'Past Congressional Gold Medal recipient and Nobel peace laureate Prof. Elie
Wiesel addresses the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony

Nobel Peace Laureate Elie Wiesel

Mr President, Madam Laura Bush, members of Congress, Excellencies, distinguished guests and friends.

This is a solemn moment in our lives and I thank you, Madam Speaker for allowing us to participate in it today. It is solemn because of its symbolism as well as its meaningful importance. Its symbolism is linked to personal memory. Twenty two years ago a younger Jewish writer and teacher, a holocaust orphan had the rare privilege of receiving from Congress the same honour. And he said then that he belongs to a tradition that commands him to speak truth to power. Today, in honouring a great man of faith and courage, you, members of Congress, and you, Mr President are giving power to truth.

Admired by millions all over the world, true to his tradition and open to all others, forever ready to listen and willing to learn, His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a man of profound spiritual conviction who believes that like all people, his own in Tibet have the right to live a sovereign, religious and cultural life. This is a right that must never be deprived from anyone. So exiled from his homeland by a dictatorial regime, he chooses to ignore political considerations and political arguments, even political exigencies. Always quiet, respectful and inspired, never yielding to anger or despair, his voice has prophetic reverberations when he pleads for his community’s burning desire for peace. Transcending national and geographic boundaries, the quest of this gentle and frail man is universal in nature. He believes that humanity in essence is one and indivisible. What happens to one group anywhere affects all others.

Like Jerusalem to many of us,Tibet is not far away. Tibet is in a way in all of us. Therefore, I believe that you will agree with me when I say that we proclaim our commitment to stand by all of those who invoke the ideal of respecting otherness of the other, the humanity of any person, irrespective of his or her inner fulfillment. And to you, my dear and honored friend, we have known each other for so many years. We have spoken to so many people about the same things. What can I say to you? When we met first, we spoke about your exile. And you wanted to know actually what to do to survive that exile since I, the Jew, belonged to people who had a two thousand year exile.

My dear friend, as long as you are in exile, our yearning for freedom will accompany you. You will not be alone, ever. And one day, you and I, if God gives me years, will go to Tibet together.

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