Dear John,

I am happy to share some great news about the prospect of passing the Tibetan Policy and Support Act (TPSA) in the US Congress that Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced last night at our event in San Francisco.

“Why Tibet Matters: The Relevance of Now and Why We Should Care” brought Speaker Pelosi, Jetsun Pema, the driving force behind the Tibetan Children’s Village and younger sister of the Dalai Lama, and Richard Gere, our longtime chairman, together in conversation for the first time. You can watch the full livestream video on our Facebook page.

Let me assure you: It was an impactful event.

• Speaker Pelosi said that so far she has seen no opposition to moving the TPSA forward in Congress, which increases its chances of being approved! This new legislation will upgrade US support for Tibet and make it crystal clear that it is only up to the Tibetan Buddhist communities and to His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself to determine how his successor will be chosen.
• The Speaker also described her visit to Tibet as the head of a Congressional delegation in 2015, where she encountered an atmosphere of total surveillance and cameras everywhere. But she was also inspired by seeing the room in the Potala Palace where the Dalai Lama had lived. “This is where he was as a young person,” she said. “And this is where we must make sure he can return.”
• Jetsun Pema talked about her “very happy life” in Tibet prior to China’s invasion, as well as her return trip in 1980 as the leader of a fact-finding delegation, which she said was a “very sad experience” because she saw what decades of Chinese rule had done to the Tibetan people. “Every day, we were in tears,” she said, adding that right now, “I think in Tibet the situation is becoming worse and worse.”
• Richard Gere discussed ICT’s advocacy for the TPSA. “This is the number one priority for us,” he said, noting that the bill makes it clear it is not up to the Chinese government to select the next Dalai Lama.

Best of all, our members had the opportunity to hear in person from these three outstanding personalities about their longterm commitment to help the people of Tibet. And a whole new audience—including many college students and children—learned why Tibet is so urgently important to the future of our world.

As an ICT member, you understand how China’s oppression in Tibet impacts the rest of the planet. You realize that Tibet plays a crucial role as a source of water to more than 1 billion citizens in Asia. And you know that Tibet’s unique culture has the power to inspire people around the globe and help shape a better tomorrow for us all.

Thanks to your support, we were able to deliver that message in San Francisco last night. And with your ongoing commitment to ICT, we can continue to make sure that politicians, members of the media and the general public understand why Tibet matters.

Thank you for making events like last night possible. And thank you for caring about Tibet and the important work of ICT.

In solidarity,

Matteo Mecacci
President

P.S. You know why Tibet matters. Please consider giving to ICT today so others can know why too.