Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Oct. 17: Long-time friend of Tibet and renowned Hollywood actor Richard Gere was honoured with Human Rights First’s inaugural ‘Visionary Award’ on October 14 at Gotham Hall in New York City.
Gere was recognised for his lifelong dedication to defending the rights of Tibetans and his enduring commitment to humanitarian causes. “In Tibet, for more than six decades, the people have endured grave human rights violations. The world must know this — we cannot remain silent,” he said in his acceptance speech.
According to a report by the Washington-based advocacy group International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), Gere emphasized that the core values of Tibetan culture lie in its values of harmony, respect, and a profound interconnectedness among all living beings, a quality he described as “a gift to humanity.” He urged the international community to speak out against China’s attempts to suppress and erase these timeless traditions. Gere also called on attendees to pledge to keep the light of Tibet’s wisdom alive and to ensure that the spirit of Tibet, and all that it embodies for humanity, never fades away.
Gere has served for 30 years as the chair of the International Campaign for Tibet, a leading advocacy group instrumental in rallying bipartisan support for Tibetans in Washington, including the passage of the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020 and the Resolve Tibet Act of 2024. He also co-founded Tibet House US in New York in 1987, an institution devoted to preserving and promoting Tibetan culture in exile.
Human Rights First President and CEO Uzra Zeya commended Gere’s decades-long dedication to the Tibetan cause. Presenting the Visionary Award, Zeya stated, “Richard Gere’s lifelong advocacy for the human rights of Tibetans has profoundly influenced U.S. and international policy, speaking truth to power and harnessing his artistic stature as a powerful force for human rights.”
