Press Release

His Holiness The Dalai Lama Donates Historic Document to George W. Bush Presidential Center

Today, during a meeting with President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush, His Holiness the Dalai Lama donated an important historic document to...

Today, during a meeting with President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush, His Holiness the Dalai Lama donated an important historic document to the Freedom Collection at the George W. Bush Institute. The document is an early draft of what became the 1963 Tibetan Constitution with handwritten comments and suggestions from His Holiness. As His Holiness explained, the Constitution was a result of his own strong conviction that Tibetans, both in exile and within Tibet, should have a democratic form of governance. He has often observed this experience with democracy will be one of the great contributions Tibetans in exile will be able to bring back to an autonomous Tibet. 

The document is the first contribution to the document archive of the Freedom Collection and has been designated as the founding document of the Collection. The Freedom Collection presents the personal stories of struggle and achievement told by the men and women who have led freedom movements around the world. This document, along with other significant materials from democracy movements around the world, will be preserved at the George W. Bush Presidential Center and will be displayed both at the Center and on the Freedom Collection website, which will launch later this year.