A Brief Biography
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is both the head of state and the spiritual leader of Tibet. He was born on 6 July 1935, to a farming family, in a small hamlet located in Taktser, Amdo, northeastern Tibet.At the age of two the child, who was named Lhamo Dhondup at that time was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso. The Dalai Lamas are believed to be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and patron saint of Tibet. Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who have postponed their own nirvana and chosen to take rebirth in order to serve humanity.
Education in Tibet
In 1950 His Holiness was called upon to assume full political power after China's invasion of Tibet in 1949. In 1954, he went to Beijing for peace talks with Mao Zedong and other Chinese leaders, including Deng Xiaoping and Chou Enlai. But finally, in 1959, with the brutal suppression of the Tibetan national uprising in Lhasa by Chinese troops, His Holiness was forced to escape into exile. Since then he has been living in Dharamsala, northern India, the seat of the Tibetan political administration in exile.
Since the Chinese invasion, His Holiness has appealed to the United Nations on the question of Tibet. The General Assembly adopted three resolutions on Tibet in 1959, 1961 and 1965.
Democratisation Process
In 1963 His Holiness presented a draft democratic constitution for Tibet that was followed by a number of reforms to democratise our administrative set-up. The new democratic constitution promulgated as a result of this reform was named "The Charter of Tibetans in Exile". The charter enshrines freedom of speech, belief, assembly and movement. It also provides detailed guidelines on the functioning of the Tibetan government with respect to those living in exile.
In 1992 His Holiness issued guidelines for the constitution of a future, free Tibet. He announced that when Tibet becomes free the immediate task would be to set up an interim government whose first responsibility will be to elect a constitutional assembly to frame and adopt Tibet's democratic constitution. On that day His Holiness would transfer all his historical and political authority to the Interim President and live as an ordinary citizen. His Holiness also stated that he hoped that Tibet, comprising of the three traditional provinces of U-Tsang, Amdo and Kham, would be federal and democratic.
In May 1990, the reforms called for by His Holiness saw the realisation of a truly democratic administration in exile for the Tibetan community. The Tibetan Cabinet (Kashag), which till then had been appointed by His Holiness, was dissolved along with the Tenth Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies (Tibetan parliament in exile). In the same year, exile Tibetans on the Indian sub-continent and in more than 33 other countries elected 46 members to the expanded Eleventh Tibetan Assembly on a one-man one-vote basis. The Assembly, in its turn, elected the new members of the cabinet. In September 2001, a further major step in democratisation was taken when the Tibetan electorate directly elected the Kalon Tripa, the senior-most minister of the Cabinet. The Kalon Tripa in turn appointed his own cabinet who had to be approved by the Tibetan Assembly. In Tibet's long history, this was the first time that the people elected the political leadership of Tibet.
Peace Initiatives
In September 1987 His Holiness proposed the Five Point Peace Plan for Tibet as the first step towards a peaceful solution to the worsening situation in Tibet. He envisaged that Tibet would become a sanctuary; a zone of peace at the heart of Asia, where all sentient beings can exist in harmony and the delicate environment can be preserved. China has so far failed to respond positively to the various peace proposals put forward by His Holiness
The Five Point Peace Plan
In his address to members of the United States Congress in Washington, D.C. on 21 September 1987, His Holiness proposed the following peace plan, which contains five basic components:
Transformation of the whole of Tibet into a zone of peace.
Abandonment of China's population transfer policy that threatens the very existence of the Tibetans as a people.
Respect for the Tibetan people's fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms.
Restoration and protection of Tibet's natural environment and the abandonment of China's use of Tibet for the production of nuclear weapons and dumping of nuclear waste.
Commencement of earnest negotiations on the future status of Tibet and of relations between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples.
Strasbourg Proposal
In his address to members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 15 June 1988, His Holiness made another detailed proposal elaborating on the last point of the Five Point Peace Plan. He proposed talks between the Chinese and Tibetans leading to a self-governing democratic political entity for all three provinces of Tibet. This entity would be in association with the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Government would continue to remain responsible for Tibet's foreign policy and defence.
Universal Recognition
His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a man of peace. In 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for the liberation of Tibet. He has consistently advocated policies of non-violence, even in the face of extreme aggression. He also became the first Nobel Laureate to be recognized for his concern for global environmental problems.
His Holiness has travelled to more than 62 countries spanning 6 continents. He has met with presidents, prime ministers and crowned rulers of major nations. He has held dialogues with the heads of different religions and many well-known scientists.
Since 1959 His Holiness has received over 84 awards, honorary doctorates, prizes, etc., in recognition of his message of peace, non-violence, inter-religious understanding, universal responsibility and compassion. His Holiness has also authored more than 72 books.
His Holiness describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk.
Awards and Honors
| Date | Name of the Award | Awarded by | Country |
| May 24, 2012 | Honorary Citizenship | City of Huy, Huy | Belgium |
| May 22, 2012 | Udine City Key | City of Udine, Udine | Italy |
| May 20, 2012 | Carinthia State Gold Medal | Carinthia State | Austria |
| May 18, 2012 | Gold Medal of Klagenfurt | City of Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt | Austria |
| May 14, 2012 | Templeton Prize | John Templeton Foundation, West Conshohocken | U.S.A. |
| April 26, 2012 | Honorary Degree | Loyola University, Chicago | U.S.A. |
| December 2, 2011 | Dayanand Modi Award for Art, Culture and Education 2011 | Dayawati Modi Foundation, New Delhi | India |
| October 9, 2011 | Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Reconciliation and Peace | The Gandhi Development Trust, Durban | South Africa |
| September 5, 2011 | Doctor Honoris Causa | Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi | India |
| August 18, 2011 | Doctor Honoris Causa | University of Tartu, Tartu | Estonia |
| July 13, 2011 | Lifetime Achievement Award | Caring Institute, Washington | U.S.A. |
| May 11, 2011 | Doctor Honoris Causa | University of Arkansas, Fayetteville | U.S.A. |
| May 9, 2011 | Doctor Honoris Causa | Southern Methodist University, Dallas | U.S.A. |
| May 8, 2011 | Doctor Honoris Causa | University of Minnesota, Minneapolis | U.S.A. |
| May 4, 2011 | Shine A Light Award | Amnesty International USA, Los Angeles | U.S.A. |
| November 23, 2010 | Doctor Honoris Causa | Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi | India |
| October 21, 2010 | Harry T. Wilkes Leadership Award | Harry T. Wilks Foundation, Oxford | U.S.A. |
| October 21, 2010 | Doctor Honoris Causa | Miami University, Oxford | U.S.A. |
| October 20, 2010 | International Freedom Award | National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Cincinnati | U.S.A. |
| September 21, 2010 | Menschen in Europa Award | Menschen in Europa, Passau | Germany |
| September 18, 2010 | Honorary Citizenship | City of Budapest, Budapest | Hungary |
| May 23, 2010 | President's Medal | Hunter College, New York | U.S.A. |
| May 18, 2010 | Doctor Honoris Causa | University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls | U.S.A. |
| March 18, 2010 | Nirmala Deshpande Memorial Award for Peace and Global Harmony | Gandhi Ashram Reconstruction Trust | India |
| February 23, 2010 | Baccalaureate Honoris Causa | Broward College, Davie | U.S.A. |
| February 19, 2010 | Democracy Service Medal | National Endowment for Democracy, Washington | U.S.A. |
| October 6, 2009 | The Lantos Human Rights Prize | Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, Washington | U.S.A. |
| September 30, 2009 | Doctor Honoris Causa | University of Calgary, Calgary | Canada |
| September 27, 2009 | Prize for Love and Forgiveness | Fetzer Institute, Vancouver | U.S.A. |
| September 23, 2009 | International Freedom Award | National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis | U.S.A. |
| August 3, 2009 | Doctor Honoris Causa | University of Marburg, Marburg | Germany |
| July 29, 2009 | Honorary Citizenship | City of Warsaw, Warsaw | Poland |
| June 7, 2009 | Honorary Citizenship | City of Paris, Paris | France |
| February 10, 2009 | German Media Prize | Editors of Germany, Baden Baden | Germany |
| February 10, 2009 | Honorary Citizenship | City of Venice, Venice | Italy |
| February 9, 2009 | Honorary Citizenship | City of Rome, Rome | Italy |
| December 8, 2008 | Doctor Honoris Causa | Jagiellonian University, Krakow | Poland |
| July 25, 2008 | Global Leadership Award | Aspen Institute, Aspen | USA |
| July 13, 2008 | Doctor Honoris Causa | Lehigh University, Bethlehem | U.S.A. |
| April 14, 2008 | Doctor Honoris Causa | University of Washington, Seattle | U.S.A. |
| Oct. 22, 2007 | Presidential Distinguished Professor | Emory University, Atlanta | U.S.A. |
| October 17, 2007 | U.S. Congressional Gold Medal | U.S. Congress, Washington | U.S.A. |
| October 8, 2007 | Ahimsa Award | Institute of Jainology, London | U.K. |
| September 20, 2007 | Doctor Honoris Causa | University of Muenster, Muenster | Germany |
| June 8, 2007 | Doctor Honoris Causa | Southern Cross University, Melbourne | Australia |
| May 12, 2007 | BILD Award | BILD Magazine, Germany | Germany |
| May 9, 2007 | Doctor Honoris Causa | Smith College, Northampton | U.S.A. |
| December 10, 2006 | Order of the White Lotus | Republic of Kalmykia, Russian Federation | Kalmykia |
| October 14, 2006 | Doctor Honoris Causa | University of Rome 3, Rome | Italy |
| September 19, 2006 | Doctor Honoris Causa | University of Buffalo, New York | U.S.A. |
| September 9, 2006 | Honorary Citizenship | Canada | Canada |
| May 4, 2006 | Doctor Honoris Causa | University of Santiago, Santiago | Chile |
| February 16, 2006 | Ben Gurion Negev Award | Ben Gurion University, Be'er Sheva | Israel |
| November 6, 2005 | Inspiration & Compassion Award | American Himalayan Foundation, San Francisco | U.S.A. |
| September 25, 2005 | Doctor Honoris Causa | Rutgers University, New Jersy | U.S.A. |
| August 12, 2005 | Manhae Peace Prize | Manhae Foundation | South Korea |
| July 27, 2005 | Hessian Peace Prize | Parliament of Hesse, Wiesbaden | Germany |
| October 7, 2004 | Doctor Honoris Causa | Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City | Mexico |
| October 5, 2004 | The Gold Medal | National University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City | Mexico |
| September 27, 2004 | Doctor Honoris Causa | University of Costa Rica, San Jose | Costa Rica |
| September 24, 2004 | Doctor Honoris Causa | University of Puerto Rico, San Juan | Puerto Rico (U.S.A.) |
| September 23, 2004 | Doctor Honoris Causa | University of Miami | U.S.A. |
| September 18, 2004 | Doctor Honoris Causa | Nova Southeastern University, Miami | U.S.A. |
| May 28, 2004 | Humphreys Memorial Award for Services to Buddhism | Buddhist Society of U.K. | U.K. |
| April 27, 2004 | International Acharya Sushil Kumar Peace Award | University of Toronto, Toronto | Canada |
| April 27, 2004 | Doctor Honoris Causa | University of Toronto | Canada |
| April 20, 2004 | Doctor Honoris Causa | Simon Fraser University, Vancouver | Canada |
| April 19, 2004 | Doctor Honoris Causa | University of British Columbia, Vancouver | Canada |
| April 16, 2004 | 2nd Citizens Peace Building Award | University of California, Irvine | U.S.A. |
| October 9, 2003 | Award for Promotion of Human Rights | Foundation Jaime Brunet, Madrid | Spain |
| September 19, 2003 | Human Right Award | International League for Human Rights, New York | U.S.A. |
| September 5, 2003 | Doctor Honoris Causa | University of San Francisco | U.S.A. |
| June 3, 2003 | Manfred Bjorkquist Medal | Sigtuna Foundation, Stockholm | Sweden |
| December 5, 2002 | Basavashree Award | Basavakendra, Sri Murugha Math, Chitradurga | India |
| November 7, 2002 | Doctor Honoris Causa | Mongolian University of Science & Technology | Mongolia |
| November 7, 2002 | Doctor Honoris Causa | National University of Mongolia | Mongolia |
| October 14, 2002 | Human Rights Prize | University of Graz | Austria |
| July 6, 2002 | Man of the Year | Croatian Academic Society | Croatia |
| May 21, 2002 | Peace Award 2000 | UN Association of Australia | Australia |
| December 5, 2001 | Doctor Honoris Causa | University of Tromso | Norway |
| November 26, 2001 | Doctor Honoris Causa | University of Lusiada Porto | Portugal |
| June 10, 2001 | Ecce homo Order | Kancelaria Kapituly Orderu | Poland |
| October 16, 2000 | Doctor Honoris Causa | Comenius University, Bratislava | Slovakia |
Source:Dalailama.com
