|
"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."
—
RALPH WALDO EMERSON
|
|
 
|
 |
| Curious how ICT celebrates Losar, the Tibetan New Year? |
|
—
In this video, Matteo and Tencho share a glimpse of ICT’s own Losar altar, tell about the Losar celebration at the US State Department and provide highlights on ICT’s recent outreach efforts. Check it out!
|
 |
ICT President Matteo Mecacci and US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback celebrate with members of the local Capital Area Tibetan Association |
| State Department hosts reception to celebrate Tibetan New Year |
|
—
In a sign of the US government’s continuing embrace of the Tibetan people and promotion of Tibetan culture and identity, the State Department hosted a reception last week to mark “Losar,” the Tibetan New Year. The actual Losar began on Feb. 24 and the new year will be the Iron-Mouse year.
The celebration inside State Department headquarters in Washington, DC brought together government officials, the US representative of the Dalai Lama, representatives from the diplomatic community and members of the local Capital Area Tibetan Association.
Read more online
|
|
 |
| China’s response to Coronavirus in Tibet: arrests, crackdown and repression |
|
—
China has responded to the spread of coronavirus to Tibet by cracking down on people who post information online about the deadly illness, including one man who was detained by police simply for encouraging his contacts to recite prayers to ward off infection.
Chinese authorities also announced the cancellation of public religious festivals and prayer ceremonies for “Losar,” the Tibetan New Year, which began on Feb. 24.
Read more online
|
|
 |
| Speaker Pelosi and President Trump pray for Tibetans at Prayer Breakfast |
|
—
Top US leaders prayed for religious prisoners in Tibet earlier this month at the National Prayer Breakfast while a Tibetan monk who escaped torture and imprisonment raised awareness of China’s ruthless oppression of Tibetan Buddhists.
With President Trump sitting nearby, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., took to the podium and led the gathering in a prayer: “Let us pray for the Panchen Lama and all the Tibetan Buddhists in prison in China or missing for following their faith,” Pelosi said as Trump closed his eyes and bowed his head.
Read more online
|
|
 |
| New China-Nepal agreements could seriously endanger Tibetans |
|
—
Two agreements signed by Nepal and China during Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping’s October 2019 visit could threaten the freedom of Tibetans, including those residing in Nepal and those fleeing there from Tibet.
“The implementation of these agreements could result in a clear violation of international law if Nepal were to begin to deport the Tibetan refugees back to Tibet,” ICT President Matteo Mecacci said. “We therefore call on Nepal to reassure the international community that it will continue to protect the Tibetan refugees who reside or arrive in its territory.”
Read more online
|
|
Chinese activist: "Dalai Lama's succession rests with Tibet, not China" |
|
—
Chinese human rights activist Yang Jianli has published an article in The Hill supporting the Dalai Lama’s right to establish the guidelines for recognizing his successor:
There are many things most 85-year-olds cannot do — run, climb mountains, stay awake the whole day long — and no one begrudges them for that. There are things they do well — provide sane advice, take care of the grandchildren — and everyone thanks them for that. However, running circles around the second largest economy in the world is not what most 85-year-olds do, with the exception of Tenzin Gyatso, better known as the 14th Dalai Lama.
Read more online
|
|
|
European countries weigh in on Tibetan Buddhists’ right to pick next Dalai Lama |
|
—
Belgium and the Netherlands have weighed in on the rights of Tibetan Buddhists by declaring that it is up to the Tibetan religious community to select the future Dalai Lama, rejecting China’s efforts to control the succession of the revered Tibetan leader.
In response to a question from Member of Parliament Samuel Cogolati on his government’s position, Belgian Foreign Affairs and Defense Minister Philippe Goffin said last month, “it is logically up to the Tibetan religious community to designate his successor without interference from the temporal authorities.”
Read more online
|
|
|
 |
| ICT’s Rowell Fund for Tibet announces 2020 grants for six projects |
|
—
The Rowell Fund for Tibet’s board of advisors has decided to award $24,000 in grants to six projects in 2020 that deal with healthcare, cultural preservation, the environment and the recording of history. Each project will receive $3,500 to $4,600. The fund received 31 applications from Tibetans in Tibet and outside for this grant cycle.
Read more online
|
|
 
|
The four-year-old Dalai Lama glances at the camera during his enthronement ceremony in Lhasa, Tibet on Feb. 22, 1940 |
80 years of the Dalai Lama: An appreciation
By: Ashwin Verghese |
|
—
It’s no exaggeration to say that when I was growing up, the Dalai Lama was one of the most visible and popular figures in the United States. And though I’m loathe to pat myself on the back, I often think that if I could travel back in time and tell my adolescent self that someday I’d work in service of the Dalai Lama and his people, the younger me would break into a big smile.
Read more online
|
|
 
|
Save the Date! A Book Talk with Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D. on March 31 |
|
—
ICT is honored to host Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D., the highly acclaimed thought leader and English translator of the Dalai Lama, for a talk on his book “A Fearless Heart” on the evening of March 31. In this book, Thupten Jinpa shows us how compassion works as a powerful inner resource that can yield surprising and compelling benefits—not just for others, but for ourselves.
The exact time and DC-area location of this event are to be determined. Additional details will be available shortly on www.savetibet.org.
|
|
|
 
|
 |
| ICT’s 2020 Wall Calendar: Fewer than 200 Left! |
|
—
The latest edition of ICT’s annual wall calendar, The Dalai Lama: Glimpses into a Life of Wisdom, features 12 photographs of His Holiness the Dalai Lama by the renowned Indian photographer Raghu Rai, who has closely followed His Holiness' life. Today, His Holiness, who has retired from Tibetan political leadership, devotes himself to promoting human values and religious harmony everywhere while continuing to draw attention to the rich Tibetan Buddhist cultural heritage, which he feels has much to contribute to the development of world civilization. This calendar is a tribute to the Dalai Lama by the International Campaign for Tibet.
We have fewer than 200 copies left, so order yours today!
Visit the ICT store
|
|
 |
| Support ICT While You Shop with AmazonSmile |
|
—
Through the AmazonSmile Program, Amazon will make a donation for the value of .5 percent of your qualifying Amazon purchases to ICT! All you have to do is designate ICT as your charity of choice and be sure to use smile.amazon.com every time you shop with Amazon.
These small donations add up to significant funds for ICT and there is no cost to participate!
|
Want to make a difference?
|
 |
   |
|
|
The Tibet Update Newsletter is a summary of news and governmental actions related to Tibet.
Update Address | Unsubscribe
|
|
International Campaign for Tibet
1825 Jefferson Place NW | Washington, DC 20036 | United States of America
Phone: (202) 785-1515 | Fax: (202) 785-4343 | [email protected]
|
