"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined." —HENRY DAVID THOREAU

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Check out the scene from Mini-Lobby Day!
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In case you missed it on Facebook Live, check out this short video of Matteo
Mecacci and the Mini-Lobby Day team in action on Capitol Hill! You can also read
more about the day in the story below.

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Join ICT for a very special event in San Francisco: Speaker Nancy Pelosi &
Jetsun Pema in conversation with Richard Gere
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If you are going to be in the San Francisco area on Friday, November 8, please
join us for a very special event: Why Tibet Matters: The Relevance of Now and Why We Should Care.

ICT Chairman Richard Gere will discuss this and more with two extraordinary
leaders who have dedicated their lives to serving others. Together in conversation
for the first time, we will hear how women from vastly different backgrounds
used their power to advocate for the rights and protections of the powerless and
why what is happening in Tibet today matters.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Jetsun Pema, Sister of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, initiator and prime mover of the
Tibetan Children’s Village school system

Tickets are available now!
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Tibetan Americans make mini-Lobby Day a national success
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The International Campaign for Tibet’s mini-Lobby Day for the Tibetan Policy and
Support Act this week was a nationwide success,
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thanks to the hard work of Tibetan Americans, Tibet supporters and ICT
members around the country.

From Capitol Hill in Washington, DC to legislators’ local offices across the US,
Tibet supporters came out in force on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 21 and 22, 2019,
to build support for the new legislation, which would comprehensively upgrade US
support for Tibet.

Special thanks to all of you who took action by contacting your representatives
through our online petition- together we sent over 11,200 messages!

Read more online
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“I Stand With Tibetans” Ribbons From ICT Members Delivered to Dharamsala
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Just weeks ago, over five thousand ribbons expressing solidarity with
Tibetans—signed by ICT members—were hand-delivered by our team to
Tibetans-in-exile living in Dharamsala, India.

Every year on this trip, the show of support from members like you for the
Tibetan cause brings joy to Dharamsala. All the Tibetans we met with this year
are so grateful for your compassion in action. If you want to show your
solidarity now, make a donation in support of Tibetans’ empowerment and human rights today!
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Richard Gere receives the Keys to Florence
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Earlier this month ICT Chairman Richard Gere was awarded the prestigious Keys to
the City of Florence by Mayor Dario Nardella in recognition of his lifelong
commitment in defense of human rights and freedom of speech and of religion. ICT
President Matteo Mecacci, a Florence native, was there too!

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Protestors draw attention to Tibet at NBA game
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“I had to use this opportunity to shine a spotlight on Tibet’s plight,” said a
Tibetan American protestor after he and a friend were ejected from a Washington
Wizards game against the Guangzhou Loong Lions.

During the game in Washington, DC, Tenzing Barshee, a Tibetan American from
Virginia, held up a sign saying “Free Tibet,” while his friend held the Tibetan flag.
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Barshee and his friend were eventually escorted out of the stands.

Read more online
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Dalai Lama meets with members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists
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Thai activist Sulak Sivaraksa led a group of more than 100 members of the
Network to Dharamsala, India, to meet with the Dalai Lama
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earlier this month:

“As human beings, we all want to live a happy life, but we are regularly faced
with problems of our own making… Different points of view appeal to people of
different dispositions, but what is most important to remember is that all
religious traditions stress the importance of cultivating loving-kindness.”

Read more online
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Communist China turns 70 but still lacks legitimacy in Tibet
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As part of the 70 th anniversary of its founding on October 1, the People’s
Republic of China (PRC) is touting “70 years of progress” in Tibet. However,
the truth is that it has been 70 years of subjugation and oppression for the
Tibetan people, and after all that, China still lacks legitimacy in its rule
over Tibet.

The International Campaign for Tibet’s message to the PRC on its 70th
anniversary is this: The Dalai Lama is the solution and not the problem for
Tibet.

Read more online
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Despite damning UN climate report, China refuses to make changes in Tibet
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China’s leader Xi Jinping seeks to present the People’s Republic of China (PRC)
as an “ecological civilization” with Tibet as a key element. But China’s
policies on the Tibetan Plateau are exacerbating the environmental impacts
detailed in the latest United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report.

For example, despite a looming water crisis, China is proceeding with a massive
expansion of hydro dams and power grids on the rivers of Tibet.

Read more online
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China forces Tibetan college grads to criticize Dalai Lama to get public jobs
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New job postings reveal that Chinese authorities are requiring college graduates
from the Tibet Autonomous Region who apply for jobs in public institutions to
“expose and criticize the Dalai Lama” and “have clear and firm political principles.”

“Official recruitment announcements by the Chinese authorities symbolize the
additional systematic discrimination imposed on Tibetans living under Chinese
rule. Being forced to denounce the Dalai Lama – a Nobel Peace Laureate who for
Tibetans is a source of pride and great inspiration – to get a job, is an
unnecessary humiliation,” said ICT President Matteo Mecacci.

Read more online
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United States Institute of Peace begins fourth dialogue with Dalai Lama
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USIP’s latest dialogue with the Dalai Lama focused on tackling conflict with
compassion, according to a posting by the Central Tibetan Administration:

Pressing the youth and thought leaders, His Holiness asserted that all 7 billion
human beings must learn to coexist harmoniously above the secondary differences
of nationalities, religion, and race among others.

“Patience and forgiveness are what you must have to practice when dealing with
hate and criticisms,” said His Holiness before he went on to answer the
questions from the young delegates.

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

China gives the game away
By: Ashwin Verghese
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In the polarized age in which we live, American sports fans are often forced to
confront whether we can separate our favorite pastimes from their surrounding
social and political context. But after seeing all hell break loose over an NBA
executive’s mundane tweet about Hong Kong, we should be asking ourselves whether
we can still detach sports—or any part of our shared public life—from the
tentacles of China’s asphyxiating censors.

Read more online
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Gandhi and Tibet
By: Ashwin Verghese
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“As I stood there I wondered what wise counsel the Mahatma would have given me
if he had been alive. I felt sure he would have thrown all his strength of will
and character into a peaceful campaign for the freedom of the people of Tibet.”
—The Dalai Lama in his autobiography “My Land and My People,” on his visit to
Gandhi’s cremation site in 1956

Today, Oct. 2, 2019, the world marks 150 years since Mahatma Gandhi was born.
But for those of us in the Tibet movement, it’s perhaps more important to
remember when he died.

Read more online
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* * * * * EVENT * * * * *

Living Compassion II: The Dalai Lama's Life Story in Music, Words and Images
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Discover the inspirational journey of the Dalai Lama’s escape from Tibet as a
young monk who then grew into fulfilling his destiny to lead all the world to
find, explore, and embrace a compassionate way of life.

This robust multimedia presentation includes breathtaking images revealing the
Dalai Lama’s life in stunning visuals, woven together with a deeply and highly
personal heartfelt narration by ICT’s own Tencho Gyatso, niece of the Dalai
Lama, and uplifting music by Grammy Nominee, Nawang Khechog, along with Arthur
Lipner and Janet Ettele.

When:
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Free pre-event round table | 4:30-5:30pm
VIP reception | 5:30pm
Main program begins | 7:00pm

Location:
The Ridgefield Playhouse
80 East Ridge
Ridgefield, CT 06877
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For more information or to learn how to purhcase tickets »
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* * * * * SUPPORT ICT * * * * *

ICT’s 2020 Wall Calendar is hot off the presses!
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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.

ICT’s annual wall calendar often sells out, so pick one up today! Also makes a great gift!

Visit the ICT store
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Support ICT While You Shop with AmazonSmile
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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!

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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
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Phone: (202) 785-1515 | Fax: (202) 785-4343 | [email protected] [[email protected]]