London: On Tuesday, 4 November 2025, Padma Shri Professor Emeritus Robert A.F. Thurman, President of Tibet House US, delivered an inspiring talk titled “His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama at 90: Ocean of Wisdom and Compassion” at a special event held in the UK Parliament on Monday, 3 November 2025. The gathering, hosted in a packed committee room of the House of Commons, celebrated His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s nine decades of extraordinary service to humanity, his teachings on compassion, interfaith harmony, and nonviolence — values that continue to shape global conversations on peace, ethics, and human rights.
Jointly organised by the Office of Tibet, London, and Enacting Peace, an organisation promoting global peace and dialogue, the event was hosted by Hon. Chris Law MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Tibet, as part of the ongoing Ghoton – Year of Compassion initiatives across the UK.
In his opening remarks, Hon. Chris Law MP welcomed the guests and noted that it was the largest turnout for an APPG Tibet event during his tenure, reflecting the profound admiration and respect that people hold for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The committee room was filled to capacity, with over 85 distinguished guests from diverse backgrounds, including parliamentarians Lord Andrew Stone of Blackheath, member of the House of Lords; Hon. Seamus Logan MP, member of the House of Commons and APPG for Tibet; and Hon. Kevin Vuong MP, Member of Parliament from Canada and member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC).
The highlight of the evening was an engaging conversation between Professor Thurman and Lady Mohini Kent Noon, Global Envoy in the UK of the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) and Founder-Chairperson of Lily Against Human Trafficking. Lady Noon invited Professor Thurman to share his reflections on his first encounter with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the early 1960s and his journey toward becoming a Tibetan Buddhist monk.
