A new podcast from the International Campaign for Tibet will present in-depth discussions with US officials, Tibetan leaders, psychologists, professors and others engaged with and inspired by the Tibetan cause.
A preview episode of “Tibet Talks” is now available to stream on www.https://savetibet.org/pod. Listeners can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and Spotify.
The first full episode of Tibet Talks will debut the evening of Sept. 10 with former Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., an outspoken supporter of Tibet who helped lead the effort to present the Dalai Lama with the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007.
Tibet Talks will feature hour-long discussions explaining why Tibet—a historically independent country that China annexed more than 60 years ago—matters in today’s world as an ancient source of wisdom and modern cause for justice.
Tibet 2020
In her conversation with ICT, Ros-Lehtinen, who retired from Congress last year after three decades, will describe how the advocacy of ordinary Americans has made a difference for the Tibetan people—and can do so again this election year.
Tibet Talks will return Sept. 24 with Rep. Andy Levin, D-Mich., a first-term member of Congress who interviewed the Dalai Lama in 1989 just days before the announcement that the Tibetan Buddhist leader had won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Levin, who studied the Tibetan language as a graduate student, also tried to enter Tibet that year, but Chinese officials stopped him from doing so in part because of the Tiananmen Square Massacre.
Both Levin’s and Ros-Lehtinen’s episodes will be part of ICT’s Tibet 2020 campaign, which seeks to ensure that both Democrats and Republicans—including their candidates for president—agree on US support for Tibet.
Tibet Talks
The podcast will continue and expand ICT’s Tibet Talks web series, which premiered in May 2020.
The series features live conversations with inspiring thinkers, leaders, activists and artists.
Past guests on the show include former Special Coordinators for Tibetan Issues Greg Craig and Paula Dobriansky; Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback; former US Commission on International Religious Freedom Chair Tenzin Dorjee; and bestselling author and psychologist Dr. Rick Hanson.
Over time, ICT will convert several past episodes of the web series into podcasts.
ICT quote
Tencho Gyatso, ICT director of outreach:
“Our live Tibet Talks videos have been a phenomenal success, but we’re always looking for ways to share the significance of Tibet with new audiences, especially during this difficult time. With our new podcast, people can learn why Tibet matters while they are out for a walk, taking a drive or lying down after a long day.
“We can think of no better guests to start the podcast with than Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Andy Levin, a recently retired Republican and a freshman Democrat, who represent the continuous, bipartisan nature of US support for Tibetans. We look forward to sharing their Tibet Talks with listeners and to publishing many future episodes of the podcast.”