On Friday, June 23rd, 2006, the members of Canadian Parliament unanimously decided to give the Dalai Lama Honorary Citizenship of Canada. This was only the third time throughout history that the Parliament has bestowed this honor, with Nelson Mandela and Raoul Wallenberg being the other two recipients of this honorary citizenship.
Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish diplomat during World War II who saved thousands of Jews by issuing them protective passports, which prevented them from being deported to death camps. Although he disappeared in 1945, he was bestowed with the honor in 1985 in recognition of his heroic acts the war. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, Sheila Copps, stated that by honoring Raoul Wallenberg, ”we honor the courage, character, and humanity of an exceptional individual” who ”looked beyond national, ethnic, and religious differences to save lives.”
The Dalai Lama is an honorary member of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation (IRWF) and was awarded the Raoul Wallenberg Congressional Human Rights Award in 1989.
Founded in Argentina by Baruch Tenembaum, the Wallenberg Foundation recently launched the international campaign ”Let’s bring Raoul Home,” which calls for distinguish personalities to write letters to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin asking for the release of vital information on Wallenberg’s case.
For more about the campaign, visit /?en/wallenberg/fate/letters
For more Information about International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, visit https://www.raoulwallenberg.net
