NEWS

Dalai Lama Foundation Launches to the Public

An International Organization for Ethics and Peace

July 6, 2005

For Immediate Release

Contact: Marsha Clark, 650.354.0733
info@dlfound.org

Dalai Lama Foundation Launches to the Public

An International Organization for Ethics and Peace

Palo Alto, CA, The Dalai Lama Foundation (www.dalailamafoundation.org) today announced its official public launch, to coincide with the 70th birthday of the XIV Dalai Lama of Tibet. Inspired and endorsed by His Holiness, the Foundation’s mission is to support the development of our shared global capacity for ethics and peace, based on a non-dogmatic ethic of compassion. The main area of program focus is on developing and promoting educational initiatives for ethics and peace.

To that end, the Dalai Lama Foundation has developed a study guide for His Holiness’ book Ethics for a New Millennium and is coordinating study circles around the world. Circles currently meet in the United States, Venezuela, Russia, Japan and Nigeria. The study guide can be downloaded free of charge from the web site.

The Foundation has begun development of a syllabus of online courses on various topics related to ethics and peace. The first two courses, Practical Ethics and Destructive Emotions, will be available to the public in Fall 2005.

The Foundation is also co-sponsoring, with The Committee of 100 for Tibet, The Missing Peace: The Dalai Lama Portrait Project (www.dlportrait.org), a major multi-media art exhibition bringing together over 75 artists from more than 25 countries. Education activities and curricula are integral parts of the exhibition, which opens in Los Angeles in June 2006. The goal of the project is to make a long-lasting contribution to the global dialogue about peace.

The Foundation works with a number of organizations, including the International Campaign for Tibet, the Tibetan Prisoner’s Fund, Frame of Mind Films, the Mechak Center for Contemporary Tibetan Art, the Ahimsa Center, and Educators for Nonviolence.

“We are joining the many individuals and organizations working towards a time when education for ethics and peace is built into the mainstream curriculum for all,” said Tony Hoeber, Executive Director of the Foundation.

The Foundation has received a message of support from the Dalai Lama which states: “I am very happy to learn that some friends of mine have come together to establish a new foundation for peace and ethics. Although I have little personal interest in launching new organizations or centers, I am happy to endorse and lend my name to this effort because it promises to try to put into action many of the ideas for peace that I support…With my prayers that our efforts contribute to creating a better and more peaceful world, I trust that the Dalai Lama Foundation will give us an opportunity to fulfill our best aspirations for a better world.” Full text of the message is available on the Foundation’s website.

With the official launch, the Foundation is reaching out to the general public. “We encourage everyone who is interested in the Dalai Lama’s message of peace, kindness and compassion to join us,” said Tenzin Tethong, President of the Dalai Lama Foundation and long-time associate of His Holiness. “We are non-religious and non-sectarian. Anyone interested in promoting peace in their own life and the world is welcome.”

Chapters of the Foundation have been established in a number of locales, including New York, Florida, Russia and Japan.

For more information on the Dalai Lama Foundation, or to find out how you can get involved, please visit www.dalailamafoundation.org