Look To The Stars News: Dalai Lama

Peace Day Concert 2008 To Rock London

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:30:00 -0000

After last year’s sell out show, the annual Peace One Day concert is set to rock the Royal Albert Hall in London.

World Peace Day has been held on September 21 annually since 2001, when the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted September 21 as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence. The initiative came from an idea by Jeremy Gilley, who founded his non-profit organization – Peace One Day – in 1999. Since then he has amassed an impressive list of supporters, including Chris Martin, Sir Richard Branson, Angelina Jolie, Alan Rickman, and Michael Douglas.

This year’s concert will see performances from Annie Lennox, Bryan Adams, and a guest appearance from Jude Law. There will also be a gala screening of The Day After Peace, the acclaimed new documentary film made by Jeremy Gilley. The film, which received a great reception at its premiere during the 61st Cannes Film Festival, features Kofi Annan, The Dalai Lama, Angelina Jolie, Jude Law, Annie Lennox and Jonny Lee Miller.

The 2007 concert featured acts such as Corinne Bailey Rae, Kate Nash, James Morrison, and Yusuf, with video segments from David Beckham and the Dalai Lama.

Tickets to the 2008 Peace Day Concert can be bought from Ticketmaster, and cost between £35 and £55.

Stars Sing Songs For Tibet

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Sting, Dave Matthews, John Mayer, and Alanis Morissette are just some of the artists who are donating songs to a new album to raise awareness for the International Campaign for Tibet.

Due for release on iTunes on August 5 and through other retailers on August 12, the album – called Songs For Tibet – will hit the airwaves just three days before the opening of the Beijing Olympics.

“This album will focus people’s attention on the importance of Tibet, the gifts of its culture, and the crisis the Tibetan people are facing today," said Michael Wohl, from the Art of Peace Foundation. “We wanted to express our support for the Tibetan people and their message of peace through music – a fundamental means of expression – at a time when the eyes of the world are on China.”

It is a sentiment shared by the International Campaign for Tibet – a organization whose board of directors includes Richard Gere – with spokesperson Kate Saunders adding: “We support this unique project as a heartfelt expression of solidarity with the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people at a time when the survival of Tibet’s religious culture is under threat.”

Proceeds from the album will go towards raising awareness and support for Tibet and the Dalai Lama, as well as towards projects inspired by the Dalai Lama’s promotion of peace.

Songs For Tibet also features new music from Moby, Damien Rice, and many more, and was produced by Rupert Hine.

“The commitment and enthusiasm from such a wide group of artists has been astonishing and truly heartfelt,” said Hine. “It’s been exciting orchestrating such an historic project.”

Joanna Lumley Wants China Out Of Tibet

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 05:00:55 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

British actress Joanna Lumley, peacefully campaigning for a free Tibet, is having a hard time getting heard.

Born in Kashmir, Lumley was deeply touched by the plight of Tibetans making the perilous journey across the mountains into India and meeting the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala when he spoke to the newly arrived refugees. Today, she’s a spokesperson for the Free Tibet movement.

“There are people in the most ghastly straits in that country," said Lumley. “The suffering there is indescribably dreadful and it’s been going on for so long that we’ve deafened our ears. It’s called Tibet. If it was part of China, it would be called China.”

Lumley told The Guardian that while she was rallying for a Free Tibet in London, the press only followed the protesters who were chasing the Olympic torch.

“The truth is, peaceful protest hasn’t worked," Lumley said in the interview. “It’s the people who did that [violence] who got into the papers. We didn’t. Our rally at the weekend was completely ignored… because they were looking for trouble; because protest is what gets in the paper.”

Students for a Free Tibet have used the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a unique opportunity to expose atrocities of Chinese rule in Tibet and are vehemently against allowing the Olympic torch being run through their country.

“People say, oh what a shame, the [protestors] have spoilt the running of the torch,” Lumley told the paper. “Well I’m sorry, hang the torch, it’s not an age-old tradition – it was only invented in 1936, wasn’t it? … Please don’t pretend that a couple of people running out with a bicycle is the most dangerous stuff that’s ever happened. …But if it hadn’t happened, Tibet again would have been ignored.”

Jackie Chan Urges For A Peaceful Olympics

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:19:50 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Jackie Chan has come out fighting for the Olympics – despite the current protests occuring around the world as the Olympic Torch makes its way to Beijing.

The 54-year-old star of over 100 action films believes the Games should be used as a platform for peace – not politics – and should represent “unity and love” to heal the problems of the world. The UNICEF and UNAIDS Ambassador is a strong believer in philanthropy and goodwill, and although he can understand the protestors’ desire to be heard, he is disappointed with the way they are doing it.

“They wish to find an outlet to voice their opinions, but I don’t think they should use the Olympics to do so,” said Chan after arriving in Beijing with Jet Li for the world premiere of The Forgotten Kingdom yesterday. “I hope people do not mix sports with politics. This is wrong. I don’t understand why people would want to destroy the Olympics.”

The martial arts star is looking forward to the Games, and has already starred in a series of Olympic TV commercials for Visa, attended a ceremony last August for the official start to the Games’ countdown, and recorded the official Olympic song, We Are Ready. But protests over the Games has been strong, and the running of the Olympic Flame has been marred with hold-ups and opposition. Most of the disapproval centers around China’s continued support of the Sudan despite the on-going humanitarian crises in Darfur, and the issue of Tibet following violent riots in March.

Jet Li, a follower of Tibetan Buddhism who has met the Dalai Lama, refused to comment on the situation.

Clooney And Cheadle Receive Peace Award

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 11:12:43 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actors George Clooney and Don Cheadle have been presented with a prestigious award for their efforts to help civilians caught up in the conflict in Darfur at a function in Rome.

The ceremony marked the opening of an annual meeting of Nobel Peace Prize laureates, organized by Mikhail Gorbachev and attended by dignitaries such as the Dalai Lama.

“Don and I… stand here as failures,” said Clooney at a press conference following the presentation of the Peace Summit Award. “The simple truth is that, when it comes to the atrocities in Darfur, those people are no better off now than they were years ago. The murders continue, the rapes continue, and some two and a half million refugees are yet to go home.”

Clooney and Cheadle were presented with a bronze statue created by Italian sculpture Oliviero Rainaldi for “their efforts in favor of pacifying the tormented region of Darfur, and for helping to save lives.” Along with Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, the pair have raised over $9.5 million for the cause through their charity Not On Our Watch, and have used their celebrity status to raise awareness of the atrocities.

The conflict in the Sudanese region of Darfur began in 2003 when ethnic African rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated Khartoum government. Sudan’s regime is accused of retaliating by organizing a militia of Arab nomads, known as the Janjaweed, to reign terror on the region’s African inhabitants, an allegation the Khartoum denies. It has been estimated that over 200,000 people have been slain since the conflict arose, and the United Nations now state that the humanitarian crisis in Darfur is the worst in the world. However, plans to send 26,000 UN peacekeepers into the region are now in doubt due to restrictions imposed by the Khartoum, as well of the failure of Western countries to offer help.

“We have an American election coming up, so this is the time to put pressure on American candidates,” said Clooney. “But believe me, none of these people want to deal with this issue. Right now is the time to place pressure on the people who can actually affect change, because we can’t.”

Clooney also urged people to attend public rallies and try to raise governments’ awareness of the problems in Darfur: “When they write about this, the question will be ‘Where was the rest of the world?’ The answer will be ‘It just wasn’t a priority’.”

“Laws have been passed, millions of dollars have been spent, treaties have been signed and sanctions adopted, but they have had no success,” continued the 46-year-old actor as he called for action. “We do concerts, rallies, where thousands of people show up and say how terrible it is, but the truth is not one single thing has changed. Now it’s time to turn that corner.”

Gere Awarded Humanitarian Honor

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 11:29:43 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actor Richard Gere has received a prestigious humanitarian award in his home city of Philadelphia.

The Golden Globe winner accepted the Marion Anderson Award, named after the famous African-American opera singer who fought racial segregation in the 1930s, at a ceremony at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on November 12.

“I’m not worthy of this award in any way whatsoever,” said the 58-year-old star of films such as “Chicago” and “Pretty Woman”. “I can’t tell you how this makes me feel. My heart is so wide open.”

Gere received the award for his charity and humanitarian work over the last three decades. A devoted Buddhist, Gere has advocated Tibetan independence since 1978, and is a friend and student of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He has made numerous trips through India, Nepal, Tibet, Mongolia, and China, and has released a book featuring his own photographs of these regions, with a foreword written by the Dalai Lama.

In 1987, Gere co-founded Tibet House, and is now Board Chairman for the International Campaign for Tibet. He has testified on Tibet’s behalf before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, the European Parliament, and the House International Operations and Human Rights Subcommittee in an attempt to free the nation from China’s grip. His own charitable organization, the Gere Foundation, was set up to award grants to humanitarian foundations, especially in relation to Tibet.

Gere also established Healing the Divide, an organization dedicated to improving care for HIV/AIDS patients, and in 2004 instigated the Heroes Project, which addresses the spread of AIDS in India. He is a spokesman for Meals On Wheels, and earlier in 2007 appeared in the charity’s first ever advertising campaign, along with his father who has been a volunteer for 17 years. He is also a longtime supporter of the American Foundation for AIDS Research, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

“We are proud to honor Richard Gere with the Marion Anderson Award,” said Philadelphia Mayor, John F. Street. “His accomplishments as an actor are only surpassed by his accomplishments as a humanitarian and as a advocate for human rights issues around the world. We are particularly pleased to honor Mr Gere this year as it will mark the first time that the award will be conferred upon a native Philadelphian.”

Gere attended the award ceremony with his friend and co-star of three films, Diane Lane, and made special mention of the woman the award is named after. He told the audience that Marion Anderson paved the way for artists to use their celebrity status for humanitarian work, and urged people to adopt her traits.

“I think that is what we are here for,” he said during the ceremony. “To make the road easier for those who follow us.”

The Marion Anderson Award, which includes a $100,000 honorarium, is bestowed annually upon individuals whose support for a cause upholds humanitarian principles and benefits society, and previous recipients include Oprah Winfrey, Sidney Poitier, Danny Glover, Quincy Jones, Elizabeth Taylor, Gregory Peck, and Harry Belafonte. Marion Anderson gained international fame in the music world in the 1930s, although she faced racial segregation at home in the United States. She bravely fought racism with her music, and became the first African-American person to perform at the White House in 1939. She was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Johnson in 1963, and died in 1993 at the age of 96.

“In honoring Richard Gere, we celebrate the achievements of an outstanding artist and humanitarian,” said Pamela A. Crawley, Chair of the Marion Anderson Award. “He has used his remarkable career as an actor to support his unparalleled advocacy for some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. He has traveled the globe supporting efforts that allow people to live in health, in the integrity of their cultures, and with the fundamental human rights that all citizens of the world must possess. These are the qualities of a leader, and we are deeply honored by his acceptance.”

“Richard is a man whose heart dictates his choices,” added award winning actress, Diane Lane. “He has cultivated this tenacious advocacy for those who are in danger of being railroaded, shut out, and trampled under the big machine of ‘Business As Usual’.”

Gere intends to share the prize money between selected charities.

Dalai Lama's Land Rover To Be Auctioned

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 11:06:16 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actress Sharon Stone has announced an exciting new internet auction, involving one of the most well respected political and spiritual leaders in the world.

The Oscar nominated actress has spoken on YouTube about the auction, which features a Land Rover owned by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, a three day Buddhism study session with the leader in India, and a chance to attend The Missing Peace art exhibition and gala dinner as Stone’s guest in late November. Proceeds from the auction, which comes as a package with a reserve price of $75,000, will go to the Dalai Lama Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports the development of peace around the world, based on a non-dogmatic ethic of compassion.

“It creates hospitals, it creates education centers for young boys and girls,” Stone said about the foundation. “These are young boys and girls who would have turned to prostitution when they were 8, 10, 12… and instead they become professionals. They become teachers and doctors and all kinds of great things. I’ve had the opportunity to see these kids grow up and become the great things their destinies allow.”

The most anticipated item in the auction, which runs on eBay Giving Works until November 12, is the 1966 Land Rover 88” station wagon, owned by the Dalai Lama from 1966 until 1975.

“This is an amazing item that rarely becomes available at auction,” said Eric Gazin from Auction Cause, the company running the auction. “This was the Dalai Lama’s daily transportation vehicle before he passed it on to his brother who, in turn, donated it to the Dalai Lama Foundation in California. We understand the Dalai Lama used this Land Rover to visit Buddhist encampments in the Himalayas. Despite its age, it’s in great shape and the transmission has just been re-done, among other things.”

“If you’ve ever been in the company of His Holiness, the vibes you take away are pretty amazing,” added Stone. “So I can only imagine what it must be like to ride around in a car that His Holiness has ridden around in. Probably you’ll just laugh the whole time that you’re in it!”

Stone will also host the Missing Peace Gala Dinner in San Francisco on November 29, as part of the opening of the Missing Peace art exhibition, and the winner of the auction will get to sit next to the actress at the event as a VIP. The Missing Peace is the result of a collaboration between the Dalai Lama Foundation and the Committee of 100 for Tibet, and hopes to increase the appreciation of the principles the Dalai Lama has stood for during his lifetime, and to inspire people around the world to make contributions for a peaceful planet.

“This project is a unique opportunity to explore the idea of art as an interpretation of, and catalyst for, peace,” said Project Director, Darlene Markovich. “The project and exhibition title is a play on words – peace may always be elusive, or missing, in our world, but the Dalai Lama consistently shows that dedicating oneself to peace is anything but pointless.”

A total of 88 artists, including Laurie Anderson and Ken Aptekar, have contributed to the exhibition, which opens to the public on December 1 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. The artists were only given one instruction in creating their works – be inspired by the life and message of the Dalai Lama.

The auction can be viewed at www.auctioncause.com, and Sharon Stone’s introduction can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jCKjRkAgZE.

Look To The Stars News: Dalai Lama

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