His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and the International Campaign for Tibet’s Board Chairman Richard Gere discussed the Dalai Lama’s life experiences before a small, intimate gathering of ICT members on June 14, 2016 in Washington, D.C.

In one clip, you can see how His Holiness rejects the idea of religious terrorism and says that peace only comes through action, not prayer.

In the second clip, upon stepping on stage, His Holiness points to his room in the painting of the Potala Palace that served as the event’s backdrop—created by Tibetan contemporary artist Losang Gyatso.


The Dalai Lama visited Washington, D.C. from June 12 to 16, 2016 and met with President Barack Obama, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and a bipartisan group of members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Additionally, His Holiness visited American University and addressed a packed Bender Arena on “A Peaceful Mind in a Modern World,” and interacted with youth leaders at the US Institute of Peace and National Endowment for Democracy. The NED event bestowed posthumous honors on the late Tenzin Delek Rinpoche (accepted by his relative Geshe Nyima), who died in prison in July 2015 after 13 years of detention, and on the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). The CTA honors were accepted by Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay.

His Holiness’ meetings with Congressional leaders on June 14 and with President Obama on June 15 are a reflection of the continued sympathy and support for the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people that exist within US institutions and the American public.

For more on His Holiness’ meeting with President Obama and Congressional Leaders click here.