SEPTEMBER 15TH 2014 PRESS RELEASE DALAI LAMA: 14 NOBEL PEACE LAUREATES WRITE STRONGLY WORDED LETTER TO PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA URGING HIM TO GUARANTEE HIS HOLINESS A VISA TO ENTER SOUTH AFRICA The following is text from a letter sent from the undersigned 14 Nobel Peace Laureates urging the President of the Republic of South Africa Jacob Zuma, to unconditionally guarantee a visa to His Holiness, the Dalai Lama to participate in the 14th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Cape Town from 13 – 15 October 2014. This letter comes in light of the recent news this week that His Holiness has been refused a visa to enter South Africa for the historic summit, which is being held in Africa for the first time. On Thursday the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa announced that the Tibetan spiritual leader had cancelled his planned trip to South Africa and that it had not denied him access to the country. The Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India and is at loggerheads with China over Tibet, had been hoping to join the Nobel Peace Laureates conference in Cape Town next month but withdrew his visa application after being told it would be unsuccessful. The following text is included in the letter from His Holiness’ fellow Nobel Peace Laureates. “We understand the sensitivities involved – but would like to point out that His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, no longer holds any political office and would participate in the Summit solely in his capacity as a globally respected spiritual leader. We are deeply concerned about the damage that will be done to South Africa’s international image by a refusal – or failure – to grant him a visa yet again. We believe that the 14th World Summit, which is dedicated to the memory of former President – and Nobel Peace Laureate – Nelson Mandela, will provide South Africa with a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of its non- racial constitutional democracy. It will enable your country to share with the world the PERMANENT SECRETARIAT OF THE WORLD SUMMIT OF NOBEL PEACE LAUREATES Tel.: +39 06 56566159 !Fax: +39 06 92942573 [email protected]! - www.nobelforpeace-summits.org lessons that you learned from the resolution of centuries of conflict, division and injustice that showed that even the most intractable disputes can be resolved through peaceful negotiations and goodwill. This will also be the first time that the Summit will be held on the African continent and will provide a platform to showcase Africa’s continuing efforts to promote peace and stability throughout the continent. We look forward to joining with all of you, people of South Africa in Cape Town and to celebrating the 20th anniversary of your non-racial constitutional democracy and the remarkable contribution that South Africa and its four Nobel Peace Prize laureates have made to the promotion of peace, democracy and human rights. Yours sincerely”, Bishop Carlos F. Ximenes Belo – 1996 Nobel Peace Laureate Dr. Shirin Ebadi – 2003 Nobel Peace Laureate Mrs. Leymah Gbowee – 2011 Nobel Peace Laureate Prof. John Hume - 1998 Nobel Peace Laureate Mrs. Tawakkol Karman – 2011 Nobel Peace Laureate Mrs. Mairead Corrigan Maguire – 1976 Nobel Peace Laureate Lord David Trimble – 1998 Nobel Peace Laureate President Lech Walesa – 1983 Nobel Peace Laureate Mrs. Betty Williams – 1976 Nobel Peace Laureate Prof. Jody Williams – 1997 Nobel Peace Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus - 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate Amnesty International – 1977 Nobel Peace Laureate International Campaign to Ban Landmines -1997 Nobel Peace Laureate Stephen Goose, Chair International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War – 1985 Nobel Peace Laureate Michael Christ, Executive Director Rome, September 15, 2014 PERMANENT SECRETARIAT OF THE WORLD SUMMIT OF NOBEL PEACE LAUREATES Tel.: +39 06 56566159 !Fax: +39 06 92942573 [email protected]! - www.nobelforpeace-summits.org ADDITIONAL NOTES TO JOURNALISTS The World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, an event globally recognized for its contributions to the global discourse on peacemaking and previously held in Rome, Paris, Berlin, Hiroshima, Chicago, Warsaw will see a historic gathering of over 1000 International delegates and great minds under the shadow of Table Mountain in October 2014. **** Representatives from Nobel Peace Laureate Organizations including: American Friends Service Committee, Amnesty International, European Union, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, International Campaign to Ban Landmines, International Peace Bureau, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will also attend the summit at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. According to Nobel Laureate, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, it will be an event not just in honour of President Mandela’s legacy but a call to action to those who might take on his mantle of peace and reconciliation. Announcing the 2014 event Archbishop Tutu said: “The Cape Town summit will look ahead at both challenges and solutions to ensuring peace in some of the world’s most troubled regions with a focus on youth engagement. Given Africa’s fast growing dynamic as the world’s most youthful continent the 2014 Cape Town summit will place a special emphasis on engaging and empowering youth to action in their schools and communities. Approximately 2600 high school and 700 university students from across South Africa will attend the event. The focus of the event will be three days of discussions including Nobel Peace Laureates from all over the world and twenty youth workshops.” **** The event will also see the high-profile announcement of the winner of the Peace Summit Award, which has been won by Sharon Stone, Sean Penn, Roberto Baggio, Annie Lennox, Bono, George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Peter Gabriel, Sir Bob Geldoff, Cat Stevens, the Italian National Football Team and Robert Benigni. Over the last fourteen years, the World Summits of Nobel Peace Laureates have featured participation by numerous Nobel Peace Laureate individuals and organizations, including: President Mikhail Gorbachev, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, President Shimon Peres, Professor PERMANENT SECRETARIAT OF THE WORLD SUMMIT OF NOBEL PEACE LAUREATES Tel.: +39 06 56566159 !Fax: +39 06 92942573 [email protected]! - www.nobelforpeace-summits.org Muhammad Yunus, President Óscar Arias Sánchez, President Lech Walesa, President José Ramos-Horta, Dr. Shirin Ebadi, Rt. Hon. Lord David Trimble, Professor John Hume, Kim Dae Yung, Jody Williams, Betty Williams, Mairead Corrigan-Maguire, Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, Professor Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Dr. Rigoberta Menchù Tum, President Frederik Willem de Klerk, United Nations Children’s Fund, Pugwash Conferences, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, International Peace Bureau, American Friends Service Committee, Médecins Sans Frontières, Amnesty International, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, International Labour Organization, International Campaign to Ban Landmines, United Nations, International Atomic Energy Agency, Grameen Bank and Red Cross. PERMANENT SECRETARIAT OF THE WORLD SUMMIT OF NOBEL PEACE LAUREATES Tel.: +39 06 56566159 !Fax: +39 06 92942573 [email protected]! - www.nobelforpeace-summits.org .