Resisting Intolerance: An Ethical and Global Challenge

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is visiting the LSE to deliver the opening speech of a one’ day conference entitled Tolerance in a Just and Fair Society, at the invitation of Frederick Bonnart Braunthal Trust, Matrix Chambers, the Sigrid Rausing Trust and the London School of Economics & Political Science.

HH the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He was born on 6th July 1935 in north-eastern Tibet and recognised as the incarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two. Since 1959, he has been living in Dharamsala in the north of India which is now the seat of the Central Tibetan Administration.

In 2011 HH the Dalai Lama completed the process of democratisation of the Central Tibetan Administration by devolving all his political authorities to the elected leadership.

HH the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 in recognition of his opposition to the use of violence in the Tibetan struggle and his work internationally for peace, human rights issues and global environmental problems. In September 2006, he received the highest civilian honour in the United States, the Congressional Gold Medal, in recognition of his advocacy of non-violence, human rights and religious understanding.

More recently, on 14 May 2012, HH the Dalai Lama was presented with the 2012 Templeton Prize at a ceremony at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The Templeton Prize honours a living person who has made an exceptional contribution to affirming life’s spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical works.