Gandhi Mandela Award

In news: The 14th Dalai Lama conferred the Gandhi Mandela Award 2022 at Thekchen Choeling in Dharamshala’s McleodGanj.

• The Tibetan spiritual leader, said the qualities of non-violence and compassion had been ingrained in Indian culture for thousands of years.
• Dalai Lama is a “universal ambassador of peace”.

About the award:

• Gandhi Mandela Foundation instituted the award on the 150th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, MK Gandhi in 2019.
• New Delhi-based Gandhi Mandela Foundation is a non-profit organisation and a government of India registered Trust.
• It is formed with the motive to promote Mahatma Gandhi’s and former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela’s values of non-violence.
• The award is given to personalities who have carried forward the legacies of Gandhi and Mandela by making significant contributions in the fields of Peace, Social Welfare, Culture, Environment, Education, Healthcare, Sports and Innovation.
• Process of selection: This time, the awardee, Dalai Lama, was selected by a jury including former Chief Justice of India, former Chief Justice of Nepal and former Chief Justice of Bangladesh.
• Eminent nominees 2019 included Prime Minister of Nepal Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, first president of Bangladesh Late Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, first president of Sri Lanka late Don Stephen Senanayake, former deputy Prime Minister of India Lal Krishna Advani.

Miscellaneous:

• The Dalai Lama is the recipient of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize.

Source: Indian Express