nuns, students and lay people also participated in the ceremony.
The Honourable Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Shri Rajendra Arlekar, presented the Gandhi-Mandela Award to His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the ceremony. The jury members and guests explained how His Holiness the Dalai Lama received the award and said that he deserved the award for his tireless efforts in promoting peace, non-violence and religious harmony in the world and freedom for Tibet.
‘His Holiness the Dalai Lama chose the land of Mahatma Gandhi as his final frontier to spread the message of peace, non-violence, and compassionate responsibility for his fellow man’ the statement of The Gandhi-Mandela Foundation stated.
"Among several world leaders inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the front runner. Media hailed The Dalai Lama as Gandhi's spiritual heir to nonviolence," the statement said.
"His Holiness is truly an inspiration for the society and has carried forward the principles of the Gandhi and Mandela. Some of his major peace initiatives" include:
1. Transformation of the whole of Tibet into a zone of peace
2. Abandonment of China's population transfer policy that threatens the very existence of the Tibetans as a people
3. Respect for people's fundamental rights and democratic freedom
4. Restoration and protection of Tibet's natural environment
5. Spreading the message of non-violence and religious harmony throughout the world
According the statement, the Gandhi-Mandela Foundation promotes individual freedom, civil liberties, and human rights across the globe. The head quarter is situated at New Delhi and the Global presence includes America, Africa, Russia, London, Switzerland, China, Nepal and Bangladesh.
The foundation instituted the Gandhi Mandela Awards during the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi to celebrate those who have carried forward the legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. The Founder and Secretary General of Gahdhi Mandela Foundation is Adv. Nandan Jha and the Chairman of the Foundation is India's Hindu Spiritual leader Swami Avdheshanand Giri Ji Maharaj.
The Gandhi-Mandela Award for the His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the first ever certificate duly signed by a jury of five former Chief Justices and former Supreme Court judges from India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
