League's President Scott Horton and Executive Director Louise Kantrow Present the Award to Dalai Lama, September 19, 2003

September 22, 2003, NEW YORK--His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people, was honored with the International League for Human Rights' Human Rights Award on September 19. The ceremony was held at the Asia Society in New York City with Ambassador Richard Holbooke acting as event Chairman. The evening included a dialogue between His Holiness and the audience. Tributes were delivered by both Susan Sarandon and Martin Scorsese.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama received the League's Human Rights Award in recognition of his tireless struggle to liberate his fellow Tibetans from occupation and maintain their national and cultural identities. His insistence on nonviolent response despite the brutal force used to subdue Tibet is a powerful statement of his conviction that truth, courage and determination will someday triumph over hatred and violence. It is for his service as a human rights defender that the League was pleased to present this prestigious award to the Dalai Lama.

Previous recipients of the League's Human Rights Awards include Nelson Mandela, Kim Dae-jung, Elie Wiesel, Andrei Sakharov, Mario Soares, Roger Baldwin, George Mitchell, Sadako Ogata, and Mary Robinson.

By giving this year's award to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the League affirmed once again its commitment to protecting human rights and peace in Tibet. The League will continue to support the Tibetan people, helping to make sure the United Nations, governments around the world, other organizations, and the public know about the human rights abuses in Tibet.

The International League for Human Rights has worked for more than 60 years to keep human rights at the forefront of international affairs. The League's special mission has been defending individual human rights advocates who have risked their lives to promote the ideals of a just and civil society.

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