FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Sweet Motion to Grant the Dalai Lama Honourary Citizenship Unanimously Passes House
June 22, 2006 – Ottawa, Ontario – Recognized worldwide as a champion of peace and non-violence, the Dalai Lama became an honourary citizen of Canada today on a motion adopted unanimously by the House of Commons and proposed by Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale M.P. David Sweet.
“In times of growing violence, the Dalai Lama has set an example for the world with his message of peace, compassion, universal responsibility and non-violent conflict resolution,” said Sweet. “Canadians support his message and approach and so it’s only appropriate that we recognize and celebrate this great person before his next visit to Canada.”
The full text of the motion is as follows:
Motion to award His Holiness the Dalai Lama with an honourary Canadian Citizenship
“That whereas Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet, has been recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize as one of the world’s leading champions of peace and non-violence; and
Whereas His Holiness the Dalai Lama will visit Canada from September 9th to the 11th of this year; and
Whereas this House has previously acknowledged historic visits to Canada by other leading champions of human dignity, such as Raoul Wallenberg and Nelson Mandela, by adopting motions granting them ‘honourary Canadian citizenship’;
Therefore, this House resolves to bestow the title ‘honourary Canadian citizen’ on His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet.”
A similar motion was proposed in Parliament in April 2004 by Jason Kenney, M.P. for Calgary Southeast, but the motion failed to gain the necessary consent from all members of the Liberal government of the day to proceed.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was in the House of Commons at the time the motion was introduced, supported the initiative. The motion preceded the official Canadian government apology and redress to Chinese Canadians made by the Prime Minister in the House this afternoon.
“The fact that this motion was passed unanimously is an important message to young Canadians on the value of peaceful solutions to difficult situations. I want to recognize Jason Kenney for all his efforts in raising this issue in the past, and thank my colleagues on all sides of the House for their support of this motion,” said Sweet.
The Dalai Lama is scheduled to visit Vancouver during the second week of September. This motion was adopted today as this is the last day Parliament is scheduled to sit before the Dalai Lama’s visit.
