Veteran Hollywood actor and long-time Tibet supporter Richard Gere has once again pledged his unwavering commitment to the Tibetan cause and declared that he would continue to carry the cause forward even after the eventual passing of the 14th Dalai Lama.
Speaking at the International Tibet Youth Forum in McLeodganj on Thursday, Gere said “This is not a one-lifetime commitment — it’s many lifetimes of commitment,” he said, strongly criticising the Chinese Communist Party for decades of repression against the Tibetan people.
“Tibetans have been highly abused for many, many decades by the Chinese Communist Party,” the Hollywood actor stated.
Gere, who also serves as chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet, urged the youth to carry forward the message of peace, compassion, and resilience taught by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
He added that “This is something that is for everyone — a sense of peace and compassion. If we have any problem, we can talk to each other. We don’t have to fight, we can solve the problem.”
Reflecting on the Tibetan leader’s teachings, he said, “His Holiness has been very clear that at some point, the body is going to fall apart. He can’t carry us on his shoulders forever. We have to carry ourselves and we have to carry each other.”
Gere is currently in Dharamsala with his son, Homer James Jigme Gere, to take part in the week-long spiritual and cultural celebrations marking the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday.
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