November - December 2022

Sacred Space

ContaCt IS PUBLISHED BY LHA CHARITABLE TRUST

Lha is an award-winning, grassroots and non-profit institute for social work and education based in Dharamshala, India. It is one of the largest social work organisations providing vital resources for Tibetan refugees, the local Indian population and people from the Himalayan regions.

Lha offers free language classes, livelihood skill trainings and many other programmes and activities. For more information about Lha, please visit:

Lha Charitable Trust, Institute for Social Work & Education

Lha contacts: office@lhasocialwork.org (0) 98823-23455 / 1892-220992

Please also see Lha’s additional websites: www.tibetnature.net www.samdhongrinpoche.com www.contactmagazine.net

ContaCt Newsletter is published monthly by Lha Charitable Trust. It has been a popular source of news and information on Tibetan issues, and the Dharamshala community, for 22 years and is acknowledged in Lonely Planet and other international travel resources. It is available free of charge and distributed around Dharamshala, Delhi and various diplomatic missions in India. Copies are sent to Tibetan schools, settlements, offices and NGOs in India and abroad. Contact is updated daily on our website www.contactmagazine.net and Facebook page. Contact is registered under the Registrar Office of the Newspaper, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India; registration number HPENG/2013/51798.

Please Note: The articles, stories and other material in Contact represent the views of the authors and are not necessarily the views of the Contact staff or Lha Charitable Trust. If you would like to contribute to Contact magazine please email us at editor@contactmagazine.net Contact reserves the right to edit all articles and contributions.

www.lhasocialwork.org Lha Charitable Trust Contact News

www.contactmagazine.net Contact Magazine

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As a Buddhist monk I have learned that what principally upsets our inner peace is what we call disturbing emotions. All those thoughts, emotions, and mental events which reflect a negative or uncompassionate state of mind inevitably undermine our experience of inner peace. All our negative thoughts and emotions - such as hatred, anger, pride, lust, greed, envy, and so on - are considered to be sources of difficulty, to be disturbing. Negative thoughts and emotions are what obstruct our most basic aspiration - to be happy and to avoid suffering. When we act under their influence, we become oblivious to the impact our actions have on others: they are thus the cause of our destructive behaviour both toward others and to ourselves. Murder, scandal and deceit all have their origin in disturbing emotions.

This inevitably gives rise to the question - can we train the mind? There are many methods by which to do this. Among these, in the Buddhist tradition, is a special instruction called mind training, which focuses on cultivating concern for others and turning adversity to advantage. It is this pattern of thought, transforming problems into happiness, that has enabled the Tibetan people to maintain their dignity and spirit in the face of great difficulties. Indeed I have found this advice of great practical benefit in my own life.

- Excerpt from His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s message on Countering Stress and Depression originally published in the Hindustan Times, India on January 3, 2011.

ContaCt Magazine

Tenzin Samten

Designed by : Karma Ringzin Topgyal

Contact newsletter is sponsored by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD). TFD’s kind contribution has made this publication possible. We thank TFD for their continuous support.

Published by Lha Charitable Trust Email:editor@contactmagazine.net Facebook: ContactNews Instagram : tibetan_news_brief Printed at Imperial Printing, Dharamshala Phone:01892 -222390

Jenny James, Editor-in-Chief

Celebrating 25 years of Contact Editorial: A Pleasure and a Privilege

Putting together this last issue of Contact has been full of joy as well as nostalgia. We thought we would celebrate by bringing you the story of Contact as told by some of the people who have made it happen over this last 25 years. As the contributions have come in, those memories and reflections of the people who have been involved over the years, I have been moved and humbled and inspired all at once to see how Contact has affected all our lives, and how our little magazine has enabled people to make wonderful and sometimes lifelong connections.

And we, the Contact team would like to bid you, our readers, a very personal farewell. We are proud and pleased to have shared this journey with you and we want to thank you for being with us all the way. Whether online or in print, your thoughts, comments and feedback have inspired and encouraged us. There is always an excitement every month when the magazine arrives from the printers and the whole Lha team gathers to pack them up for posting; many of your names are familiar to us and we think of you as Contact arrives in your homes around the world, bringing you the news. It’s a wonderful connection.

And connection is what it’s all about for me as I hang up my own personal hat after 10 years as your editor. The Contact team centres around the Lha office in Dharamshala with the Lha staff team and the volunteers from every corner of the earth who arrive and connect with us. Some come to write for us because they want to support the Tibetan cause, some have never heard of the issues, and through writing for Contact, learn and become involved, and then go home and they remember, and so the movement grows. Hundreds of people have written for us over the years, turn to page ten to see what some of them have to say about their involvement with Contact and how it has affected their lives – and you have a sneak preview at the bottom of this page as Ben shares his thoughts.

Bringing you Contact every month involves so much more than the writers – a huge accolade to the two dedicated English volunteers who have proofread every issue for years. In my early days one of our volunteers asked a friend of hers – a features editor for a national daily paper – to give Contact the once over; her feedback was invaluable and at her suggestion our People stories were born – the People stories have been one of my greatest pleasures, turn to page 22 for our last, very special People story. Our occasional guest editors have kept us fresh, you can see Charlotte’s thoughts on page 13 and Kate’s on page 12. Kate also expresses exactly the value and joy of the printed magazine. Those guest editors gave me a very welcome break as I went offline into the far corners of

Ben Byrne, writer

It didn’t require much imagination to write People

Stories for Contact magazine.

The nomadic yogi from the high Himalaya, the grizzled freedom fighter from Western Tibet, the songwriter who smuggled his songs back to

the world every now and again! And we couldn’t have done it without our printer and our funder, see their messages on page 15. Two very special volunteers, Mark and Ben, were with us in Dharamshala during the pandemic and brought you the news online every day right through those long months of lockdown. The Lha directors who have led and inspired and encouraged us give us their thoughts on pages 8 and 9.

And of course the people it’s so easy to overlook are those heroes who fix our website, which we take so much for granted, and which is a complete mystery to most of us! They often step in at short notice, manage the impossible and enable us to bring you the news, up to date and accessible, and looking beautiful. Thank you!

A particular and heartfelt mention goes to all those unsung heroes – the people at home who encourage and support us. One of those is Jamphel, our current editor Samten’s partner who, among his many, many contributions, put together this issue’s front page.

I work from my home in England, or from the Lha office, or wherever I happen to be in the world, working online with our editor in the office who also recruits the volunteers and does the painstaking layout work. Dukthen, whose story is on page 13, and I produced the magazine together for 15 months before we even clapped eyes on each other! And Samten and I have worked together for seven years in almost daily contact with each other – it’s been such a pleasure! Samten’s thoughts are on page 11. But there is absolutely no point in producing a magazine without distributors, and no way it can be produced without advertisers bringing in revenue, they tell us about their connections on page 14.

That’s how we do it now. But how did it start? Turn to the next page for the story of how Contact was born and how it has grown over the years, and then on pages 6 and 7 we hear the wonderful memories of Contact’s founders.

And my personal moments? Being one of the Lha “family” has been a delight. Sitting in a McLeod restaurant seeing a western woman pick up Contact and read her way through it, cover to cover; when I said hello she told me she read it every month. In a packed rooftop restaurant, local Tibetans sitting round every table, every one absorbed in reading Contact

You will find out last news roundup on page 16, and now that we will no longer bring you daily news updates, if you look inside the back cover you will find websites to keep you up to date. And please do keep up to date, keep informed, keep protesting, keep up the pressure, remember Tibet and honour the resilience of Tibetans everywhere, their hope, their struggle and their commitment to non-violence. Let’s make sure their voice is heard.

his homeland, the Lama who was tortured in a Chinese prison and had devoted the rest of this life to charitable works.

These inspiring stories, and many others, just hung in the air like the morning mist drifting among the whispering pines above McLeod Ganj.

The story of Contact

Contact was born in 1997, the brainchild of Dara, Mark and Scarth, who owned and ran the Khana Nirvana restaurant with friends from America. Rabsel, a local Tibetan, worked with them and together they came up with the idea of producing Contact as the Dharamshala Community Publication after holding several roundtable meetings with representatives of the Dharamshala community including Indians, Tibetans and foreigners to discuss ideas. It was published monthly from the restaurantfor the first year Dara wrote the content, Mark was editor and Rabsel designed the layout. The costs were covered by income from advertisements and everyone worked on a voluntary basis.

One of that group of friends was Scarth Locke who remembers, “Mark Moore, Dara Ackerman, Dave Bloom, and I opened up Khana Nirvana around the time of Losar of 1997 with the hope of creating a space where you could find good, safe vegetarian and vegan food and learn about how to get and stay connected to the local community. I don’t remember who first voiced the idea of having a newsletter, but it took a number of people working very hard to get it off the ground. Big Joe, an ex-pat who had been living in McLeod Ganj for a year or so, was crucial in getting local businesses to buy advertising space in the magazine, and Tashi Wangdu (and later Lobsang Rabsel) jumped right in to help assemble and edit Contact, along with Mark and Dave providing a lot of technical and editorial support.”

After the first year Tashi took over the content with Big Joe on editorial until 2001, with Rabsel continuing on the layout until 2008. Another Tibetan, Tamdin Tsetan who now lives in Canada was the distributor - he made sure it reached all the hotels, restaurants and the Central Tibetan Administration Museum at Tsuglakhang, the main Tibetan temple in Dharamshala. In those days the main readers were tourists

and locals, copies were not posted out either within India, nor abroad.

From 2004 Lha Charitable Trust in McLeod Ganj provided office space and a computer for the Contact team which consisted of Rabsel, who was the only staff member, along with volunteer writers. In return for this, Contact provided Lha with a regular half page of advertisement space.

Rabsel remembers those early days, “I found it a great initiative–especially for someone like me who came from Tibet where there is no freedom to share or express oneself. Contact has served as a medium to tell our stories to the world public, especially Dharamshala being an international tourist hub back then.” He continues, “It all revolves around working with people for the people and I also saw it as a medium to connect with international people. Many of the people I have met while working on Contact or at Lha have become my life long friends and I am in touch with most of them”.

Lha Charitable Trust took over the production of Contact in 2008 and Rabsel became a full time Lha staff member, handing over his role in Contact to Lha, although he continued as distribution manager until he left Lha in 2018. Ngawang Rabgyal, as new the Director of Lha, became Contact’s Managing Director. Ngawang had a news background and had published a book with the World Wildlife Foundation on Tibet’s environment. Rabsel reminisces about the handover to Lha, “It was my decision as it is obvious that Lha as an organisation has more human resources and has more potential to carry on. It was a good decision and indeed Lha produced a better quality news magazine and has worked with a number of volunteer

Copy of September 1998 issue of Contact

Continued from page 5 writers from across the world each year”.

Ngawang remembers that time, “When I joined Lha Charitable Trust in 2007, Contact was managed by my friend and former colleague Lobsang Rabsel, working from an office in Lha where I was a computer teacher. I remember Rabsel was always very busy at the end of each month finalising the magazine for publication. Also, he was struggling with a poor computer and internet problems and finding the right volunteer for editing. After I took charge of Lha, he became Lha’s Volunteer Coordinator, we offered him a volunteer assistant and the opportunity to continue his work for Contact alongside his other work. In addition, Lha provided better facilities for producing the magazine, including a workspace with a computer, internet and a volunteer for editing and proofreading etc.

Under Ngawang’s direction the Contact website was set up alongside the monthly printed magazine and it was registered with the Government of India Newspaper and Broadcasting - after a few rejections, becoming the only long-time free English medium monthly publication in the exile Tibetan community to do so. Initially the magazine was run with a series of volunteer editors, each taking up the reins for a few months until Jenny James arrived in December 2012 and has been editing it ever since from her home in England, or from McLeod when she is there, in collaboration with a Lha staff member in the Lha office. Ngawang takes up the story, “On the production side, Lha appointed a permanent member of staff as editor for Contact Magazine, to work alongside the volunteer editorin-chief Jenny, focusing on daily updates on the news and issues and training other members staff on the production of the printed and online versions. My former colleague and friend Dukthen Kyi was the magazine’s first staff editor and she made significant contributions until she left

The story of Contact

Lha, when Tenzin Samten became editor and has been doing a wonderful job. Both of them have worked closely with volunteers, and especially with Jenny.”

Every year up to 1,000 copies of each of the 11 issues have been published, freely available in the hotels, restaurants and other outlets around McLeod Ganj, with several hundred posted out to organisations and individuals around the world - only taking a break during the Covid-19 pandemic. Between 2013 and 2022, Contact has worked with over 230 volunteer writers bringing you stories of the people who make up the Tibetan community in exile through our People section, as well as up to date news with over 1,500 news articles, 88 People stories and 15 NGO profiles.

Before the emergence and widespread use of social media platforms, Contact as a community publication served as the medium to advertise and share community information to both visitors and locals. Now the website has gone from strength to strength, updated daily and shared on social media to provide a platform to gather all the Tibetan news in one place, freely available to everyone either online or in the printed monthly format.

And now Contact is 25 years old! We are immensely proud of what we have achieved in bringing you news and information for 25 years and now we are saying farewell. The news is all there for you online, the need for us to bring it all together in one place is no longer. So, this is goodbye ….. keep your eye on the Lha website for future projects, the team is brimming with plans and ideas!

In our 25 years we have embraced change and enjoyed bringing you the news; we have loved the connections around the globe with our team of volunteer writers and all the people who contribute in so many ways. Read on to hear their stories!

Lha staff packing Contact for posting within India and abroad

Contact is distributed freely around Dharamshala

Screengrab of Contact’s website

Contact’s early years - the people who made it happen

Early Years of Contact Magic

Dara Ackerman, Contact founder Nothing has ever changed my life more than the time I spent in McLeod Ganj. As the third partner in the service project known as the Dharamsala Earthville Institute (DEVI), the home of Khana Nirvana Community Café, I lived and worked in the cafe with a growing team of Tibetan young people in their early twenties, our generous Indian partners who made it all possible, and a constant stream of traveller/seeker patrons, volunteers and new friends from around the world.

The café operated as a gathering place for the community, and networking hub for connecting people and creating new ideas to benefit the local and global community. It was a safe and fun space for people from all walks of life to come together, and learn, share and participate through individual discussion, volunteer opportunities, and both small and large community events.

The café also functioned as a school for experiential learning, for visitors and staff members alike. Staff members could train in every area of restaurant operations and community organising that was an integral part of everyday operations. There were a number of areas that staff and community members could train in through DEVI as well, including radio production, web design, internet service, computer repair, and…desktop publishing: Contact magazine.

Although I was not a part of the Contact publishing team myself, I participated in some of the organisational meetings, and witnessed the benefits Contact brought to community activities, and to the town overall. People learned about events around town, connected with each other, found volunteer placements and discovered aspects of the Dharamshala experience that they would never have known of otherwise. Countless projects and partnerships came about this way. Some designed by the DEVI and Khana Nirvana teams, and many thought up spontaneously through conversations between new friends who met in the café.

There were Monday open mic nights, and a Sunday at Sunset series where Tibetan ex-political prisoners would share their experience, followed by ways to get involved. There were guest speaker events, featuring poets, authors, educators and luminaries of the Tibetan Buddist world,

talks on happenings around town or across the planet, Friday night Shabbat dinners, interfaith dialogues, art gallery openings, holiday dinners, and so much more. It was as if the most amazing people on Planet Earth would walk through the door, all day long. And so many of them found their way up the long flight of stairs from learning about these activities in Contact magazine.

One of my favourite, unexpected projects to come about this way occurred at a time when there had been an outbreak of rabies among the street dogs in town. McLeod Ganj street dogs were not your average street dog. They were healthy, fluffy, friendly and strong. The Tibetan community treated them as their own, feeding and playing with them from the time they were puppies. Our own dog, Maynerd, adopted as a puppy, was part lap dog, part street dog herself. When the rabies outbreak threatened all of their lives, an amazing thing happened.

A guest at the café started doing some organising to help the street dogs, but soon she only had one day left in town. There must have been an article about the problem in Contact, because I remember another traveller coming into the DEVI office at the café that day, specifically looking for a way to help with the dogs. As it happened, the second one arrived on the scene exactly one hour before the first had to catch her bus out of town. We introduced them to each other, the two of them sat for an hour exchanging ideas, the first one transferred the leadership of the project to the other, and they hugged and said goodbye. The project moved forward under her leadership for a couple of weeks until she had to go, at which point a third traveller took over. Meanwhile, a dear friend on tour with monks from a local monastery in exile heard about the rabies problem, and started raising money to help in some way. She arrived back from tour just when we were wondering how to fund the purchase of rabies and distemper vaccines, and when she heard what we were planning, she donated all of the funds to our effort. With a team of staff members and volunteers, we vaccinated every street dog we could find in town. Starting with our beloved Maynerd.

Over the next two years, we vaccinated over 200 street dogs. That was back in 2000-2002. It has been 12 years since I have been back to India myself. I have heard that since then, well staffed organisations have been established that provide medical care for street dogs on an ongoing basis. Feeling grateful to have been a part of the early effort in such a magical way, that was greatly assisted by Contact.

So who are the people who have made it happen over these last 25 years? The ever-changing team of people who have made their contribution to its story? We spoke to the founders, directors, editors, writers, advertisers, staff and volunteers…..and not forgetting the funders and the printers!

Contact’s early years - the people who made it happen

Life’s Greatest Experience

Working with Contact and Lha, I have learnt about the world from people from different cultural backgrounds across the world. Learning about their culture, tradition and different lifestyles; my awareness of the world view has expanded in such a way that I believe I wouldn’t get that exposure and learning from any school or universities in the world.

Working for Contact magazine, the need and the opportunity to stay updated with both international and Tibetan news, and getting involved with writers and readers who are mostly non Tibetans, I have found ways to stay connected with happenings in the world, particularly what’s happening inside Tibet.

It all revolves around working with people for the people, and I also saw it as a medium to connect with international people. With the nature of Lha’s work as

a social work institution, I consider my time at Lha as life’s greatest experience. There is no greater joy in the opportunities to get involved in solving people’s problems through community services. Life is only meaningful when it is for the service of people.

Many of the people I have met while working on Contact and at Lha have become my lifelong friends and I am in touch with most of them.

The idea of Contact was important for someone like me who came from Tibet where there is no freedom to disseminate information.

Initially I thought Contact was a great medium to share Tibet news to the international community through travellers visiting Dharamshala as well as to the younger generation of Tibetans and the local Indian community and it did serve all those purposes. But in line with the Buddhist concept of impermanence, with time, everything changes and these days the need for print magazines or newspapers has changed…and we are stepping forward with changes.

Bigger Than Any One of Us

Scarth Locke, Contact founder Mark Moore, Dara Ackerman, Dave Bloom, and I opened up the Khana Nirvana restaurant around the time of Losar of 1997 with the hope of creating a space where you could find good, safe vegetarian and vegan food and learn about how to get and stay connected to the local community. I don’t remember who first voiced the idea of having a newsletter, but it took a number of people working very hard to get it off the ground. Big Joe, an ex-pat who had been living in McLeod Ganj for a year or so was crucial in getting local businesses to buy advertising space in the magazine, and Tashi Wangdu (and later Lobsang Rabsel) jumped right in to help assemble and edit Contact, along with Mark and Dave providing a lot of technical and editorial support.

McLeod Ganj is an incredibly diverse community, and from the outset, trying to include as many voices as possible in the newsletter was a great challenge! I feel like we were in a boot camp for cultural sensitivity that prepared me very well for the current conversations about Critical Race Theory and intersectionalism. Looking over some old issues that I saved,

I think we did a decent job of it. We covered everything from reviews of Japanese post-Butoh dance performances to the psychology of street cows. We looked at global events like the Junta in Myanmar, and on the next page discussed global warming and the ubiquitous trash fires on the hillsides of town. We published the stories of former political prisoners in Tibet as well as the poems of heartbroken travellers. We explained the local culture (what to do about street dogs, how to dress and behave with respect to local norms, the significance of Losar) and interviewed city officials. We helped each other learn how to use our voices.

It’s really hard to measure the impact we made on the people who read the newsletter, but I can say that all of us involved in the making of it were transformed by the experience. Through the newspaper, we got to wrestle with the vital questions of how one really shows up for their community, how to negotiate conflicting viewpoints and agendas, and most importantly, we had the privilege of creating something bigger than any one of us.

Early days at Khana Nirvana community café

Photo : Dara Ackerman

Lobsang Rabsel, Contact founder and former Lha Deputy Director

Rabsel in his Khana

Nirvana days

Photo: Dara Auckman

Rabsel now in his café, Common Ground

The Lha directors who have steered Contact for 14 years

An Unforgettable Experience

Ngawang Rabgyal, former Lha and Contact Director

It is my great pleasure to congratulate you on the 25-year celebration of Contact magazine. This celebration gives me joy and sorrow because Contact magazine is the only long-time free monthly publication English magazine in the exile Tibetan community with Information and Broadcasting registration with the government of India, and recognised by leading international travel books such as Lonely Planet. It has played a vital role in diverse community connections, platforms, and for voices for justice and truth for Tibet issues for the last 25 years. Nowadays, almost everything is happening online and we are changing with the times.

I was very fortunate to get involved with Contact and it has been an unforgettable experience. When we at Lha started working on Contact we aimed to raise the standard of the publication and increase the coverage of news and issues. Lha transformed the magazine, set up a new website, improved the layout and added more news coverage from both inside and outside Tibet, along with coverage of issues, events, and international headlines, stories, interviews etc. Lha also increased the size of the magazine and the number of copies for distribution.

Lha’s purpose in taking over the magazine was to spread more widely accurate news and events about

Tibetan issues in English to inspire an awareness about Tibetans’ peaceful and nonviolent movement under the compassionate guidance of His Holiness the great 14th Dalai Lama. We are proud to have reached and inspired thousands of readers and writers and value this great opportunity to create awareness of Tibetan issues.

There are many stories about the success of the publication. One of the main factors is that we have been fortunate to have many volunteers who have contributed significantly to the success of Contact. Jenny James has volunteered for Lha and Contact magazine for over ten years. As the editor-in-chief she is responsible for every news article, editing and proofreading, as well as planning and commissioning alongside our staff editor. She is a diligent and a dedicated volunteer; with her tireless effort and skill in editing, and for that we have been able to achieve what we have today. I appreciate everything you do; Lha is very fortunate to have you on our team. I am so very thankful for other volunteers who have written and helped with the magazine in so many ways. Furthermore, I sincerely appreciate the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy’s generosity in funding the project since 2013. Finally, I sincerely thank all of Lha’s former and current Directors, staff and advisors for their hard work and dedication to making our vision a reality.

A Significant Role

Dorji Kyi, former Lha and Contact Director

The first time I saw a copy of Contact magazine was at the Tibet Museum in Mcleod Ganj, and I remember thinking that the magazine was educational about Tibet’s current situation and informative about the local Tibetan community in Dharamshala. At that time, I knew nothing about Lha Charitable Trust (Lha), or the team behind this publication. As I started working at Lha, I came to know more about the purpose behind this publication, the hard work of the volunteer writers, staff and Jenny James, the editor-inchief of the magazine. She has been a volunteer for over ten years, and I always expressed honestly that this monthly publication would not have

been possible without her supervision. I got more involved with the publication as I took the leadership role at Lha, and being the only monthly magazine focusing on Tibet issues in the English language, I strongly believed that Contact played a significant role in advocacy for Tibet’s cause. Every month over 300 copies are mailed out to international organisations, universities, schools and diplomatic offices, and 700 copies are distributed around the town, targeting international and national tourists as well as local people.

As Contact magazine celebrates its 25th year of publication, I want to express my deepest gratitude toward the volunteer writers and proofreaders, staff, and especially Jenny for their hard work and dedication. I have personally learned a lot from this experience, and I am forever grateful.

Dorji Kyi displays Contact magazine along with Lha pamphlets while attending an international workshop in Taiwan

The Lha directors who have steered Contact for 14 years

Mixed Feelings – and New Challenges

Tsering Wangdue, current Director of Lha and Contact I started working at Lha Charitable Trust as the office secretary in 2014 and Contact magazine was one of the biggest of Lha’s projects at that time. I had the opportunity to write several articles for the magazine and also my own story under the People category.

Contact magazine has been one of the longest running English language monthly publications in the Tibetan community. It has evolved from a community information resource in the beginning into a proper newsletter that provides news related to the political and human rights situation inside Tibet and the Tibetan community in exile. In all these years it has served as a reliable source of Tibet-related news, promoting free speech and the right to information in the Tibetan exile community.

I thank all the writers, editors, designers, circulation managers and everyone involved directly or indirectly in successfully running this magazine for all these years. Especially, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Rabsel for coming out with such a brilliant idea and Jenny James for being the volunteer chief editor for the past ten years, bringing the quality of the magazine to its current high status.

Jampa Tsering and Neil Guidry, the founders of Lha Charitable Trust

On this 25-year anniversary of both Contact magazine and Lha Charitable Trust (Lha), we THANK YOU! All the good thoughts, encouragement, good works and support over the years have been fuel for us to grow and serve for a quarter of a century. Thousands of volunteers from more than 50 countries have participated in this collaborative journey. We are grateful to all of you for what we have accomplished together –interdependence

In 1997, we started LHA on Bhagsu Road in Dharamshala, India. The mission has always been: To serve Tibetan refugees, the Himalayan community, and travellers visiting Dharamshala. We built and maintained a bridge connecting resources and volunteers to the Tibetans, while getting news and the ancient wisdom of Tibet out to the world.

After years of collaboration, in 2005, Lha and Contact magazine joined forces and strengthened and enhanced each other’s efforts. Contact’s beat covered the Tibetan refugee and exile community, and confidently brought forth news of human rights violations faced by Tibetans and the destruction of Tibet’s environment.

We want to mention Tenzin Samten, who has done a magnificent job as editor of Contact for the past seven years with the steady and capable hand we know so well. We also want to send a special thanks out to Big Joe who helped get Contact started and to Jenny James who volunteered her time to help edit every edition of Contact for the past 10 years. Most of all we want to thank and honour Lobsang Rabsel, the founder of Contact magazine, for his dedication and support of both Contact magazine and Lha Charitable Trust for the past 25 years!

Jampa (left) and Neil (Right)

Contact’s editors and writers over the years

Fighting for a Free Tibet

Rohini Kejriwal, former Contact writer; writer and founder of The Alipore Post

It was on my first solo trip ever that I found myself in Dharamshala, volunteering an hour every evening to teach English to the Tibetan monks and nuns living there. While I was there, I also started learning about Tibet – about its history, culture, geopolitics, and the harsh realities faced by these gentle people back home in Tibet. So many of the people I met had been refugees in Dharamshala for years, having only painted a picture of “home” through stories passed down over time. I was deeply moved, and wanted to prod further, which led me to becoming a writer for Contact, Lha’s imprint edited at the time by Jenny James. Over the next few years, I kept writing for the grassroots magazine, which focused on news around Tibetan issues. While the stories I wrote about were hardboiled truths that aren’t easy to digest, writing them gave me a sense of purpose. A means of showing up and expressing my solidarity for the Tibetan community. It’s been a while since I wrote for Contact, but the work I did there feels important to me as a human being and journalist. It breaks my heart that it’s shutting down, but I commend everybody who has been involved for the amazing effort and legacy you have created. The publishing may stop, but we will never stop fighting for human rights and a free Tibet.

Being Part of the Story

Katie, former writer and editor

It was a real pleasure to write for and contribute to the editing of Contact magazine during the time I was in McLeod Ganj in 2011 and 2012. I began writing short pieces on news and local events and happenings while I was the Volunteer Coordinator at Lha Charitable Trust. Being involved with Contact was a wonderful way to connect with the amazing people in McLeod and to contribute to the day to day life of the community there. While Contact is now coming to an end after many, many years, I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to be part of its story and that of the community.

Fun and Interesting People

Reece Johnson, editor 2012

I edited Contact for a few months in 2012 when it was first taken over by Lha. I got into editing for Contact because I was drawn to Tibetan culture and curious about how the Tibetan refugee community lived and functioned from day to day in northern India. It meant a tremendous amount that I was trusted to provide coverage of important community issues. And meeting so many fun and interesting people–locals and international volunteers — was one of the most enriching experiences of my life. While I was editing, we were revamping the website with Merman Murray (our affectionate nickname for him). I think one of the things I may have initiated, or at least helped continue, was bringing in more international context and news that was directly or indirectly related to the Tibet issue. And there was a lot of sad news coming out of Tibet that spring and summer, so I remember covering those developments.

A Pandemic Connection

Kritika Narula, writer

I first learnt about Tibet and Tibetan culture while researching for a journalism project in college in 2013. Since then, I have been a regular visitor to the New Aruna Nagar Colony in Majnu ka tilla in Delhi. Over the years, I learnt a lot through osmosis, so when the opportunity to write for Contact and raise awareness about the culture presented itself, I immediately wrote to the editor!

I wrote for Contact throughout 2020, spanning news about political developments and environmental justice concerns, among other events. All of the work was done remotely, owing to the pandemic. It’s bittersweet to see the magazine close down in its current form. That said, I cannot wait to see what the future will bring and whether a new form of Contact will emerge. It is always good to keep reinventing yourself and adapt with the changing times, so it is exciting to see how Lha will carve a new path for itself. I look forward to finding out, and maybe even contributing to a new avatar of Contact

Katie’s heart is still in Dharamshala

“Good Things Come in Threes”.

Sune, former writer

This is both true in fairy tale writing and Hollywood blockbuster productions. But also for me personally, as my third visit to Dharamshala in 2012 ended up changing my perspective and setting me on a new trajectory in life, one I’m still fond to tread.

After two brief visits during summer in 2009 and 2011, which both times left me with a huge impression of the region, community, and the larger Tibetan cause, I felt an urge to be involved. To attempt at just the tiniest contribution to help against all the wrongs committed. Therefore, in 2012, I chose to take a leave from my BA studies in Global Studies and Communication, and volunteered as both an English teacher at Lha Charitable Trust, and to write for Contact magazine.

From January 2013 I simultaneously held small English classes to exiled Tibetan monks, and wrote on day-to-day and larger systemic issues stemming from the illegal Chinese occupation of Tibet for Contact. In addition, as I lived in Dharamshala, I experienced, and took part, of the daily life of the city, the religions and

cultures of both Indians and Tibetans. Combined, these three aspects allowed me a – for me – unique insight into the experiences of the Tibetans. One that I quickly realised that I can only appreciate and acknowledge from the outside, but never fully understand, having never experienced on my body, and in my country, the wrong-doings they have.

I returned to Denmark after six months, in the summer of 2013. Looking back now, a decade later, it is clear that many of the professional choices I’ve made since have been informed by the experiences I made during my time in Dharamshala, working in Lha and with Contact. I’ve graduated with an MSc in Asian Studies, with a focus on International Relations and Human Rights Violations. I’ve worked in the academic field of Peace and Conflict Studies, and for the last six and a half years I’ve worked in one of the world’s first NGO’s working specifically on anti-torture.

I don’t believe I’d have chosen this path if not for the experiences I had in Dharamshala, for the impressions I received merely by being in the presence of the community, and for all of the honest talks and histories shared in deeply profound interactions with my students, my neighbours and my friends in Dharamshala.

Playing a Vital Role

Tenzin Samten - current staff editor

I came to Dharamshala in 2015 right after leaving my first job in the corporate world, and joining Lha Charitable Trust, a social work NGO run by Tibetans for the Tibetan community. It was a big change for me in all perspectives. Especially the friendly and close-knit community that made me feel at home. I was assigned to work as programme manager, coordinating language classes for adult Tibetans and working closely with a number of volunteer teachers from all parts of the world. After a short stint in that position, I have been working as the editor of Contact magazine, staff reporter and working on the layout of the magazine each month since 2016 with the help of our Editor-in-Chief, Jenny James, and our volunteer writers.

Looking back, I was assigned to this job with no background in the field of journalism, nor with any experience of working on layout designs, but with great trust and an opportunity to learn. In these past

seven years, Jenny and I have worked together as a team - not missing a single day of our daily updates on google doc – which has been our virtual discussion table for each monthly issue! Whatever I have learned over the years, from writing short and objective news reports to finding consistency in the writing and keeping to deadlines – are practices developed under Jenny’s guidance. Despite living in England, Jenny has not missed work on one issue of Contact in all these years and her sincere dedication to help edit, proofread and stay updated with Tibetan news as a long-term volunteer has made Contact reach its current professional standard.

Each year, working with over 20 volunteer writers, Contact has played a vital role in informing and engaging local and international audiences about the issue of Tibet. I have had the pleasure of working with many wonderful writers and many of them have stayed in touch and continued to write for us from their home. I am grateful for their continued support and interest in the Tibetan issue.

“Please Keep Doing What you do”

Kate Murry, former guest editor and reader

When in 1994 my husband and I arrived from India to settle in Lancashire, via a year in Wales, there were very few Tibetans living in the North of England: you could count the Northern Tibetans on one hand, and he was the sole Tibetan in Lancashire. Now, some 30 years later, we are talking about hundreds, with a thriving Tibetan Community North UK.

Back in the 90s, pre smartphones and social media platforms, our contact with family inside Tibet came very slowly. Conversations would span many months as we sent cassette taped messages back and forth.

So you might think that with the advances in technology and the swelling numbers of Tibetans living in proximity, contact with fellow Tibetans is at an all time high, and therefore a magazine like Contact is largely redundant.

I would like to offer an alternative view, and explain how very welcome the publication has been and why it will be greatly missed in our household.

Firstly, although we have access to other sources of information (His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s own website, Phayul, Radio Free Asia, ICT, Free Tibet amongst them), nowhere can we find the same mix of positive and negative news, news from the diaspora and news from within Tibet.

And nowhere else does the information presented provide such a sense of proximity, of getting to know the people behind the stories.

Secondly, whilst communication with family and friends inside Tibet might be easier than in the past, it is certainly not any more open. WeChat is used, and is heavily monitored by the Chinese authorities. Nothing controversial or political or even culturally significant can be discussed, at risk of endangering Tibetans inside Tibet. Conversation is kept superficial and light. The truth of the hardships of daily reality never revealed. Reports of detentions, deaths in custody, etc, from very close to our family’s home reach us through Contact – not through family.

And finally, a printed publication on the table is a great focal point for people coming into our household, something people can pick up and dip into, and thus acts as a way of educating others about the situation inside and outside Tibet. Website links and online articles can be shared, but there is something about having Contact around that starts conversations. The next generation, our children, are given direct access to their heritage when Contact turns up in the post.

I respect and understand the decision to end the publication , but I have to admit that I am saddened. And I want to express my gratitude to the Contact team: I have loved being involved in some small way, and really value the sense of connection it gave us. Thug je che, and please keep doing what you do, finding new expressions for your passion and talents.

New Perspective and Solidarity

Barkha Mathur, writer

When I decided to finally take a break from working in a 24/7 newsroom and live my life at a slower pace, I knew that I had to travel, volunteer and catch up with my inner self. So, in June this year, after quitting my job, I decided to stay in Dharamshala for a while and volunteer as a writer for Contact. During my short stay at McLeod Ganj, I was inspired by the compassionate and ever-smiling Tibetan community.

I continued volunteering as a writer for Contact. The stories that I got to write and the research that I did strengthened my love and respect for the Tibetan community and helped me build a deeper understanding about the struggles of an entire nation living in exile and oppression. Writing stories about the people of Tibet gave me a new perspective towards life. It taught me

that true strength lies in being compassionate and kind and in not letting oppressive forces and injustice impact your peace of mind. As His Holiness says, “The root of peace of mind is compassion.” It is amazing to see the unwavering dedication of Tibetans towards non-violent activism in the face of a violent oppressor.

As a writer for Contact, I discovered facts that previously seemed like fiction and now I somehow feel strongly connected with Tibet and its people. Researching for stories and learning about the culture instilled in me a feeling of hope. I am truly grateful for this experience. Tibet deserves to be free and I will always stand as a supporter.

Living in Delhi, I often get to interact with the Tibetan community and the warmth I receive from those kind faces each time, I will cherish it forever. I want to thank Contact from the bottom of my heart for bringing me closer to this beautiful community.

A Force for Good

Charlotte Wigram Evans, former guest editor and writer

The six weeks I spent editing Contact magazine in Mcleod were life changing. I was 26, fresh from a year on The Sunday Times supplements team, but desperate to work on articles that really meant something; that felt like they were doing some good. My family has always had close ties with India, in particular Mcleod, where both my mother and brother taught in Petoen School, and their love of the town’s Tibetan community had seeped into my soul long before I made it there in person.

Being trusted to edit an entire magazine was a huge privilege, one that gave me the confidence I have today, and I’ll always be grateful to Contact for the chance to do that while Jenny was away in remote places. What’s more, the content was fascinating, poignant and, more often than not, desperately sad. The articles gave me an insight into the Tibetan community and the suffering

they still endure at the hands of the Chinese today, though the chilling stories I was editing on a daily basis were wonderfully juxtaposed by the Tibetan team at Lha, whose attitude towards life is so inspirationally uplifting.

Inspirational is the word I would use for many of my assignments while I was in Mcleod. I reported on one of the Dalai’s Lama’s teachings with Samten, the editor, our Contact press passes getting us so close to His Holiness that I could count the smile lines around his eyes every time he chuckled, and interviewed some of the most interesting characters I have ever met for the magazine’s People stories, from the then Tibetan Prime Minister in exile, Lobsang Sangay, to Mariko, Mcleod’s first trans-woman.

Though it’s also the little things that will stay with me: being welcomed into the office gang like a long lost family member, laughing through press day with Samten, sipping cups of chai with Dorji, chinwagging with Rabsel in the corridor and greeting the nuns who came in for their English lessons. These daily interactions make me smile every time I think of Mcleod, and instilled in me my deep love of India that has drawn me back to the country three times since 2016. Thank you Contact, what a force for good you have been for so many, and what an important step in my life journey you will always be for me.

Bidding Bye Bye With a Bang After 25 Years!

Dukthen Kyi, former staff editor

When I first joined Lha a decade ago, among other things, one of my main roles was the editor of Contact magazine. Contact served as a free resource of information that English speaking/reading visitors and locals alike found helpful. At that time, the monthly print newsletter featured persistent news from Tibet, international news relevant to Tibet, local news of Dharamshala including upcoming events, Lha news and other information one could find valuable, all in one place. One of my personal favourites was the People stories, featuring someone in the community, getting to know them and their stories of struggle and perseverance that I always found motivating.

Catching up with the fast-paced internet age, soon the oldest print newsletter in Dharamshala went online. But there is something about printed ones: holding of the physical copies, flipping the pages with familiar faces, which at every end of the month gets printed and then gathers all Lha staff and volunteers in the office kitchen, busy folding, pasting and stamping, ready to post as the small kitchen would fill with chatter

and laughter. There’s just about enough information, for everyone’s interest, but never too overwhelming. To me it was a perfect blend of accessible information, balanced just right.

As Contact turns 25, as someone who has been closely associated with it during my years working at Lha (which has been one of the most rewarding experience for the social impact it makes), it brings in me a mixed feeling of pride, sadness and happiness for the 25 long years of free service Contact has achieved. This would not have been what it is without the constant, patience and sheer commitment of Jenny, our chief editor (volunteer) who worked with the same dedication and probably for a longer time on Contact than anyone else. And the wonderful volunteer writers who covered news and wrote for Contact during their time as Lha volunteers. Thank you Jenny and every single person who has contributed to Contact over the past 25 years. As Contact retires gracefully, I propose a toast for the journey it has made, reaching thousands of people across cultures and borders in those 25 years.

Advertisers, supporters and distribution points

A big congratulation on the 25th anniversary of service, building trust and acting as a cohesive force in our society. On this momentous occasion of achieving the great milestone, The Tibet Museum and the entire Tibetan community is indebted towards dissemination of valuable information in our society tirelessly for more than a couple of decades.

The Tibet Museum in the Temple has been a powerhouse of Contact magazine where the tourists and delegates get the fresh new information about Tibet at large and Dharamshala in detail. Visitors love to take a copy of the magazine every time they visit the old Museum and many people deemed it as an “encyclopedia” covering a variety of topics.

The best part is its true model of an NGO where Lha invites large numbers of volunteers and gives back in the form of free food for poor people and other various social services in the field of education, rehabilitation and cultural preservation. We wish all the best for future endeavours and may peace and love prevail.

I started my agency in 2018 which was located opposite the Lha Charitable Trust office. Since then every month, they come to leave copies of Contact magazine at my office. Mostly foreigners would like to read it in my office, and also some of them take the copies with them because everything is updated in the magazine about Tibet and Tibetan people.

What I wanted to say about this magazine is the stories, the best one and generally a combination of three elements: access, narrative, and disclosure. This magazine brings all the information that people want to know.

Many many congratulations on reaching a milestone of 25 years of social service. It is an honour to be in touch with your association for many years and we feel very proud of distributing your magazine in our restaurant because of your selfless work towards society. The response of Contact magazine has always been positive in the past, present and will be in future as well. Wishing Lha a lot of success in the years ahead and all the best.

–Tenzin Tsewang, Manager at Kunga Cafe, a distribution point

Congratulations to have reached such a great landmark of 25 years is like nearly three decades of good work by you. I still remember that Contact was not only a magazine but an address to Dharamshala. All you had to do was look at Contact and you would get your desired information . I wish you all the very best for the future and with blessings of His Holiness may you complete 25 more years of publication.

I have been associated with Contact magazine for so many years and have always felt that it was a perfect decision to choose this platform to advertise my clinic. This magazine had the widest reach among all the tourists and the locals.

Contact magazine is a great platform to reach out to the world and portray the Tibetan culture and non violent messages of His Holiness the Dalai Lama of peace, harmony and tranquillity to the world.

advertiser

Despite the fact that social media is gaining popularity, things like Contact magazine never lose their charm. The staff dealing with the advertising are ever so helpful and amazing as always. And the best thing they offer is the guide map of the town on the back page which is just so helpful for everyone. Just keep up the good work guys.. Best wishes for your 25th anniversary.

–Dr Natasha Mehra, owner of Perfect 32 Dental Clinic, advertiser

–Tenzin Topdhen, Director of Tibet Museum, Central Tibetan Administration

–Deepak Bhatia, owner of Travel Route, a travel agency in Mcleod Ganj and Contact distribution point

–Team Ultimate Survival Campsite, Contact

–Vineet Sharma , Managing Host of Dream Works, Contact advertiser and distribution point

And we give the last word to our funder and to the printer who has printed every single edition of Contact!

We have been lucky to have benefited from the support of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy over the last ten years, they have paid for the printing and postage, enabling us to reach audiences around the world. The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy is a non-profit organisation headquartered in Taipei; its purpose is to promote democracy around the world. It was established in June 2003 as a non-partisan, non-profit organisation.

“We congratulate Contact magazine for 25 years of service to the Tibetan community in Dharamshala and around the world. We have been supporting this magazine for over 10 years, and it has been our pleasure to work together with the great team at Lha Charitable Trust. We wish the Trust all the best in its endeavours in the coming years.”

- Bo Tedards Director, International Cooperation Department Taiwan Foundation for Democracy

Printing Contact from the Very First Day….

by Arun Puri, Imperial printing Press, Dharamshala

It is our honour to introduce ourselves as the printer of Contact magazine. We have been associated with this magazine from the very first day of its publication. For the last 25 years we have been regularly printing Contact monthly, except during the two years of Covid-19, where everything was at standstill. Mr Joe, a US citizen, was the main force and planner to bring out this magazine initially. Mr Tenzin, a Tibetan national, continued to help out with its publication in the absence of Mr Joe. For the last 12 years, Lha Charitable Trust has taken care of its continued publication and printing in the best possible way. They have raised the quality of the publication from black and white to coloured pages, along with more informative, focused and balanced news. As a very informative magazine, Contact provide us with all kinds of news and information regarding His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tibetan, Indian, and other communities, all types of functions, gatherings, seminars and workshops, etc, being

held in Mcleod Ganj, the Central Tibetan Administration, Dharamshala and other Tibetan communities along with the International news. One can say it is a purely nonpolitical magazine and unbiased.

Though distributing it free of cost, Lha has been working and managing really well for its continuous publication well on time. We wish all the best for Contact magazine and the team for its popularity and informative

information.

Wishing all its readers and writers a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Losar .

Tibetan news for November and December

Dec 31: His Holiness in Bodh Gaya

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is giving a three-day teaching on the Commentary on Bodhicitta (awakening the mind) at Kalachakra Teaching Ground in Bodhgaya in Bihar. More than 70,000 people from 60 countries joined devotees from India and Nepal to attend. “This, the Seat of Enlightenment, is the most sacred of the sites associated with the Buddha” said His Holiness, “elsewhere he taught the Four Noble Truths and the Thirty-seven Harmonies of Enlightenment, but here we are reminded of the essence of all his teachings, which is to discipline the mind for the benefit of sentient beings”. His Holiness continued, “Listen to and study the Buddha’s teachings. Reflect on them over and over again, then meditate on what you’ve understood. Be determined to work for the welfare of others. This is how you will reach the domain of the enlightened ones. If you have bodhichitta within, you’ll be at peace.”

Dec 30: Restrictions in Nepal?

There is concern that Tibetan refugees living in Nepal will be subject to continued restrictions on their movements and political activities under Nepal’s new prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also called Prachanda, who is a former Maoist guerrilla leader reported as being close to China. Radio Free Asia quotes a Nepal policy expert as saying that every political party and leader in power has adhered to Nepal’s One-China policy.

Dec 29: Chinese Spy?

A Chinese woman living in Bodh Gaya was detained following an “extensive 24-hour manhunt” on suspicion of spying for China, say the Bihar police, who named her as Song Xiaolan and circulated a sketch of her. They had reported that she was “under custody and is being interrogated”. However Sky News has now reported that she is “a staunch follower” of HH the Dalai Lama who had overstayed her visa and will be extradited back to China.

Dec 28: Concern For Four Women Detainees

Concern is growing for four Tibetan women detained for protesting against the Covid lockdowns in Kham [Ch: Sichuan], reports Radio Free Asia, who quote their local

sources as saying that the official reason for their arrests, and their whereabouts, are still unknown. The four, who were arrested earlier this month, are Zamkar, Kelsang Dolma, Dechen and Delha, and are believed to be held somewhere in Kardze.

Dec 28: International Exchange Programme

His Holiness the Dalai Lama presided over the inauguration of the Pali and Sanskrit International Bhikkhu Exchange Programme at the Wat-pa Thai Temple in Bodh Gaya. The five-year exchange programme has been set up in line with His Holiness’s commitment to promote human values, encourage harmony among the world’s religions, ensure the preservation of Tibetan culture and to prompt a revival of awareness of the value of ancient Indian knowledge.

Dec 26: China Retaliates

China has sanctioned two Americans in retaliation against the US’s own sanction earlier this month against two Chinese officials over human rights violations in Tibet. The two Americans are Todd Stein, US CongressionalExecutive Commission on China and Miles Yu, a historian. The Chinese government has frozen their Chinese assets, banned them and their families from entering the country, and banned any Chinese individual or organisation from engaging with them.

The Chinese officials sanctioned by the US are Wu Yingjie, China’s party chief in the Tibet Autonomous Region from 2016 to 2021, and Zhang Hongbo, China’s police chief in the Himalayan region from 2018.Their US assets have been blocked and transactions criminalised.

Dec 23: Lone Peaceful Protest

Gonpo Kyi, the sister of Tibetan businessman Dorjee Tashi, a political prisoner who is serving a life sentence, has once again been detained after staging a protest outside a courthouse in Lhasa. She stood for around 15 minutes with a placard saying “Dorjee Tashi is innocent”. He is a well-known and respected philanthropist. The International Campaign for Tibet is calling for his release.

Dec 23: Buddhists Object

The Indian Himalayan Council of the Nalanda Buddhist Tradition has stated its intention not to support a successor to His Holiness the Dalai Lama appointed by China, reports Radio Free Asia . “The people of the Himalayas will never accept” a successor appointed by the government of the People’s Republic of China”, says the Council, and will “never pay devotional obeisance to such a political appointee”, and they will “publicly denounce such a move by anyone”.

Here we bring you our last round up of Tibetan news for November and December as we sign out and say goodbye

Dec 23: Agyal Tsering

Agyal Tsering, 71, a monk from Tehor Dhargay Monastery and a former political prisoner, has died. He was first arrested in 1990, spending 18 months in prison, where he was tortured, for distributing books and leaflets. He was arrested with two others in 1999, sparking a 3,000 strong protest demanding their release; this resulted in police shootings and arrests. He was born in Rongpa Tsajori village in Kham.

Dec 22: Bipartisan Tibet Bill

The bipartisan Tibet bill, Promoting a Resolution to Tibet–China Conflict, was introduced in the United States Senate, making it US policy that the conflict between Tibet and China is unresolved, and the legal status of Tibet remains to be detewrmined in accordance with international law. The bill was introduced by three US Senators, Jeff Merkley, Senator Todd Young and Senator Patrick Leahy.

Dec 22: Educating Heart and Mind

His Holiness the Dalai Lama spoke to over 6,000 students from 58 schools under the Salwan Education Trust in Gurugram, Haryana, in an interactive session. He stressed the importance of educating the heart and mind, inspired by the ancient Indian knowledge of ahimsa and karuna which, he said, is lacking in the modern education system. Cultivating compassion for life was the key message of his speech.

Dec 20: Covid Death

The two-year-old grandchild of the well-known Tibetan businessman and philanthropist Nangchen Tashi, who has been detained and persecuted by the Chinese authorities, has died of Covid. The whole family was taken into a Covid quarantine facility despite all being healthy and Covid free. The child contracted Covid, was denied proper medical care and died of the virus, reports the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy who are calling for accountability.

Dec 20: Condemning China

The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) has joined international activists in calling for an end to the supply of technology and equipment to China for use in carrying out mass DNA collection in Tibet and East Turkistan [Ch: Xinjiang]. IPAC is an international crossparty group of legislators working towards reform on how democratic countries approach China, led by senior

politicians drawn from a representative cross-section of the world’s major political parties.

Last month Students for a Free Tibet launched a petition to pressure the Massachusetts-based company Thermo Fisher Scientific to stop selling the DNA collection kits to China. The DNA collection, says SFT, “violates individuals’ privacy rights and the right to bodily integrity, it will also undoubtedly heighten China’s repression in Tibet”.

Dec 20: Monk Sentenced

Monlam Gyatso, a Tibetan monk from Serta county in Kardze, who has been held incommunicado in detention for over a year, has been sentenced to three years in prison. He had taken part in a campaign to discourage people from killing and selling animals, reports Radio Free Asia, whose local source said he and his fellow campaigners are accused of “disrupting the ecosystem and livelihoods of the residents”.

Dec 16: Investigating Meditation

Russia is exploring meditation techniques with Tibetan Buddhist monks to see if meditation can be used while sending astronauts into hibernation while on interplanetary travel. Going into hibernation would slow metabolism, reduce the amount of space needed for the astronauts, as well as food, and make their journey easier and less stressful than living for up to a year and a half in such cramped conditions.

Dec 15: Support in Canadian Parliament

Canada’s parliament has unanimously passed a motion supporting the resumption of the SinoTibetan dialogue. The motion Supporting SelfDetermination for Tibet was introduced by MP Garnett Genuis who called for “dialogue between representatives of the Tibetan people and the government of the People’s Republic of China with a view to enabling Tibet to exercise genuine autonomy within the framework of the Chinese constitution”.

Dec 13: Congratulations

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, along with Sikyong Penpa Tsering, head of the Central Tibetan Administration, and Dolma Tsering, Deputy Director of the Tibetan parliament, has written to congratulate the newly elected Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh (HP), Shri Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on behalf of the Tibetan people, and to wish him well in his new role. Shri Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu becomes the 15th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh.

Tibetan news for November and December

Dec 12: More Influx into Tibet?

Talented Chinese people are to be enticed to move to live and work in Tibet, reports the Tibetan Review, citing Xinhua, China’s official news agency. Every year the “Qomolangma talents” will be selected and provided financial incentives, as well as other subsidies and support, including housing, for five years. The report also said that Tibetan graduates will be targeted.

Dec 10: UK Rally

Tibetan, Chinese, Hong Kong and Uyghur communities joined human rights supporters in a rally in central London to mark Human Rights Day. Participants carried blank white A4 pieces of paper, replicating the landmark protests led by Chinese citizens, demanding that the Chinese government halt its stringent Zero Covid policy and in some cases calling for democracy, human rights and the resignation of the Communist Party Chairman Xi Jinping.

Dec 10: Human Rights Day

Human Rights Day was marked by Tibetans with expressions of joy for the award in 1989 of the Nobel Peace Prize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, along with statements of concern and mourning for the suffering experienced by Tibetans living in Tibet at the hands of the occupying Chinese. In Australia, Tibetans in Canberra and Auckland held rallies, and in Dharmashala a service took place at Tsuklakhang, the main temple.

Dec 9: Tibet Film

The film Never Forget Tibet, a feature-length film telling the story of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s escape from Tibet in 1959, has premiered across Australia. Produced by Jean Paul Martines, the film depicts Tibetan art and cultural heritage, as well as emphasising the importance of love and compassion. Audiences were encouraged to donate to the charity Tibet Culture Centre when purchasing their tickets.

Dec 8: Climate Change in Tibet

The lakes on the Tibetan plateau are showing a trend of delayed freezing and of melting, reports the website Sixth Tone, “fresh voices from today’s China”, citing a new study by the state-backed China Academy of Sciences and published in Scientific Data, Nature’s open access scientific journal. The report says that some 6,000 glaciers have disappeared from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the average temperature increased at twice the global average rate.

Dec 7: Audience for Activist

Drew Pavlou, an Australian political activist known for staging protests against the Chinese government’s human

rights abuses is currently in Dharamshala where he has received an audience with HH the Dalai Lama. He wrote that it was an honour to meet His Holiness adding, “I was really touched that he thanked me for supporting Tibet, I will always strive to live up to his beautiful teachings of compassion and non-violence.”

Dec 7: Political Prisoner Released?

Go Yonten Sangpo, the Tibetan writer also known as Gonyo, is understood to have been released a few months ago, reports the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD). TCHRD reported that he was detained along with two other writers a year ago, and last month Gonyo shared a post on WeChat in which he commented that he had been offline for two years but giving no explanation.

Dec 7: Support from Japan

Japan’s parliament has adopted a resolution condemning China’s human rights and religious freedom violations in Tibet, East Turkestan [Ch: Xinjiang], Hong Kong and Inner Mongolia. They followed this with a launch of a caucus of parliamentarians charged with monitoring the Chinese Communist Party’s human rights violations. China has protested, issuing a press statement saying the resolutions contain nothing but disinformation and interfere in China’s internal affairs.

Dec 6: Meeting His Holiness

His Holiness the Dalai Lama met the mayors of seven United States cities who are visiting Dharamshala on a mission to promote compassion. Among the visitors was Mr Aftab Karma Pureval, Mayor of Cincinnati, who is the first person of Tibetan heritage to hold a prominent elective office in the US; he assured His Holiness he will advocate for the preservation of Tibetan culture in the United States.

Dec 3: Solidarity Protest

Tibetans and supporters gathered in Delhi to participate in a peaceful protest to express solidarity with the people of China who are taking to the streets to fight for democratic reform and an end to President Xi Jinping’s rule. “Dictatorship in China is a threat to world peace, especially to Tibet and India,” Tenzin Tsundue, the activist and writer, posted on social media, from the protest. The protest was organised by the Tibetan Youth Congress Congress and was inspired by the unprecedented protests taking place across China with people taking to the streets and openly calling for their President, Xi Jinping, to stand down.

Tibetan news for November and December

Dec 2: Call to Investigate

United States lawmakers Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Jim McGovern have appealed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to investigate China’s policy of placing 80% of Tibetan children in state-run boarding schools, reports RFA. The students follow a “highly politicised curriculum” which imposes “serious human rights violations and cultural and linguistic erasure” and leads to “high rates of mental and emotional distress”.

Dec 1: CTA Golden Jubilee

Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), has been presented with a silver trophy by the Tibetan Hunsur Settlement community in south India. The award marks the CTA’s golden jubilee and is given to express gratitude to, and appreciation of, the CTA. Sikyong thanked HH the Dalai Lama saying that, without him, and the older generation of Tibetans, the exiled Tibetan community would not exist.

Dec 1: Monk Sentenced

Lobsang Choephel, a monk from Kirti Monastery in Ngaba was sentenced to two years and six months in October, reports tibet.net. He was arrested last summer with no reason given for his arrest, and his current location and well-being are unknown. He was arrested in 2011 for protesting against the “patriotic education campaign” or “legal education” imposed on monks, and the ban on normal religious activities in the monastery.

Nov 30: Discrimination Against Tibetans

The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy has released a report giving evidence of discriminatory treatment of Tibetans under China’s Covid-19 pandemic lockdown rules. TCHRD’s Tibetan sources spoke of arbitrary detentions of local Tibetans: when 200 protestors were arrested, the Tibetans were held for 14 days under harsh conditions while Chinese protestors were given lighter punishments. They catalogue disproportionate restrictions on Tibetan cyberspace with severe measures enforced to prevent information sharing.

Nov 30: Supporters Conference

Indian Tibet support groups held a two-day conference in Delhi, concluding with an adoption to demand that the Indian government recognises the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) as legitimately representing Tibetans worldwide; supports the CTA’s Middle Way Approach; denounces China’s interference in the recognition of reincarnations, and supports the Tibetan peoples’ national identity. The Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament thanked India for her considerable support to Tibetans for over 60 years.

Nov 30: Long Life Prayer

Around 4,500 people gathered in Tsuglagkhang, the main temple in Dharamsala, to offer long life prayers and offerings for HH the Dalai Lama. His Holiness said, “as a representative of the body, speech and mind of Avalokiteshvara I work to fulfil his wishes”, and requested all monks and nuns of the entire Himalayan Region to keep up their study and practice.. The Nechung Oracle made presentations to His Holiness.

Nov 28: Remembering Sonam Tenpa

Sonam Tenpa, 52, the Tibetan poet known by his pen name of Chen Matak (“Fire spark from Chentsa”) who died recently, was remembered today at a gathering of Tibetan writers in Dharamshala. Poet Bhuchung D Sonam said he “expressed the political and social messages of the society and demonstrated a strength of understanding”. Chen Matak was a teacher in Golog and some of his poems are included in school curricula.

Nov 25: His Holiness Teachings

His Holiness the Dalai Lama begins a two-day teaching on the Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way [Tib: uma tsawa sherab] at Tsuglagkhang, the main temple in Dharamshala at the request of a group of Koreans. On November 30, His Holiness will attend a long life prayer offered to him by Drepung Gomang Monastery and Lhadhen Chotrul Monlam Chenmo Trust.

Nov

25: V-TAG Australia

The first Voluntary Tibetan Advocacy Group (V -TAG) has been established in Australia by the Office of Tibet, Canberra and the Tibetan Community Australia NSW. Tenzin Lhekshey from the Tibetan Government-in-Exile Department of Information and International Relations spoke of the importance of Tibet advocacy in today’s time and the need for strengthening the existing advocacy campaigns worldwide to achieve the optimum outcomes.

Nov 24: Two-Year Sentence

Thuksam, 28, from Kardze in Tibet has been sentenced to two years in prison, charged with sending information to Tibetans in exile, reports VOA Tibetan service. He was earlier arrested in May for sharing local news with Tibetans in Europe and India via WeChat. While in detention he was beaten and interrogated. His family was summoned to court where his “crime” was described as “separatist’, and leaking state information endangering the country’s safety.

Nov 24: Activists Acquitted

Three activists, Tibetan Tsela Zoksang, Joey Siu from Hong Kong and a third, Vietnamese-American activist who were charged following their protest last year at the Acropolis in Athens against the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, have been acquitted of all charges by a Greek court. The Guardian has hailed this as a “landmark decision” and a “victory for human rights defenders globally”. Three other activists, Chemi Lhamo, Jason Leith of Free Tibet and Fern MacDougal, are still facing trial for their protest at the torch-lighting ceremony.

Nov 22: Expressing Gratitude

Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President of the Tibetan Governmentin-Exile, has written to United States Speaker Nancy Pelosi on her retirement from the US leadership. He thanked her for being a constant supporter and friend of HH the Dalai Lama and Tibet, and for her leadership and support in strengthening bipartisan support for Tibet in the US Congress; he said Tibetans join well-wishers worldwide in praying for her family’s continued safety and wellbeing.

Nov 22: Tibet Lobby Day

The Australia Tibet Council held its 11th Tibet Lobby Day, urging the Australian government to nominate a policy to protect the succession of the 14th Dalai Lama without interference from the Chinese Government. 15 Tibetans from across Australia met over 30 Australian lawmakers to put their appeal and over 1,000 Australians have signed a pledge to “only recognise a Dalai Lama appointed via Tibetan Buddhist traditions and practices, without interference by the Chinese Government”.

Nov 21: Lockdown in Lhasa

Around 200 people were detained in Lhasa earlier this month following the lockdown protests in the city; many where Han Chinese who were later released, the Tibetan detainees are reported as remaining in custody.

The Covid lockdown has now been eased prompting a mass exodus of Han Chinese people and bumper to bumper traffic jams, reports Radio Free Asia. Protests broke out during the week involving many Han Chinese who came to Lhasa to work but who have been locked down for three months with no means of earning. Lockdowns continue with RFA’s sources reporting little change so far for the Tibetans there, although earlier this month some Tibetans were allowed to leave Lhasa to travel home but were required to register for processing and use transport provided. They are not allowed to travel independently.

Nov

21: Award for His Holiness

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been given the Gandhi Mandela award, the highly prestigious international award promoting Gandhian and Nelson Mandela’s values. He was chosen for his continued commitment to advocating peace and harmony. Accepting the award, His Holiness spoke of the importance of non-violence and compassion which are embedded in the ancient Indian culture saying, “Any problem cannot be solved by war but through dialogue and peace”.

Nov 18:

Focus on HR in China

The United States Congressional-Executive Commission on China has released their 2022 report on human rights in China. The report documents the “continued use [of] tools of authoritarian governance to [...] restrict basic human rights’’, records the “severe crackdown against Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims, Tibetans and Hong Kongers” and urges Members to “hold the Chinese government accountable and more effectively prioritise the promotion of universal human rights and the rule of law”.

Nov 17: Issue of Tibet Raised

United States President Joe Biden has met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bali, Indonesia. The White House press statement says the leaders discussed a variety of issues, including working together on transnational challenges. The statement confirmed that President Biden raised concerns about China’s practices in East Turkestan (Ch: Xinjiang), Tibet, Hong Kong and Taiwan and that he will visit China to follow up on their discussion.

Nov 16:

App Shutdown in Tibet

Gang Yang, a popular Tibetan language video sharing app used in Tibet, has announced its closure “for financial reasons”, reports Radio Free Asia. The app, which was launched in 2018, has Tibetan language function keys. RFA’s sources say they believe the reason for the shutdown of the app to be pressure from the Chinese government, in line with their policy of restricting Tibetans from using their own language.

Nov 16: Elected to Office

Bhutila Karpoche, a Tibetan living in Ontario, Canada and Member of the Provincial Parliament, has been elected as the Deputy Speaker for the 43rd parliament of the Ontario Legislature. In June 2018 she made history by becoming the first person of Tibetan heritage to be elected to public office in North America. She was re-elected in June 2022. Bhutila is active on issues around social justice and public health.

Tibetan news for November and December

Nov 14: Chinese Objection

The Chinese Embassy has visited the Mexican parliament to object to the formation last week of the newly launched Mexico Friends of Tibet group. They met the President of the Chamber of Deputies, objecting to the group and demanding that the Chinese flag be waved in the Chamber. Deputy Salvador Caro Cabrera said China’s anger represents a “moral victory for the people of Tibet [...] Free Tibet!”

The Friends of Tibet group was launched by the Mexico Congress. The group is headed by Deputy Salvador Caro Cabrera and was launched during the Chamber of Deputies budget session. The group recognises the importance of preserving the rich culture of the Tibetan people, the environment and respect for human rights.

Nov 9: Poet Monk Detained

Jigme Gyatso, 36, from Tibet’s Tsongon Buddhist University in Xining, was detained by Chinese police in May 2021. He continues to be in custody without verdict, reports the Central Tibetan Administration. News of his arrest has only now emerged from Tibet due to the communications restrictions imposed by the Chinese government; his charges appear to be linked to his distribution of poetry books to fellow monks during a university graduation ceremony. He had won a Tibet-wide poetry competition.

Nov 9: COP27

A five-member Tibetan team has met leaders at COP27the United Nations Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change currently underway in Egypt, where they briefed them on the current climate crisis in Tibet and its strategic importance for climate change across the world. They focused their presentation on the significance for neighbouring countries of Tibet’s major rivers and the environmental destruction resulting from China’s developments in Tibet.

Nov 8: Sentenced to Three Years

Rachung Gendun, a monk from Kriti monastery in Ngaba county in Tibet was sentenced to three years, charged with offering prayer donations to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to Kirti Rinpoche who is based in India, reports Radio Free Asia. He is being held in Menyang prison near Chengdu; he was detained on April 1, 2021, his family was informed after three months. He had opposed China’s patriotic reeducation programmes.

Nov 8: Monk Sentenced

Geshe Sonam Gyatso, a monk from Kirti Monastery in Ngaba in eastern Tibet, has been sentenced to two years in prison, reports the Tibet Post, for allegedly “sending money

abroad to seek the protection and prayers for his family from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Kirti Rinpoche”. He was arrested in Chengdu in April last year, when evidence of the payment was found on his mobile phone, and sentenced recently.

Nov 7: Border Issues

China has named nine bridges after four Chinese soldiers who were reported as killed in the India-Tibet border clashes in 2020 in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh in the far north of India, reports the Tibetan Review. China’s official state media the globaltimes.cn reports the bridges “commemorate the heroes who have become the epitome of Chinese people’s ever-growing patriotic sentiment [...] They have been nominated as the country’s ethical role models.”

Nov 4: Sikyong in Arunachal Pradesh

Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), has arrived in Arunachal Pradesh, the far north eastern Indian state that China claims as its own territory, for a two-week assessment visit to Tibetan communities - his first visit there since his appointment as Sikyong. He spoke to Tibetans in Tezu Tibetan settlement, and visited local CTA branch offices and civil society organisations.

Nov 4: Dharamshala International Film Festival

Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) begins today at the Tibetan Institute for Performing Arts in McLeod Ganj after a two year break during the Covid-19 pandemic. Among the many independent films presented at the festival are three films by Tibetan directors - Dhulpa by Kunsang Kyirong, You Tibetan? by Tenzin Yeshi and Cafe Illiterati by Tenzin Kalden. Over 40 short films have participated in the film festival.

Nov 2: Tibetans to Vote 720 Tibetans in Dharamshala have registered to vote in the forthcoming Indian Himachal Pradesh elections - most Tibetans prefer to retain their status as foreigners living on temporary residential permits and are therefore not eligible to vote. Others have opted for Indian citizenship and the right to vote.

Nov 1: Award for His Holiness His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been awarded the Sivananda World Peace Foundation Award for his “generous contribution to promoting Peace, Non-Violence and oneness among humanity in the world”. The award was presented by the Foundation’s President, Prince Ishwar Ramlutchman Mabheka Zulu who said it was “an honour and privilege”. The Sivananda World Peace Foundation, a South African organisation, promotes peace and unity.

This month’s People Story

Tom Barr: An Extraordinary Mind and Unsung TCV Volunteer

by Tenzin Pel-Lha

In 1995, an unassuming American man named Tom Barr moved to Dharamshala. Tom had been practicing Vajrayana Dzogchen Buddhism in the United States since the 1970s and living in Nepal for years. Yet after meeting his guru, Ngakpa Karma Lhundup Rinpoche, it was clear he needed to relocate to India to deepen his practice.

Tom moved into a small and simple room near Rinpoche’s house and next to the Rigzin Namdolling Ngakpa Gonpa, a small monastery whose name was bestowed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Here Tom would live for over two decades and transform the Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV) school system.

Today a small group gathers in the home of Rinpoche to remember Tom, and his friend Phuntsok Namgyal, over a meal prepared by Rinpoche’s wife, Dawa Dolker, who welcomed Tom into their home during his decades here.

“Tom ate every meal at this table,” Rinpoche says, remembering Tom, who became part of his family. “And Tom never complained,” he went on, reminiscing about their many pilgrimages to Buddhist sites around India. On a limited budget, they slept at modest guest houses and ate sparingly. Tom was perfectly content, a quality Rinpoche admired. “He would rather take a public bus for hours than a private taxi.”

Soon after they met, Rinpoche recognised Tom’s extraordinary mind; he had been acknowledged as a child prodigy from an early age. Though modest, his close friends knew he was sharing discoveries with the world’s foremost mathematicians. He was a meticulous recordkeeper. One such example is a spreadsheet of his practices, a colorful bar graph entitled “Mantra Counts.” The document, found after his death, details his practices of Tibetan Buddhist mantras totaling 100 million from 1970 to 2021.

“Tibetan Buddhism was the first practice in Tom’s life that challenged him,” said a dear friend of Tom’s, “He was truly a genius.”

In 1997, Tom was introduced to the director of a Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV) school at Gopalpur, General Phuntsok Namgyal, who joined TCV in 1975, 15 years after its establishment. Phuntsok was a formative presence in the development of TCV, recognised for his warmth. “He sincerely cared about students’ well-being,” said former Lha Director Dorji Kyi, reminiscing on Phuntsok’s personal visits to students’ homes. “When his students did well, he always made them feel how proud he was.”

Rinpoche recalls, “When Phuntsok Namgyal heard about

Tom’s offer to volunteer, he said ‘It must be one of those hippies!’” But after they met, Phuntsok approached Tom personally and regarded him as a godsend, and a lifelong bond between the two men was forged. They became the best of friends, communicating almost daily for 25 years. Together Phuntsok and Tom established a much-needed TCV resource: a computer system sophisticated enough to organise operations and records for tens of thousands of students and teachers. Soon after they developed the system, which transformed and streamlined TCV operations, staff joked that wearing pen drives replaced wearing amulets. The system they designed and managed became their “lifework”, echoing Tom’s sentiment that this work gave his life meaning.

Yet in all those decades Tom worked as a volunteer, he would not accept donations or payments; only tea. Twenty of those years were spent in India, often working with Phuntsok in person. Even after breaking his hip in 2017, Tom remained in India. Dawa Dolker became his caretaker and she smiles lovingly as she speaks affectionately of her strong bond with him.

Due to complications with his hip replacement, Tom returned to the United States in 2018. He continued working remotely with Phuntsok. In April this year, Tom was diagnosed with latestage cancer and on June 13 Tom called Phuntsok to announce his last workday for TCV. He then began his mind-body death meditation practices. He stopped eating and drinking and went deeper into meditation practices each day. He was joyful and his mind was clear.

At the end of that week Tom asked his helpers at St Joseph’s Hospice in New Orleans not to disturb him and, with a nod and smile, he let his close friend Neil know he was fine and that he would be going soon. The following morning, June 20, Tom’s body was found in the posture of the sleeping Buddha, with his gaze focused on a photo taped on the wall next to his bed of his teacher, Rinpoche, with the great Dzogchen Master Sholpa Lama Gyurme Dorje Rinpoche. Rinpoche led a day-long ceremony with Tsogyal feast offerings, fire pujas and 108 butter lamp offerings; a 49-day post death puja was performed at a small temple in Nepal by a small group of monks under the direction of Venerable Tsering Phuntsok.

Phuntsok Namgyal died in India about three hours before Tom died in the United States. Phuntsok’s obituary called his death a “sudden demise”. Their fortuitously timed deaths mark the spectacular friendship and broad, profound impact of two lives, karmically connected.

“The importance of having a lifework,” says a dear friend of Tom’s, “This is one of our greatest lessons from Tom.”

Tom Barr (R) with Ngakpa Karma Lhundup (L)

Tibet-Related Websites

News:

tibet.net - official website of the Central Tibetan Administration in exile phayul.com - Phayul is published in Dharamshala, has opinion, reviews, photos, etc contactmagazine.net - Contact magazine online news rfa.org/english/news/tibet - Radio Free Asia’s mission is to provide accurate and timely news and information to Asian countries whose governments prohibit access to a free press thetibetpost.com - Tibet Post International online news tibetexpress.net - Tibet Express online news guardian.co.uk/world/tibet - the UK Guardian newspaper’s Tibet pages scmp.com/news/china - the South China Morning Post – one of the more independent news sources in China tibetanreview.net - Tibetan Review online news News, information and campaigning: dalailama.com - for broadcasts of His Holiness’s teachings, his schedule and information about Tibet and the Dalai Lama tchrd.org - Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy - a non-governmental organisation and a research centre to protect the human rights of Tibetan people and promote the principles of democracy tibetanyouthcongress.org - an international non-governmental organisation that advocates full independence for Tibet from China studentsforafreetibet.org - a global grassroots group campaigning for full Tibetan independence freetibet.org - UK-based campaigning organisation, also a good news source tibetwatch.org - Tibet Watch works with Free Tibet to promote the human rights of the Tibetan people through monitoring, research and advocacy. savetibet.org - Website of the International Campaign for Tibet and a good resource for news, campaigns, fundraising and projects tibetnetwork.org/home - a coalition of more than 190 Tibet organisations dedicated to campaigning to end human rights violations in Tibet and restoring rights to the Tibetan people tibetanjournal.com - Tibetan Journal - news, reviews and opinions rukor.org - a discussion site on Tibetan nomads and their fate bitterwinter.org - A magazine on religious liberty and human rights in China www.facebook.com/tsundue - Tenzin Tsundue’s website for up to date information on activists’ campaigns, demonstrations and activities

Writings: highpeakspureearth.com/category/woeser - occasional translations of Woeser’s enormously popular blog – Woeser lives in Beijing and is continually harassed by the Chinese government for her courageous writings. Lha Charitable Trust