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Mayor of New York gives Dalai Lama September 27th, 2005 The Dalai Lama was presented with the key to New York by the
city's Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, on Sunday (25 September), who described the
Tibetan religious leader as a 'moral beacon to millions around the world, with
a clear and constant voice for human rights'. The Dalai Lama said it was a ‘great honor’ to attend the ceremony and to receive the key of New York, and gave a moving tribute to the work of Senator Moynihan and his daughter Maura for Tibet. The text of Mayor Bloomberg’s address is enclosed below. The Dalai Lama is scheduled to visit Washington DC in November this year, where he is expected to meet the President and Secretary of State. The Dalai Lama will give a public talk at the MCI Center on 13 November (see www.dalailamadc.org). Address to the Dalai Lama by Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, on Sunday 25 September 2005: Good morning. On behalf of all New Yorkers, it’s my honor to welcome his holiness the Dalai Lama to our city. He is one of the great spiritual leaders of our time – a moral beacon to millions around the world and a clear and constant voice for human rights. Tashi Delek. Your Holiness, I know your English is better than my Tibetan… In fact, your writings and statements have moved us all. Not only do they reflect a tremendous spiritual enlightenment…but they are a clarion call for the rights of the people of Tibet. From the start, New York has been a place where people from all over the world have come to pursue their own dreams – freely and peacefully. And there perhaps is no stronger symbol of peace and compassion on our planet today than you. You have been a close friend of our city – just as you were a close friend of one of our city’s great statesmen…the late Senator Pat Moynihan, who helped bring Tibet’s ongoing struggle to the forefront of our national consciousness Those were just some of the invaluable gifts he gave to us during his remarkable career of public service. The Moynihan Station – now rising from the foundations of this post office – was his final gift. When this transformation is complete, it will be a grand gateway to NYC for millions from around the world. It will stand as a fitting tribute to Pat Moynihan…as well as a bold monument to the international spirit that the Dalai Lama has dedicated his life to. Your Holiness, in honor of your lifelong devotion to peace and justice around the world…and your deep and lasting friendship with New Yorkers… I’m proud to present you with a key to our city. And when this magnificent station opens, I hope that you will come back here to take the first train ride!
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