His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu will be awarded the Fetzer Institute’s Prize for Love and Forgiveness this Sunday at the 2009 Peace Summit in Vancouver. Each will receive a $100,000 monetary prize to support their work and a handcrafted, inscribed journal. The Archbishop Emeritus’ daughter, the Reverend Mpho Tutu, will accept the prize on his behalf.
The Institute’s Prize honors the courage and persistence with which His Holiness and Archbishop Emeritus Tutu have both worked to bring love, compassion and forgiveness to all that they do, as well as their ability to inspire these same impulses in others around the world.
“Love, compassion and forgiveness have the power to change, the power to heal and the power to transform any situation–no matter how violent or troubled–into something that is generative and life-giving,” said Tom Beech, president and CEO of the Institute. “The Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu are renowned, revered, respected and loved the world over. In giving this award, the Fetzer Institute celebrates their humanity and the consistency with which their lives stand for compassion in the face of isolation, love in the face of fear and forgiveness in the face of violence.”
The two recipients will discuss the nature of compassion and its power for change on TED.com.