Letter from the Nobel Peace Laureates to His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his 75th Birthday

July 06, 2010

We would like to personally express our gratitude and appreciation to you on the occasion of your birthday. You inspire us all with your unwavering commitment to peace, equality and respect for the dignity of every person.

The leadership you have shown, teaching compassion and respect in the face of oppression, displacement, and exile is exemplary. We commend your effort to preserve Tibet’s vibrant religion, language, and identity, and to protect a valuable part of our global cultural heritage.

We wish you well on this occasion and as we discussed with you in Dharamsala last October, again today we reaffirm our support for your nonviolent efforts to attain meaningful autonomy for the Tibetan people. We continue to stand in solidarity with you and the Tibetan people, so that Tibet may be as you envision: a zone of peace, where fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms are honoured and the natural environment is restored and protected.

Shirin Ebadi

Jody Williams

Rigoberta Menchú Tum

Mairead Maguire

Betty Williams

Wangari Maathai