His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama: The best way to remember a friend is to promote his legacy
In an interview with Michael Žantovský recorded this year, His Holiness the Dalai Lama remembers Václav Havel as a person completely dedicated to democracy and as his intimate friend. He allows the camera into his study, in which Václav Havel enjoys a fixed place, turns to his followers and friends and recalls the values that connected them.
The unique friendship between the Tibetan spiritual leader and the Czech playwright and politician began with their first meeting, at the Lány Chateau presidential retreat in early February 1990. The Dalai Lama visited Prague another eight times during the president’s life. He regularly took part in the international conference Forum 2000 in support of democracy and human rights, while his appearances at interfaith meetings and gatherings with citizens at sports arenas were also unforgettable. His last visit to his then seriously ill friend was, symbolically, on International Human Rights Day, 10 December, 2011.