The University of Graz in Austria presented the Dalai Lama with its Year 2002 Human Rights Award on October 14, 2002.

The Dalai Lama arrived at the Graz University in the afternoon and was received by the Rector, faculty staff and guest rectors from Universities in Hungary and Slovenia, according to information from the Tibet Bureau.

HHDL Graz Univ In his acceptance speech, the Dalai Lama said that the Human Rights Award was an encouragement to all individuals who were working for the common good of the humanity. His Holiness also spoke about His efforts to promote human values and harmony among religions.

The ceremony at the University Hall was attended by two Austrian Ministers, the Bishop of Graz, the President of the State Parliament and Mr. Heinrich Harrer, the mountaineer who visited Tibet in the 1940s.

Past recipients of the award include Prof. Dr. Jon Sobrino from in El Salvador, rector of the Universidad Centroamericana in San Salvador, in 1992, and Dr. Simon Wiesenthal, the head of the Vienna-based Institute for Investigation of War Crimes, in 1994.

The Dalai Lama will present the International Campaign for Tibet’s Light of Truth award on October 15, 2002.