Delegates urged lawmakers to support the nationwide observance, emphasising its symbolic value in honouring the Tibetan spiritual leader’s lifelong advocacy for peace and non-violence.
Ottawa (Canada), November 23, 2025-BBN Web Staff: Several Canadian parliamentarians have urged the federal government to designate 2025 as the “Year of Compassion,” marking the 90th birthday of the Dalai Lama and reaffirming Canada’s long-standing support for Tibet and its people.
The call was made during statements in the House of Commons by MPs Karim Bardeesy, Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, and James Maloney, who highlighted the Dalai Lama’s global message of compassion and the importance of safeguarding Tibetan rights.
The appeal coincided with Canada Tibet Lobby Day 2025, during which more than 60 Tibetan delegates from Toronto, Alberta, Belleville, and Ottawa gathered on Parliament Hill to meet MPs.
Delegates urged lawmakers to support the nationwide observance, emphasising its symbolic value in honouring the Tibetan spiritual leader’s lifelong advocacy for peace and non-violence.
MP Karim Bardeesy referenced the House of Commons’ 2024 resolution recognising Tibetans as a distinct people and nation. He noted their significant contributions to Canadian society and the continued resilience of Tibetan democracy in exile.
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe reiterated the call to declare 2025 as the “Year of Compassion” and pressed Parliament to recognise Tibet as an occupied nation.
He also stressed the need to protect the Tibetan community’s right to determine the Dalai Lama’s successor free from external interference.
James Maloney, who chairs the Parliamentary Friends of Tibet, reflected on the more than five decades of Tibetan presence in Canada, beginning with the arrival of refugees in 1970.
He praised the Dalai Lama’s enduring influence as a global advocate for peace and expressed full support for the proposal to mark 2025 as a year dedicated to compassion.
Organised by the Canada Tibet Committee in collaboration with Parliamentary Friends of Tibet and multiple Tibetan associations, the Lobby Day centred on one primary request: an official endorsement declaring 2025 as the “Year of Compassion.”
Delegates said such recognition would honour the Dalai Lama’s legacy and further reinforce Canada’s commitment to upholding the rights, dignity, and cultural identity of the Tibetan people.
