The International Campaign for Tibet’s (ICT) long-time Board Chairman, renowned philanthropist, humanitarian and actor Richard Gere, has been honored as the inaugural recipient of the Human Rights First (HRF) Visionary Award. HRF presented the award to Richard Gere at the 2025 Human Rights First awards celebration on October 14 at Gotham Hall in New York City.
Gere was recognized for his lifetime of unwavering dedication to the defense of human rights and his commitment to humanitarian causes. A cornerstone of his advocacy has been his profound dedication to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tibet, and the struggle for Tibetans’ human rights, democratic freedoms and self-determination.
Richard Gere receiving the Human Rights First Visionary Award.
HRF President and CEO Uzra Zeya highlighted Gere’s decades-long impact on the Tibetan cause. In presenting the Visionary Award, Zeya remarked: “Richard Gere’s lifetime advocacy for the human rights of Tibetans has shaped US and international policy responses by speaking truth to power and leveraging artistic achievement as a human rights force multiplier.”
Gere’s work includes championing landmark legislation aimed at supporting Tibetans, such as the 2020 Tibetan Policy and Support Act and the 2024 Resolve Tibet Act. Additionally, as the 30-year Board Chairman of ICT, Gere has advanced the promotion and preservation of Tibet’s unique culture and ancient wisdom against the Chinese Communist Party’s decades-long effort to co-opt and eliminate Tibetan identity.
In his acceptance remarks, Gere emphasized the need for continued global awareness and action regarding the situation in Tibet: “Today, and for more than six decades, the Tibetan people continue to face serious human rights violations. The world needs to know this — we cannot stay silent.”
Gere also affirmed that the values at the heart of Tibetan culture—harmony, respect, and deep connection among all living beings—are a gift to all humanity, and that the international community must speak out against China’s efforts to erase these traditions. Gere also urged all attendees to make a promise to keep the light of Tibet’s wisdom alive, and to make sure that the spirit of Tibet, and all it represents for humanity, never fades away.