The speaker of the House, the sister of the Dalai Lama and the chairman of ICT sat on a stage together in San Francisco, telling the crowd of about 300—plus many more online—why Tibet matters in today’s world. Nancy Pelosi, Jetsun Pema and Richard Gere were the stars of ICT’s “Why Tibet Matters” event, which helped raise awareness through a discussion between two extraordinary women from different backgrounds, moderated by a world famous actor, social activist and philanthropist.
Toward the end of the discussion, Pelosi said the TPSA has “bipartisan support in both houses” of Congress, but warned that the Chinese government would “rear its head in Washington, DC” to try to stop the bill’s passage. Gere added that the TPSA was ICT’s “number one priority.” The Dalai Lama, he said, has “made it very, very clear, and he’s been steadfast, he will not be reborn in a Chinese-controlled area. So that’s it. Final.”