The Board of Advisors of the Rowell Fund for Tibet has selected seven Tibetan grantees for financial support totaling $40,000 for 2015. The winners were chosen from 48 project proposals with individual grants ranging from $3347 to $7500 and will be carried out in India, Europe and the United States.

The Rowell Fund for Tibet was established in 2003 in memory of the late Galen Rowell and his wife Barbara who died tragically in a plane crash in 2002. Galen Rowell was an internationally known outdoor photographer whose “Rainbow over the Potala Palace” has become an iconic photo for adventure travelers and Tibet supporters. The Rowell Fund for Tibet, established by friends and family of Galen and Barbara, in cooperation with the International Campaign for Tibet, is to support the work of Tibetans communicating issues of importance to broader Tibetan or international audiences through photography, film-making, writing, journalism, and other projects.

Terri Baker, member of the Rowell Fund Board of Advisors, said, “This year the Rowell Fund grants are even more meaningful to us.  In September, along with representatives of ICT, we were able to travel to Dharamsala where we met several previous grantees and reviewed their projects first hand. We were impressed and inspired by the quality of their work, their dedication, and their enthusiasm. We are proud of how the Rowell Fund grants have helped them and others pursue their vision for preserving and fostering the Tibetan culture and identity. We are grateful to them and to ICT for renewing our energy and commitment to the Rowell Fund.”

The grantees for 2015 are:

  1. Takna Jigme Sangpo, former Tibetan political prisoner, now residing in Switzerland, for writing his memoir in English.
  2. The Tibet Museum, Dharamsala, for expanding and improving its photo exhibits. Website: www.tibetmuseum.org
  3. Tibetan Review, Delhi, to develop its online project. Website:  www.tibetanreview.net
  4. Thupten Nyima Chakrishar, New York, for Conserve Tibet project to recover and preserve at-risk video and audio material of historical importance. Website: www.conservetibet.org
  5. Tsering Wangmo, Ladakh, Photo documentation of the Tibetan nomads in Ladakh.
  6. Nangchen history project, Dharamsala,  for compiling the history of the Nangchen region of Tibet
  7. Tibetan National Sports Association, Dharamsala, for Tibetan women’s training / empowerment football camp. Website: http://tibetansports.org/

The Advisory Board of the Rowell Fund includes: John Ackerly, David Breashears, Bob and Beth Cushman, John Jancik, Terri Baker, Bob Palais, Tony Rowell and Nicole Rowell Ryan. The Fund is managed by the International Campaign for Tibet. To learn more about Galen and Barbara Rowell and the Rowell Fund for Tibet, please visit www.https://savetibet.org/support-tibet/donate-rowell-fund.

Please visit www.savetibet.us for the Tibetan version of the announcement.