Dear John,

I hope this finds you in good health. 2020 has been a year of extraordinary challenge for all of us—unlike any I can remember.

Throughout our entire world, our health, our families, our friends, our environment, our economies—even the most basic of civil and human rights—all seem to face incredible threats. My wife and I have personally lost friends and teachers as I’m sure many of you have and our hearts go out to those who are suffering.

Yet despite the disorienting and maddening confusion of the moment, despite the sadness (and the anger), we continue to witness the generosity of everyday people who rise to meet these challenges head on and help those in need by demonstrating the transformative power of compassion in action.

Basic kindness and goodness. This is what inspires us and keeps us in motion. The good can win. Given your support of the International Campaign for Tibet, I imagine you feel the same way. This is why I and some good friends are offering to match your gift to ICT today. Together we can make a difference.

I’ve been extremely fortunate to be able to support the Tibetan people and the Dalai Lama’s vision for peaceful coexistence with the Chinese people for nearly forty years now. ICT’s community of compassion has also long supported with me. It hasn’t always been easy. In the words of John Lewis, “good trouble” takes honesty, courage, and much patient effort.

Here is our present truth: Our sisters and brothers in Tibet still face a great many serious threats—whether to religious freedom, to culture or language, or to Tibet’s unique environment—threats to its very survival—but the Tibetans in Tibet can’t always receive our help or even hear about our efforts.

China’s leaders have taken extreme measures to hide their oppressive policies in Tibet and keep out observers who could tell Tibet’s story truthfully and forcefully. However, thanks to you, your ICT team has been able to help in remarkable ways this year. Your commitment has empowered our truth-telling efforts and made it more difficult for Chinese Communist Party officials to hide their continued dominance of the Tibetan people, keeping them isolated in their own homes and homeland under a lockdown that began long before any pandemic. Long before the present tragedy of the Uyghurs. Long before the dismantling of democracy in Hong Kong.

This year you helped us inform the world’s leaders and keep good people of conscience focused on Tibet while drawing attention to the Chinese government’s bullying on the international stage. We know we are not alone in our outrage—whether it is against authoritarianism in Hong Kong, the forced disappearances and abuse of the Uyghur people in Xinjiang or the deprivation of language and culture in Inner Mongolia—we also know we cannot stop now. We will not stop now.

Helping the Tibetan people protect their religion, language, culture and environment in their struggle for survival will be ongoing. Their freedom won’t come as quickly as we would like, but Tibet supporters like you and me are in this struggle for the long haul, because we know that real change takes time.

The good can win. We will win this fight together and we will win for everyone. Even the bad guys. I hope you will be as inspired as I am and continue to help the Tibetan people and their vast vision of peace, transcendence and universal responsibility.

And don’t forget—we will match dollar for dollar up to a total of $250,000 to whatever gift you can contribute, which means your help will be doubled. Will you make a donation today?

As always, I remain deeply grateful for your commitment and your time.

I wish you and your family the best of health and safety through the challenges ahead and thank you for joining us in this fight.

With gratitude,


Richard Gere
Chairman
ICT Board of Directors