Dalai Lama Speech Analysis

Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech and the Dalai Lama’s Nobel lecture are both important speeches that share many parallel underlying concepts. The speeches both touch on the themes of nonviolence, and inter-connectivity. Both speeches were delivered by individuals who are seen as paragons of peace in modern times, although, at the time Dr. King’s speech was made he was antagonized and portrayed as the complete opposite. Furthermore, both speeches were given by important cultural leaders who fought for the equality of their people, albeit through different channels. The Dalai Lama and Dr. King both focus heavily on nonviolence in their teachings, in addition to being cultural leaders, they are also religious leaders for their people and the peaceful doctrines of their religions are greatly echoed throughout their work. Another compelling reason that they both preach …show more content…
In the speeches themselves, the Dalai Lama’s lecture focuses the most on nonviolent action, he seeks to inform the audience about the situation in his home country of Tibet and to persuade them to accept the idea of Tibet being a demilitarized zone. He uses his own Five Point Peace Plan as a means to start dialogue about reforming his nation, and brings up numerous examples of other successful, similar zones. Moreover his speech is loaded with passages about the importance of personal, inner peace and its effect on one’s community, which stands in contrast to Dr. King’s teachings of civil disobedience. Dr. King’s approach to nonviolence is best described in his I Have a Dream speech, “there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.” Dr. King’s civil