Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Dec. 8: Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi will be honoured with the prestigious Light of Truth Award by the Boards of the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) for her unwavering commitment to the Tibetan people, their rights, and their struggle for freedom. The award will be presented to Speaker Pelosi on December 9 in the Speaker Nancy Pelosi Caucus Room (Cannon House Office Building).
Throughout her distinguished political career, Speaker Pelosi has been a tireless advocate for Tibet, demonstrating exceptional leadership in supporting Tibet. Pelosi’s connection to Tibet dates back to 1989 when she became one of the first American politicians to meet with the Dalai Lama after he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. This moment marked the beginning of a profound, decades-long friendship between Pelosi and the Tibetan spiritual leader, and she has since visited Dharamshala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile, three times to meet with the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan leaders.
One of Pelosi’s earliest significant actions in support of Tibet came in 1991 when, as a member of Congress, she unfurled a pro-democracy banner in Tiananmen Square in Beijing to commemorate the victims of the 1989 massacre. This act of defiance served as a clear message to the Chinese government that the United States would not remain silent on human rights abuses, including those committed against Tibetans. Over the years, Pelosi has consistently condemned China’s human rights violations, from the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in East Turkestan (Xinjiang) to the suppression of freedoms in Hong Kong and Tibet.
In 2008, during the widespread protests in Tibet and the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics, Pelosi made a bold stand by leading a congressional delegation to Dharamshala. There, she met with the Dalai Lama, expressing her unwavering solidarity with the Tibetan people. Her visit was widely regarded as a powerful statement against China’s repressive policies and sent a clear message that the international community was watching closely.
In 2007, Pelosi played a crucial role in the passage of the Tibetan Policy Act, which supports the preservation of Tibet’s unique religious, cultural, and linguistic heritage. The Act reinforced U.S. policy on Tibet and set clear goals to promote Tibet’s autonomy and human rights. Pelosi’s leadership continued in 2015 when she visited Tibet, despite heavy monitoring by Chinese authorities. Even under such restrictions, she managed to meet with local Tibetans and listen to their stories of resilience and resistance.
During her advocacy for the Tibetan Policy and Support Act in 2020, Pelosi famously stated, “If we don’t speak out for human rights in China because of commercial interests, then we lose all moral authority to speak out for human rights in any other place in the world.”
Richard Gere, Chairman of the ICT Board, expressed his admiration for Speaker Pelosi, stating, “It is my great pleasure as Chairman of the Board of the International Campaign for Tibet that we will be honouring our old friend Nancy Pelosi. Having worked closely with her for many decades, it is clear to me that she has a genuine reverence for His Holiness the Dalai Lama as well as a deep and vast commitment to the just cause of Tibet and the Tibetan people. She is fearless.”
Tencho Gyatso, President of the ICT, also lauded Pelosi’s tireless efforts, stating,“We are so very lucky to have such steadfast partners in our work on behalf of the Tibetan people. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi has been a tenacious voice for the movement since joining Congress. This is a well-deserved recognition of her many years of partnership with the people of Tibet and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She has never failed to put her seat at the table to work for good. For all her work, we thank her.”
The Light of Truth Award, established in 1995, is presented to individuals and organisations that have made outstanding contributions to the public understanding of Tibet and the plight of the Tibetan people. Previous recipients include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Hugh Richardson, Congressman Benjamin Gilman, and other courageous individuals and groups that have supported the Tibetan cause.
One Response
Tibet has been lucky, thanks to the Dalai Lama and the good, innocent, compassionate and care free nature of the Tibetan people! The Dalai Lama played a pivotal role in moulding the exile population into a docile and kind-hearted population from his teachings that spanned six decades. After getting the teaching Of Shanti Deva’s Bodhisattva’s way of life (སྤྱོད་འཇུག་ཆེན་མོ་) from Kunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen, the Dalai Lama embarked upon a vigorous practice of Bodhicitta (བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་སེམས་). He often cried at the midst of a teaching as soon as he talked about sentient beings! There is no doubt that the emergence of the Dalai Lama as a global icon was in fact the result of his actualization of Bodhicitta! The Bodhicitta encompasses the happiness and well- being of every sentient being irrespective of their caste, creed or race. It embraces every being as ones own mother! Such an immensely noble sentiment is music to the ears of every one. It’s true that other religions teach “brotherhood of humanity”, “all are children of God” etc but the Dalai Lama’s message has a poignant truism that exceeded the others. He lived the teachings and was a live wire of compassion. He not only preached from the pulpit but lived it in his daily life! That set him apart from all the rest. His messsge resonated to millions across the globe and over night, he became a sensation and received rock star attention across the globe! He attracted many US leaders, European leaders including the Polish pope John Paul the second! Nancy Pelosi is one of many such American leader. It is fair to say that she was one of the closest if not the closest to the Dalai Lama and the most enduring admirer of the Dalai Lama among many US leaders. There were many American leaders who not only admired him but also whole heartedly supported the Dalai Lama’s cause. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is a special person. She is a compassionate person like the Dalai Lama and she took inspiration from him. The relationship between Nancy Pelosi and the Dalai Lama is a spiritual bond in their outlook of universal equality and freedom from suffering for humanity. Each person complimented the other. That is why it is an enduring bond. She is from Italian origin. Italians have their pope whom they call papa just like the Dalai Lama for Tibetans. She found the Tibetans a likable people who are kind and cheerful in their demeanor. Many people across the world have a good attitude towards Tibetans. Tibetans have a special feeling to those support us in our hour of foreign occupation and genocidal policy implemented by the occupier. Nancy Pelosi is a strong willed woman. she will not muck around but say it as it is in your face! When Trump refused to shake hands with her before his state of the nation address in Congress, she tore up the copy of the speech he handed to her right in front of the whole US Congress and the prying eyes of the cameras! That’s Nancy Pelosi for you! Tibetans love all our supporters from past to the present . We are deeply indebted for their tireless support for the benighted people of Tibet. So, the recognition with the “Light of Truth” award is a token gesture by the Non- Governmental Organization- International Campaign for Tibet led by another stalwart Tibet supporter: Richard Gere. There is no one more deserving of this token gesture at this point in time than Emeritus Nancy Pelosi. We are forever indebted for your unstinted support for our cause and very much appreciate your respect and admiration of the Dalai Lama!