NEWSLETTERS
Tibet Update – September 2025
INSIDE:
Read out from ICT’s leadership gathering in Dharamsala
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Last month, ICT’s leadership from all three of our offices, ICT, ICT Europe and ICT Germany gathered in Dharamsala to learn and strategize how we can better advance the Tibetan cause. Hear about the outcomes of the trip from ICT leaders Tencho, Bhuchung, Ryan, Kai and Wangpo in this video.
Senators call for swift selection of new Tibet coordinator
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Sen. Jacky Rosen and Sen. John Curtis wrote a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling on the Secretary to appoint a Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issue as soon as possible. “The United States must send a strong message that we will continue standing up for the rights of the Tibetan people,” the letter states.
Long-life prayers held for the Dalai Lama
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More than a thousand people from Korea and ten South-east Asian countries gathered in Dharamsala earlier this month to make prayers and offer cultural performances for the Dalai Lama’s long life.
US release of New Dalai Lama film
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Don’t miss this moment. Here is a special announcement as we celebrate a Year of Compassion honoring His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday.
WISDOM OF HAPPINESS is a powerful new film that reminds us happiness is possible — even in the middle of chaos and uncertainty. Step inside a rare audience with Nobel Peace Prize winner Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, as he shares practical guidance for living with compassion, peace, and hope. With striking clarity and humanity, he calls on us to activate compassion as the strongest force for change.
The film launches with a nationwide theatrical simulcast experience on October 16 and opens in New York on October 17, before expanding across the country.
Watch and share the exclusive trailer today and we will have more updates coming soon »
In early August, Chinese authorities released popular young Tibetan singer, A-Sang, pictured above with his wife. However, after his release, local public security officials placed him under constant surveillance and are restricting him from live-streaming or communicating on Chinese social media.
Climate dangers of China’s hydropower ambitions in Tibet are growing
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For the second year, the ICT hosted a session at Stockholm World Water Week titled “Water for Climate Action.” The event brought together dignitaries, UN officials, Indigenous representatives, policy practitioners, and nonprofits for discussion and information sharing.
ICT strongly welcomes a formal “Communication” made public over the weekend by United Nations special rapporteurs and working groups to the Chinese government addressing Beijing’s interference in the succession of the Dalai Lama and the enforced disappearance of Tibet’s 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. The concern expressed by the independent UN human rights experts on the Chinese government’s stated intention to appoint a person of their choice as “Dalai Lama” is unprecedented.
The Rowell Fund for Tibet Invites Applications for the 2026 Grant Cycle
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The Rowell Fund for Tibet is now accepting applications for its 2026 grant cycle. This fund supports Tibetans who can make a significant impact in their communities or reach an international audience in the fields of visual arts, media, literature, environmental conservation, and women’s empowerment.
The Schrucker Fellowship for the Arts: Empowering contemporary Tibetan creatives
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ICT is pleased to announce the second application cycle of the Schrucker Fellowship opened on Wednesday, September 17, 2025. This fellowship is dedicated to supporting contemporary Tibetan artists, writers, and filmmakers, offering a platform to amplify their voices and contribute to global cultural discourse.
- Read out from ICT’s leadership gathering in Dharamsala
- Senators call for swift selection of new Tibet coordinator
- Long-life prayers held for the Dalai Lama
- US release of New Dalai Lama film
- Tibetan singer on restricted release after broadcasting a song celebrating the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday
- Climate dangers of China’s hydropower ambitions in Tibet are growing
- ICT welcomes UN Special Rapporteurs’ communication on Dalai Lama succession and abducted Panchen Lama
- The Rowell Fund for Tibet Invites Applications for the 2026 Grant Cycle
- The Schrucker Fellowship for the Arts: Empowering contemporary Tibetan creatives
- ICT’s 2026 is now available for sale!
- Smart Giving: A savvy choice to make a big impact during periods of financial unpredictability
SUPPORT TIBET
ICT's 2026 is now available for sale!
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ICT's 2026 calendar, Great Compassion, is a celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday and the power of compassion—the quiet strength and the power it holds to heal and transform. We are deeply honored to collaborate with our friends at Mutts Comics to share some of our favorite illustrations and quotes from Heart to Heart, a remarkable collaboration between His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and renowned illustrator Patrick McDonnell. With gentle wisdom and moving simplicity, this book invites us to reflect on our connection to one another and to this Earth we all live on. It is a call for a Compassionate Revolution—a reminder, as His Holiness writes, that "we are indeed all members of a single family, sharing one little house."
Smart Giving: A savvy choice to make a big impact during periods of financial unpredictability
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From climate change to the survival of democracy, Tibet is at the heart of the biggest challenges facing our world. That's why we're thrilled to share financially smart ways to give that will promote human rights and democratic freedoms for the people of Tibet:
- Stock: When you donate appreciated stock, you can save on two types of taxes by avoiding capital gains tax and often getting a full deduction for the value of your gift.
- IRA gifts: If you're 70.5 or older, donations from your IRA reduce your taxable income and can help meet a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) if you must take one.
- Donor-Advised Funds: With a grant recommendation from your Donor-Advised Fund, you can give from the money you've already set aside without spending an additional cent!
- Crypto: A donation of appreciated cryptocurrency can help you avoid capital gains taxes and get a big tax deduction.
We hope you consider the donation option(s) best for you, and together, we can shift the balance toward compassion and kindness.
When you give these types of gifts, please use the tools linked above so we can track your gift, send you the right receipt and ensure you get the tax savings you deserve.