| The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has been living | | | | here. The numbers kept increasing, so after setting up |
| outside of his native Tibet for over 40 years - and the | | | | the government in order to rule Tibetans in India, the |
| exiling of the Dalai Lama has been an important issue | | | | Dalai Lama also went about setting up schools so that |
| in the cause to free Tibet. | | | | Tibetan children residing there would be able to learn |
| The current Dalai Lama was born in Tibet on July 6, | | | | the important subjects of traditional language, history |
| 1935. He was proclaimed to be the tulku, or rebirth, of | | | | and culture. In 1959, the Tibetan Institute of Performing |
| the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two, when he was | | | | Arts was established, as well as the Central Institute of |
| residing with his farming family (the fifth of sixteen | | | | Higher Tibetan Studies. |
| children) in the Tibetan province of Amdo. At the age | | | | While in exile, the 14th Dalai Lama became the first |
| of 15, the Dalai Lama was designated as the Tibetan | | | | Dalai Lama to visit the West, and he has continued to |
| Head of State, on November 17, 1950 - just as the | | | | do so - even keeping an office and temple in the |
| country was facing occupation by the People's | | | | United States (in New York). He has been appealing to |
| Republic of China. | | | | the United Nations on the behalf of Tibet since 1959, |
| After a failed attempt to overthrow the Communist | | | | and there have been three resolutions adopted by the |
| rule of China in 1959, the exiling of the Dalai Lama | | | | UN in regards to Tibet. These resolutions are aimed at |
| began. He had gone to India to urge the Prime Minister | | | | making sure that China respects the human rights of |
| to pressure China into giving Tibet their own | | | | Tibetans as well as seeing to further the country's |
| autonomous rule. India did not agree to be party to this, | | | | goals of self-rule. In the 1980's, the Dalai Lama also |
| fearing retribution from China, and urged the Dalai | | | | developed the Five-Point Peace Plan, in hopes to |
| Lama to continue talks with China on his own. These | | | | reach the goal of Tibet's freedom. |
| talks failed, and in 1959 the Dalai Lama moved into | | | | The exile of the Dalai Lama has not been easy for this |
| India, setting up the government of Tibet in exile in | | | | religious leader, but he has worked hard throughout his |
| Dharmasala, India. | | | | life while exiled in India. Striving for Tibetan |
| Dharmasala became known as "Little Lhasa", and | | | | independence, this leader hopes to see his homeland |
| many other Tibetans followed the Dalai Lama into exile | | | | free before he leaves this earth. |