Ways To Help Tibet

Please Also visit our ACTION page for current information on helping Tibet.

1.  Give a prisoner hope

Chinese prison officials in Lhasa report that they receive many letters of concern for Tibetan prisoners. Your letters get through. This  can make a tremendous impact in improving conditions, preventing or lessening torture, and leading to an early release of some prisoners.   Gendun Rinchen, a tour guide who was released after eight months without being tortured, is living proof. Chinese officials received thousands of letters in his support.  

Watch for urgent prisoner appeals in Tibetan support group newsletters, SFOT's email campaigns, the International Campaign for Tibet's email campaigns Students for a Free Tibet' campaigns. Listen to radio and internet broadcasts such as the Tibetan Radio Hour on KVMR.org, the Tibet World Service on Open Mind Radio, NPR stations or contact Amnesty International.

2.  Support a nun in exile

Tibetan nuns are at the forefront of the demonstrations for Tibetan independence in Lhasa despite the fact that they face brutal torture in prison. Once released, they are often forbidden to return to their nunneries, and many end up fleeing to India for refuge. In India, the nunneries are overcrowded and desperately need funds for books, clothes, and general support. The Tibetan Nuns Project is actively working to bring in much-needed contributions. One may also sponsor a nun directly from a nunneries website at www.gendenchoelingnunnery.org, www.jangchubchoelingnunnery.org or www.jamchoe.org

3.  Support a monk in exile

4.  Travel wisely

 China tries to use tourism in Tibet to legitimize rule there, showcasing selected sites to imply that Tibetans are content. Most tourist dollars, particularly on group tours, go to Chinese pockets and do little to help poor Tibetan communities. If you travel in a group, be sure the company uses Tibetan guides and patronizes Tibetan businesses. Educate yourself about Tibet before you go by reading Victor Chan's "Tibet Handbook:  A Pilgrimage". To learn more about how you can make your trip help Tibetans, and for a map and guide of Lhasa that explains what Chinese tour guides will try to hide, contact the International Campaign for Tibet.

5.  Tell Congress or the President what you think

Congress funds a Tibetan-language Voice of America broadcast that is now the most popular news source in Tibet;  they provide annual assistance for Tibetan refugees in India and Nepal; they also maintain a policy that Tibet is an occupied nation under foreign rule.

For more information about congressional initiatives, contact the International Campaign for Tibet at (202) 785-1515 or visit their website at http://www.savetibet.org

Write your elected officials about Tibet:

For a complete list and to find your representative by your Zip Code

Find Representatives Click Here

Write to President elect Barak Obama and tell him your feelings about Tibet. Let Hillary Clinton know we are waiting and listening for her to speak up on Tibet.

6. Join A Local and International Tibetan Support Groups

Sierra Friends of Tibet and Placerville Friends of Tibet are small groups in the Sierra Nevada foothills. They are grass roots organizations which hosts cultural and educational events. The International Campaign for Tibet works globally on behalf of the Tibetan people. Visit www.savetibet.org

7. Donate as a gift in someone's name instead of buying gifts

8. Provide Computers and Training to Tibetan Refugees. Send a nun to computer school or sponsor a nunnery's website.

Tibetech.org is a non profit organization founded by members of Sierra Friends of Tibet, which seeks to preserve the fragile Tibetan culture by and advance technology in the Tibetan Refugee Community.

9.  Boycott Chinese goods.