Dalai Lama donates bulk of $1.5m prize to Save the Children

Tibetan Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama is to donate the bulk of his Templeton Prize money to Save the Children, it was announced today. The 76-year-old religious leader received the $1.5m prize at St Paul's Cathedral in London.
 

"I have always had great admiration for the work of Save the Children Fund in improving the lives of children through better education, health care and economic opportunities as well as providing emergency aid in natural disasters, war and other conflicts. It is my belief that little can be done to defend the rights of children or to help them fulfil their potential unless they first of all have enough to eat,” the Dalai Lama said.

Save the Children is honoured to accept this generous humanitarian gift, which will be used to save the lives of some of the world's most vulnerable children.

In line with the Dalai Lama's wishes, the funds will be used on programmes which tackle malnutrition in India. Save the Children is at the forefront of the fight against malnutrition - one of the biggest causes of deaths of young children across the globe.

This donation will be used practically, to help many more children survive, grow and as the Dalai Lama said realise their full potential.

In selecting Save the Children as a beneficiary, His Holiness has spoken of his admiration for the work of Save the Children and its tireless efforts over the years to improve the world for young children.

The 76-year-old is being awarded the prize for encouraging "serious scientific investigative reviews of the power of compassion", and its potential to address world problems.

The John Templeton Foundation said he was chosen for exploring these issues - which are key themes of his teachings - with people beyond his own religious traditions.