Gyalwang Drukpa Named 'Guardian of the Himalayas'

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Sep 24, 2013, 11:08 ET

NEW YORK and NEW DELHI, September 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Honour bestowed by Waterkeepers Alliance, a Kennedy Foundation

Waterkeepers Alliance named The Gyalwang Drukpa, founder and patron of Live to Love International and spiritual head of the Drukpa Buddhists, the 'Guardian of the Himalayas'. This honour was bestowed on the Gyalwang Drukpa and Live to Love for the yeoman service rendered in the area of water conservation and awareness in the Himalayas by Live to Love, led by the Gyalwang Drukpa, in New York on 23^rd Sep.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130314/601417-a )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130924/642509 )

Waterkeepers Alliance (founded by Robert F Kennedy Jr. - http://www.waterkeeper.org/) is committed to grassroots advocacy and an unfaltering belief that everyone has a right to clean water. It collaborates with like-minded organisations across the world and provides a way for communities to stand up for their right to clean water and for the wise and equitable use of water resources, both locally and globally.

Live to Love, under the guidance and patronage of the Gyalwang Drukpa has been engaged in creating grassroots-level awareness on water conservation and glacier preservation. Live to Love, in 2012 created Guinness and world records by planting 99,103 trees in the harsh climatic region of Leh (in the Himalayas) in India. This was done as an environmental initiative to hold the soil together, create and catalyse water retention, and stop landslides and soil erosion. This was a repeat of 2010 when Live to Love had created a Guinness record by planting over 66000 trees in the Leh region.

Speaking on the occasion, the Gyalwang Drukpa said, "Live to Love is committed to preserving the environment and creating a sustainable ecological system that ensures that we give back to the nature from which we continue to draw incessantly. With global recognition and support like these, we will continue to do our small bit towards preserving the planet for our future generations."

Images of the Awards ceremony are available here https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-6vv782JslHQ00yWTFXWVp5b3c/edit?usp=sharing

About Live to Love

Live To Love, a global humanitarian initiative founded by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Award winning philanthropist, the Gyalwang Drukpa, focuses on 5 directions to improve the world: Education, Medical Services, Relief Aid, Heritage Preservation and Environmental Sustainability. It supports regional activities in Brazil, France, Germany, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Peru, , Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Live to Love has been at the forefront of various initiatives

The 2^nd Guinness World Record for "Most Trees Planted Simultaneously" in 2012 for planting 99,103 trees in 55 minutes
The first Guinness World Record for "Most Trees Planted Simultaneously" in 2010 for planting 55,000 trees
5 yearly Pad Yatras since 2006 to promote environment awareness
Relief mission to Ladakh post flash floods in August 2010
Relief mission to China's Yushu region post earthquake in April 2010
Ashoka Stupa restoration in Nangchen, China in July 2012
Ladakh International Film Festival in June 2012