The Dalai Lama. Photo courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Tulane University School of Social Work will bring the Dalai Lama to Louisiana from Tibet in May, according to this article in the San Francisco Chronicle.

The spiritual leader and an entourage of Tibetan monks will hold a rally in support of people still suffering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina. The Dalai Lama will also speak at Tulane’s commencement ceremony on May 18 in the Superdome and will be presented with an honorary degree.

The Dalai Lama, 77, won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his nonviolent protest against China’s occupation of Tibet. He was also a critic of the Iraqi War.

Ronald Marks, MPW, MSW, PhD, dean of the Tulane Social Work School, has been conducting a graduate social work class in northern India. Students work with Tibetan refugees and the Louisiana Himalaya Association, a social service organization.

“I firmly believe that whereas we have much to offer the Tibetan exile community, we also have much to learn from it,”Marks said.

Social workers are often involved in international work, including helping refugees and facilitating cross-border adoptions. To learn more click here to visit the National Association of Social Workers’ International Social Work website.