"It’s in keeping with the philosophy of nonviolence. That’s what the movement
was always about, to have the capacity to forgive and move toward
reconciliation."
— CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS

* * * * * NEWS * * * * *

Hear about Tibet access law implementation and the latest ICT campaign from Matteo
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In this video, Matteo shares the latest news, including the long advocated for
implementation of the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act (RATA) that you helped get
passed in 2018, and the launch of ICT’s Tibet 2020 campaign.

Check it out!
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US bans Chinese officials under Tibet access law
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The State Department has announced that pursuant to the Reciprocal Access to
Tibet Act (RATA), Chinese Communist Party officials responsible for keeping
Americans out of Tibet will be denied entry to the US
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Reacting to the announcement, ICT President Matteo Mecacci said, “Through this
decision about sanctioning Chinese officials responsible for denying access to
Tibet to Americans, the US is sending Beijing a clear message that it will face
consequences for its human rights abuses and continued isolation of Tibet from
the outside world.”

Read more online
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ICT launches “Tibet 2020” campaign for US election
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As the United States approaches the November presidential election, ICT is
launching a campaign to raise awareness of China’s oppression in Tibet among the
US public and presidential candidates.

Sign the petition today!
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Dalai Lama 85th birthday celebrated by ICT, world leaders
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Birthday wishes spread across the globe as His Holiness the Dalai Lama turned 85
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and world leaders, activists, artists and International Campaign for Tibet
members all celebrated the joyful occasion.

ICT—which has served the vision of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people for
more than three decades—honored His Holiness’ birthday with a live online event Monday
[[link removed]], July 6, 2020,
featuring ICT’s first president and several of its longtime members, as well as by
collecting over 7,500 birthday wishes for His Holiness from members of our community.
Thank you to all of you who joined in the celebration!

Watch the Tibet Talk event
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Statement on the Passing of Congressman John Lewis
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“I am saddened to learn of the passing of Congressman John Lewis. He was not
only a leader of the American civil rights movement; his principled commitment
to non-violence and justice made him an inspiration and a moral beacon to the
world at large.”

Read the rest of the Dalai Lama’s statement here.
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ICT joins His Holiness in honoring the life of Congressman John Lewis who,
like His Holiness, understood the importance of nonviolence, peace and justice,
set an example and practiced it all his life.

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Richard Gere testifies in Senate about Chinese censorship
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ICT Chairman Richard Gere, the world-famous actor, social activist and philanthropist, was
one of four witnesses at the “Censorship as a Non-Tariff Barrier to Trade” hearing
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held on June 30, 2020, in the Senate. Throughout his testimony, Gere emphasized
that China’s censorship complements its refusal to give American journalists,
businesses and ordinary citizens the same level of access to China that their
Chinese counterparts have to the United States.

Read more online
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ICT welcomes US ban of former CCP secretary in Tibet Autonomous Region
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The International Campaign for Tibet welcomes the United States’ decision to bar Chen Quanguo
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the architect of mass human rights violations in the Tibet Autonomous Region,
from entering the US.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on July 9, 2020, that Chen
and two other senior Chinese Communist Party officials who are serving in
Xinjiang—known to Uyghurs as East Turkestan— are banned “for their involvement
in gross violations of human rights.” Chen served as party secretary of the
Tibet Autonomous Region, which spans about half of Tibet, from 2011-2016.

Read more online
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Draconian restrictions imposed on fifth anniversary of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s death
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Five years after the renowned monk Tenzin Delek Rinpoche died in a Chinese prison
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new restrictions [[link removed]]
have been imposed on Tibetans in his hometown of Lithang to prevent them from
noting the occasion. Sources who wished to remain anonymous informed ICT that
Tibetans in Lithang were ordered not to participate in any public events on July
12, including burning incense, propitiating the deities, going around without
any reason, gathering in public, or sending photos on WeChat. There were
warnings of unspecified “consequences” for anyone who violated the restrictions.

Read more online
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Two Tibetans imprisoned for a song praising the Dalai Lama
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Two Tibetans are facing multiple years in a Chinese prison
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on charges of “subversion” and “leaking state secrets” after they composed and
circulated a song in praise of the Dalai Lama. A Tibetan source who wished to
remain anonymous said the lyricist, Khadro Tseten, was sentenced to seven years,
while the singer, Tsego, was sentenced to three years.

Read more online
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Looking for Beautiful, Authentic Tibetan Art and Handicrafts? Check out our
friends at Norbulingka Institute!
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—
Founders Kim and Kalsang Yeshi’s mission when they launched Norbulingka in
Dharamsala, India over 25 years ago was twofold; preserving Tibetan culture and
creating a source of livelihood for Tibetan refugees in need. By creating an
environment where exiled master artisans passed on their knowledge of religious
art to young Tibetans in need of work, they did just that. The dedication,
perseverance and enthusiasm of Norbulingka’s community has helped change the
lives of more than 1,000 Tibetans, assuring not only their livelihood, but a future
for Tibetan art and culture.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on Norbulingka. But, you can help.
Shop the impressive collection of thangkas, malas, apparel, home goods and more
in their online store [[link removed]]
and support this community of artisans and scholars while getting a beautiful
piece of Tibetan handiwork. Use code “THANKYOU” for 10% off your order.

And, if you have the opportunity to travel to Dharamsala one day, we highly
recommend a visit to explore Norbulingka’s beautiful campus, eat at their
delicious restaurants and witness firsthand the splendor of Tibetan art!

Read more online
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* * * * * BLOG * * * * *

John Lewis and the efficacy of nonviolence
By: Ashwin Verghese
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-
For obvious reasons, the timing of John Lewis’ death last week felt like a heavy
blow. Not only have most of our lives ground to a halt in the wake of the
coronavirus pandemic, but our country is also in the midst of a massive
reckoning over racial injustice. And now we have lost the light of one of the
last remaining luminaries of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s.

Read more online
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* * * * * UPCOMING EVENTS * * * * *

Join ICT for our upcoming Tibet Talks:
—
Tibet Talks are streamed through Facebook Live [[link removed]]
and on our website at savetibet.org/live [[link removed]]

AMBASSADOR PAULA DOBRIANSKY
Former Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs and Special Coordinator for
Tibetan Issues (2001-2009)

Thursday, July 30, 2020
1 pm EDT / 10 am PDT

Ambassador Dobriansky served as Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues during
the George W. Bush presidency (2001-2009) and played a pivotal role in
coordinating US policy on Tibet at the highest levels of government, both in the
US and internationally.

The conversation will aim to provide information and raise awareness about Tibet
for the American public as part of the Tibet 2020 campaign launched by ICT.
—
Recordings of past Tibet Talks, including the July 16 conversation with Conrad Anker,
a master alpinist, climber and Rowell Fund for Tibet board member, and ICT Board Member
John Ackerly, are available at www.savetibet.org/live!
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Schedule of upcoming online public talks by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

July 22 at 11:30pm EST / 8:30pm PDT
(India Time – July 23 at 9:00am)

Compassion in Medical Practice followed by a question and answer session
to members of the Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPIO),
Yoga Scholars PGIMER (Integrative Medicine Case Reports) & India Yoga
Association (Chandigarh)

—

July 28 at 11:30pm EDT / 8:30pm PDT
(India Time – July 29 at 9:00am)

Compassion - The Answer to Today's Troubled World followed by a question and answer
session with students from several Indian educational institutions.

—

August 3-5 at 11:30pm EDT / 8:30pm PDT
(India Time – August 4-6 at 9:00am)

Tsongkapa's In Praise of Dependent Origination (tendrel toepa) A three-day Teaching
at the request of Tibetan youth.

—

September 3–5 at 11:30pm EDT / 8:30pm PDT
(India Time – September 4-6 at 9:00am)

Gyalsey Thokme Sangpo's Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva (laklen sodunma)
& Je Tsongkhapa's The Three Principal Aspects of the Path (lamtso namsum) A three-day
teaching at the request of a group of Asians.

* * * * * SUPPORT * * * * *

AmazonSmile is now available in the Amazon app!
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In these trying times when many of us are doing more of our shopping online, you
can provide a little extra support for ICT through the AmazonSmile Program.
Through this FREE program, Amazon will make a donation for the value of .5% of
your qualifying Amazon purchases to ICT! All you have to do is designate ICT as your charity
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of choice and be sure to use smile.amazon.com
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every time you shop with Amazon.

These small donations add up to significant funds for ICT- funds that are
especially needed and appreciated during this challenging time!

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ICT's 2020 Wall Calendar: Fewer than 100 Left!
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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 his 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.

Add a little inspiration and positivity to your home office during this
challenging time. We have fewer than 100 copies left, so order yours today!

Visit the ICT store
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CARES Act includes new charitable giving tax incentives
—
Though we know it is the dedication, compassion and heart-connection to Tibet
that motivates our community to donate to ICT’s work, we wanted to share this
provision from the CARES Act that incentivizes charitable giving during this
challenging time.

Section 2204 of the CARES Act provides for a special incentive for charitable
contributions: a universal tax deduction of up to $300 is provided for
charitable contributions on 2020 tax returns when the standard deduction is
taken. This provision reinstates the opportunity for gifts of all sizes to
qualify as tax deductible. While this above-the-line deduction doesn’t apply to
donors who itemize their deductions, an additional tax incentive that increases
the cap on charitable contributions from 60% of your AGI to 100% will benefit
itemizers, too.

Please consult your tax advisor regarding these new 2020 tax deduction
opportunities.

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Want to make a difference?
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The Tibet Update Newsletter is a summary of news and governmental actions
related to Tibet.

Update Address [[email protected]] | Unsubscribe [[link removed]]

International Campaign for Tibet
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1825 Jefferson Place NW | Washington, DC 20036 | United States of America
[[link removed]]
Phone: (202) 785-1515 | Fax: (202) 785-4343 | [email protected] [[email protected]]