Recalling his earliest meetings with His Holiness years ago, Sen. Lantos mused,"What accounts for his rise from relative obscurity? Moral authority. In a moment in history when nothing is in as short supply as moral authority, he has a limitless supply." And Hon. Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader, stated, "No one living on earth today is more deserving of this honor. He is the voice of reason in crisis and wisdom in chaos."

In his acceptance speech, His Holiness attributed his receipt of this and other honors to the values he absorbed from his youth—distinctly Tibetan values which he stressed it is urgent to preserve.

"As a child, I grew under the loving care of my mother," he noted. "After my arrival in Lhasa at age four, all around me taught me what it means to be kind, honest, and caring. These values continue to guide me in pursuing the non-violent path. As I expressed when I received the Nobel Prize, I accept this not for me, because I am no one special. This recognition is an affirmation of the values I cherish, inherited from the culture in which I happen to have been born."

His Holiness went on to reiterate that he has no intent of using any agreement on autonomy as a stepping stone toward independence, that he has no hidden agenda, and that he does not seek to undermine China's welfare.

Following the Rotunda event, festivities continued on the West lawn of the Capitol, which temporarily resembled a Tibetan encampment of old. Tibetan rugs were spread on the grass, and Tibetan flags planted firmly in the sod, while refugees and their Western friends picnicked and enjoyed traditional Tibetan song and dance performances. Joining the crowd in his only public D.C. appearance, His Holiness addressed his remarks to Tibetans in particular: "We should take this opportunity, when our cultural values are being recognized in the outside world, to appreciate them ourselves and ensure their safeguard. It is because of this that even in our struggle to regain freedom we have persistently followed the non-violent path. Oppressed people have historically resorted to violence because of desperation. Our non-violent approach may provide a way for other people to regain their rights."

The guileless love that everyone speaking at the event feels for His Holiness transformed a normally cynical setting into something magical, and the proceedings into an event greater than the sum of its parts. It remains to be seen whether these lawmakers' words—forceful, but never abrasive, supporting His Holiness's approach, and emphasizing China's fortune in having a man of peace to negotiate with—will tip the scales in Tibet's favor, or will merely have proven to be the West's means of bearing witness to truth. Although, as the Senate Majority Leader put it, "His Holiness has received virtually every humanitarian award available," this one is invested with particular heft because it carries the prestige of bi-partisan Congressional and Presidential approval. Whatever the outcome, Tibet supporters can join the Reverend Barry Black, Chaplain of the US Senate, in his sentiments voiced during the opening invocation: "We give thanks for His Holiness's efforts to foster harmony and religious understanding. May the recognition given him today inspire us...that we may live in peace with others."

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