25 years of the International Campaign for Tibet

On March 15, 1988, the International Campaign for Tibet was established to support the Tibetan people’s struggle for human rights and democratic freedoms. From a handful of dedicated individuals, ICT has grown into an international organization empowered by the vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

We thank all the good people who have supported ICT’s work over the last 25 years in the belief that the survival of Tibet’s ancient wisdom culture is of profound importance to the very survival of the global community. At this urgent and critical moment in Tibetan history, we recommit our energies and best efforts towards a peaceful solution for Tibet secured in the dignity of the Tibetan people.

Below is a collection of photographs that represents the work and accomplishments of ICT’s first 25 years. Click the photo to learn more about it.

: This photo of demonstrations in Lhasa became the emblem of the Tibet movement, and John Ackerly became an international Tibet advocate and eventually President of the International Campaign for Tibet (1999 to 2009). He continues to serve the Tibet cause as a member of the ICT Board of Directors. To learn more about John’s experience in Tibet, read his book co-authored by Blake Kerr, "Sky Burial: An Eyewitness Account of China’s Brutal Crackdown in Tibet.”

: This photo shows the Dalai Lama in Statuary Hall giving remarks to the Congressional Human Rights Caucus. On September 21, 1987, at the invitation of Caucus Chairs Tom Lantos and John Porter, the Dalai Lama presented his Five Point Peace Plan which called for: Tibet to become a zone of peace; the end to the policy of population transfer of Chinese onto the Tibetan plateau; respect for Tibet’s environment and removal of all nuclear weapons and facilities from the plateau; and the commencement of earnest negotiation on Tibet’s future.”

: President Bush was the first American President to meet with the Dalai Lama. Since 1991, the International Campaign for Tibet has assisted with the Dalai Lama’s visits to Washington, DC and hosted him for official meetings.

: ICT galvanized opposition to the official State Dinner, hosted by US President bill Clinton for Chinese President Jiang Zemin by hosting its own “Stateless” Dinner across the street from the White House. A staple of State Dinners are the toasts made by the hosts and guest of honor, and ICT provided an opportunity for its guests to do the same. ICT Board Member Adam Yauch was one of many offering a toast that evening. Others who joined in toasting human rights defenders were US Senators and Representatives, including Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Paul Wellstone, Nancy Pelosi and Chris Smith, and special guests Richard Gere, Kerry Kennedy and Bianca Jagger.

: ICT staffer, Maya Crawford, holds up an ICT press release calling on US President Bill Clinton to raise Tibet with Chinese President Jiang Zemin during their summit meeting. President Clinton did so publicly at a joint press conference in the Great Hall of the People, urging Jiang to “assume a dialogue with the Dalai Lama” referring to him as “as an honest man” and saying Mr. Jiang and the Dalai Lama would “like each other very much.”

: ICT provided a platform for the Dalai Lama to promote his message on interfaith understanding with other faith leaders to a packed audience at the “spiritual home” for the nation. In September 11, 2003, on the second anniversary of the terrorist attack on America, the Dalai Lama spoke on “Cultivating Peace an as Antidote to Violence,” to the largest audience ever recorded by the cathedral. To learn more about the Dalai Lama’s promotion of religious harmony, click here »

: Rinchen Tashi (left) ICT’s Deputy Director for Chinese Outreach, appears on VOA’s ‘Kunleng’ Tibetan service television news show. Since VOA was created by an Act of Congress in 1990, it has provided uncensored factual information to the Tibetan people. ICT Tibetan-speaking staff are frequent guests on the audio and video programs.

: President Clinton met with the Dalai Lama four times during his presidency, and they continue to meet as global leaders. This photo shows, from left to right, the Dalai Lama, Special Envoy and ICT Executive Chairman Lodi Gyari, Vice President Al Gore, and President Clinton, with a Tibetan khata in hand. Since 1991, the International Campaign for Tibet has assisted with the Dalai Lama’s visits to Washington, DC and hosted him for official meetings.

: In 2005, the International Campaign for Tibet was awarded the Geuzen Medal of honor or Geuzenpenning, the Dutch award for bravery, for its outreach efforts in “building understanding, trust and relationships between the Tibetan and Chinese people” and for “pursing its activities with undiminished energy.”

: ICT advocates for Tibetan issues to governments and governmental institutions, including the UN Human Rights Council and its special procedures. In this photo, Tsering Jampa addresses the Council on the human rights situation in Tibet during general debate. For more information about ICT’s work at the UN Human Rights Council, click here »

: ICT Vice President Bhuchung Tsering and ICT Europe Campaign Manager Shiba Degenhart are prepared to answer questions at an ICT outpost during a rally for Tibet. While email campaigns and social media are great ways to keep people informed, ICT highly values engaging supporters in person.

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: This photo shows new refugees from Tibet meeting with a visiting congressional staff delegation at the UN-funded Tibetan Refugee Transit Center in Kathmandu. The small group in the right of the photo includes the former Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Nepal, Wangchuk Tsering, and the ICT Director of Government Relations at the time, Kelley Currie. Since 2008, the number of new arrivals from Tibet has dramatically decreased from roughly 3,000 to 300 a year, due to increased risk and surveillance on both sides of the Tibet-Nepal border. To learn more, read our report “Dangerous Crossing – 2011 Update” »

: ICT believes in the importance of on the ground monitoring and reporting and has field operations in Kathmandu and Dharamsala for this purpose. ICT field staff are proficient in Tibetan, Chinese and English languages. This photo of Jan Willem, who has since left ICT, surrounded by children demonstrates our commitment to amplifying Tibetan voices, at any age. To learn more, read our report Dangerous Crossing – 2011 Update »

: Since its establishment, ICT has been deeply honored to assist with the coordination of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s visits and programs in cities around the world. Lesley Rich, ICT Director of Special Programs (center in photo), advanced and assisted in three visits of His Holiness to Jordan where he attended the Petra Conference of Nobel Laureates organized by the King Abdullah II Fund for Development and the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity.

: ICT launched this postcard in advance of US President Bush’s meeting with Chinese President Jiang at the President’s ranch in Crawford, Texas. Not only did ICT supporters overwhelm the Crawford post office with thousands of postcards, but copies of the postcard popped up all over official Washington – from the halls of Congress to the State Department!

: A group of 14 Tibetan Buddhist nuns charged with counterrevolutionary crimes and imprisoned in Lhasa’s notorious Drapchi prison had their sentences increased for recording songs that praised the Dalai Lama and called for Tibetan freedom. ICT pursued an international release campaign on their behalves. Two were paroled early after strenuous efforts by governments, and handed over to the care of ICT. Now all live in freedom. In this photo, six of the nuns appear at an ICT event in Amsterdam. They are from left to right: Lhundrup Zangmo, imprisoned for 9 years; Phuntsok Nyidron, imprisoned for 15 years; Rinzin Choenyi, imprisoned for 12 years; Ngawang Sangdrol, first imprisoned at age 13 and released 13 years later; Gyaltsen Drolkar, imprisoned for 12 years; and Namdrol Lhamo, imprisoned for 12 years.

: ICT’s work in Congress is the cornerstone of our advocacy in the United States. At this breakfast hosted by ICT, Senator Feinstein gave the Dalai Lama a presentation copy of the Tibetan Policy Act, of which she was a principal sponsor and which codified US programmatic and political support for Tibet.

: This photo shows an expert panel testifying on Tibet before the House International Relations Committee. From left to right are Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs and Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, Paula Dobriansky; ICT Board Chairman, Richard Gere; and Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and ICT Executive Board Chairman, Lodi Gyari. Under Secretary Dobriansky was the third Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues and the longest serving, serving in the position throughout the 8 years of the Bush Administration. The responsibilities of the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues are mandated by the Tibetan Policy Act.

: The Dalai Lama emerges from the US Capitol Rotunda after receiving the Congressional Gold Medal and greets the more than 10,000 people on the West Lawn who had gathered to watch a big-screen broadcast of the ceremony.

: ICT and its supporters celebrate the bestowing of the Congressional Gold Medal, the US Congress’ highest civilian commendation, on His Holiness the Dalai Lama. ICT and its American supporters reached out to their Members of Congress in support of the initiative, which by law requires two-thirds sponsorship of both the House and Senate before consideration. In this photo, the Dalai Lama thanks those gathered for their efforts on behalf of the Tibetan people.

: The European Parliament is an important target for ICT advocacy. In this photo, Members vote to support the passage of a European Parliament resolution on the situation in Tibet, the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising, and the negotiations between the People’s Republic of China and the envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

: In this photo, EU Policy Director Vincent Metten speaks to a reporter during the 7th International Conference of Tibet Support Groups. ICT expertise has an important role in the Tibet movement, including in guiding discussions on government advocacy efforts around the world.

: The Rome convention, sponsored by the Tibetan Parliament in Exile and the International Campaign for Tibet, was attended by 133 Parliamentarians and associates from 30 Parliaments around the world. It produced The Rome Declaration on Tibet, and a formal International Network of Parliamentarians for Tibet to which ICT serves provisionally as Secretariat. For information »

: In 2007, ICT in Germany raised almost a million Euros through the RTL telethon to support Tibetan refugee children. In this photo, ICT President Mary Beth Markey and ICT Germany Executive Director Kai Muller visit the TCV in Suja where several of the projects made possible through the RTL telethon are located.

: The Light of Truth is awarded by ICT to individuals and institutions that have made significant contributions to the public understanding of Tibet. Chinese writer and social theorist Wang Lixiong has written extensively about Chinese society and its future. In March 2008, Wang co-authored and disseminated a petition calling on the Chinese authorities to exercise restraint and caution in their response to a wave of protests that swept across Tibet that year. Wang received the award on behalf of all the signatories to the petition, “Twelve Suggestions for Handling the Tibetan Situation.”

: The ICT US staff and Board of Directors welcome the Karmapa to the ICT headquarters. In December, 1999, the 17th Karmapa made a dramatic escape from his monastery in Tsurphu, north of Lhasa, arriving in Dharamsala, India soon after. He has become one of the most important and influential voices on Tibetan religious and cultural issues.

: ICT welcomes Dr. Lobsang Sangay to Washington, DC on the day after his successful campaign for the position of Kalon Tripa or political head of the Tibetan exile government (from left to right, ICT Executive Chairman Lodi Gyari, Dr. Lobsang Sangay, ICT President Mary Beth Markey, and ICT Vice President Bhuchung Tsering. For more information about the Tibetan exile government, visit www.tibet.net

: Since its founding in 1988, ICT has maintained a close working relation with the Central Tibetan Administration, reinforced by face-to-face meetings with Tibetan leaders in exile. Visits to the Tibetan settlements in India and Nepal provide important insights into the priorities of those communities which are then incorporated into our advocacy work in national capitals. For more information about Tibetan settlements in India and Nepal visit www.tcv.org.in

: Former political prisoner Ngawang Sangdrol climbs the Grand Teton on a trip to support the Rowell Fund for Tibet. The Rowell Fund provides small grants to Tibetans whose work perpetuates the goals and ideals of the late Galen and Barbara Rowell, renowned photographers and environmentalists. For more information about the Rowell Fund.

: Takna Jigme Sangpo was the longest serving Tibetan political prisoner, having spent 37 years in Lhasa’s notorious Drapchi prison. He was released on medical parole to the United States in 2002. ICT was honored to assist him upon his arrival and later resettle in Switzerland.

: Since 2009, ICT has organized a Lobby Day and training for Tibetan-Americans and their American supporters in Washington, DC. This annual event has subsequently spread to other national capitals. In this photo, Lobby Day participants in Washington send a message to those who lobbied their Members of Congress by phone, email and in their local districts. In 2012, all 435 Congressional offices received a personal visit or message from a constituent. In 2013, Lobby Day is March 18 and 19.

: On March 15, 1988, the International Campaign for Tibet was established to support the Tibetan people’s struggle for human rights and democratic freedoms. From a handful of dedicated individuals ICT has grown into an international organization empowered by the vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. This photo was taken at ICT’s first office and shows, from left to right, John Ackerly (ICT staff from 1988 and President, 1999-2009), Tenzin Chhodak, Tenzin N. Tethong (ICT President, 1988-1990), Michele Bohana (ICT Director, 1988-1991), Mac McCoy, Tsering Tashi, and Dr. Warren Smith.

: The Congressional Gold Medal is the US Congress’ highest civilian commendation. From left to right, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (seen partially), First Lady of the United States Laura Bush, the Dalai Lama, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate President pro tempore Robert Byrd, and US President George W. Bush. This was the first time a sitting US President appeared publically with the Dalai Lama. You can watch the full ceremony here and here.

: It has been ICT’s great honor to assist in the visits of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Washington, DC. On this occasion, ICT had arranged for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to introduce the Dalai Lama at his public talk, and ICT President Mary Beth Markey had the distinct privilege of introducing Speaker Pelosi herself to a crowd of 16,000 people who came to hear the Dalai Lama speak on “The Benefits of a Calm Mind.” This public talk of His Holiness’ was co-hosted by ICT and The Mind and Life Institute.

: President Bush met with the Dalai Lama four times during his presidency, and their friendship continues. Since 1991, the International Campaign for Tibet has assisted with the Dalai Lama’s visits to Washington, DC and hosted him for official meetings. To learn more about the presidential meetings, see ICT: US Presidential Statements on meetings with the Dalai Lama, 1991-2011.

: Barack Obama first met the Dalai Lama when he was a US Senator, and they have met twice in the White House. In September 2009, President Obama sent his Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett to Dharamsala, India, to personally deliver an invitation to meet after the President’s November 2009 trip to China. Since 1991, the International Campaign for Tibet has assisted with the Dalai Lama’s visits to Washington, DC and hosted him for official meetings. To learn more about the presidential meetings, see ICT: US Presidential Statements on meetings with the Dalai Lama, 1991-2011.

: The Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues is a senior position at the State Department tasked with coordinating US programmatic support for the Tibetan people and helping to establish a dialogue between the Chinese government and His Holiness the Dalai Lama or his representatives. Three of the past serving Special Coordinators are shown here at a reception in the Senate with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lodi Gyari. From left to right, Lodi Gyari, Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and ICT Executive Chairman; Gregory Craig, Director of Policy Planning and Tibet Coordinator (1997-1998); Julia Taft, Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees and Migration and Tibet Coordinator (1999-2000); Paula Dobriansky, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs and Tibet Coordinator (2001-2008).

: The Tibetan Youth Leadership Program (TYLP) in Washington is designed to motivate and train young Tibetans to become effective leaders within the Tibetan community by providing meaningful exposure to the US political process and the discourse around foreign policy in the American capital. The TYLP aims to develop young leaders who will convert their convictions into activism even as they pursue academic and professional success. Although the Washington program is specifically geared to meet the need to carry the Tibet movement forward in the United States, the TYLP is a starting point for greater involvement as knowledgeable and responsible actors within the Tibetan community worldwide. The 2013 Tibetan Youth Leadership Program will be held this June, learn more here »