|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Two Fires Destroy Tibetan Sweater Sellers’ Businesses
---- Urgent Appeal for Support ----
In two separate incidents on November 10, 2008 in Rajasthan and on January 1, 2009 in Andhra Pradesh, fires razed the makeshift shops of Tibetan refugee families who make their living as Sweater Sellers, completely destroying their merchandise and belongings. Seasonal sweater selling is the primary source of income for 70% of Tibetan refugees. This devastating loss has severely affected their livelihoods and jeopardized their future. 13 shops were destroyed in Andhra Pradesh and 16 were gutted in Rajasthan. The damage is estimated at $156,250. In addition to the immediate loss, Tibetan refugees buy their merchandise from Indian hosiery manufacturers, usually on credit, and are required to repay their loans towards the end of business season. This arrangement places a huge burden on the sweater sellers.
The Central Tibetan Administration has requested Tibet Fund’s help in raising the urgently needed funds for these affected families. To help please click on the link to print the Donation Form and mail your check, money card or credit card information. Kindly indicate that your donation is for the sweater sellers. Thank you so much.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 OUR MISSION
The Tibet Fund is dedicated to helping Tibetans improve their lives and preserve their distinct cultural, religious and national identity. The Tibet Fund brings urgently needed resources to the educational, cultural, health and socio-economic institutions that sustain the Tibetan way of life, language, and traditions.
The Tibet Fund’s support helps to sustain the Tibetan refugee settlements in
India
,
Nepal
and
Bhutan
and provide rehabilitation services for the thousands of new refugees who continue to arrive from
Tibet
every year. Through its Program in Tibet, the Tibet Fund partners with local NGOs in Tibet for projects that treat and prevent blindness, house and care for orphans, and provide educational opportunities for Tibetans.
OUR HISTORY
Since 1959 over 140,000 Tibetans have fled their homeland and endured great hardship to start a new life in exile. The Tibet Fund was founded under the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, to help improve the lives of these refugees and enable them to maintain their Tibetan way of life and culture. From our modest beginnings in 1981, the Tibet Fund has grown to become a primary vehicle for humanitarian assistance for the refugees.
When His Holiness the Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, the plight of the Tibetan people gained world-wide attention. This generated an increase in support for The Tibet Fund, most significantly from the US State Department's congressionally-mandated Humanitarian Assistance Grant for Tibetans.
This grant funds health care and education programs and supports reception centers in Kathmandu,
Delhi
and Dharamsala for new refugees from
Tibet
. In addition, the US State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Exchange Affairs has funded the Tibetan Scholarship Program since 1988.
This program brings Tibetan students to the
United States
for masters’ degree studies. Under The Tibet Fund’s Program in Tibet, the US State Department’s Office of Citizen Exchanges funds the Ngawang Choephel Fellowship program, which enables scholars and professionals to come from
Tibet
for continuing education and cultural exchange, and supports educational programs in
Tibet
.
The Tibet Fund works in close cooperation with the Central Tibetan Administration to develop programs to benefit Tibetans. Over the past twenty-six years, The Tibet Fund has steadily increased the amount of its funding for its programs to its present level of $5.5 million annually. In the coming years, the Tibet Fund will continue to strengthen and nurture Tibetan communities in exile, for it is within these communities that the Tibetan culture and national identity are nourished and renewed with effort and perseverance.
 OUR LOGO
The two-headed bird is a traditional motif in Tibetan thankas (religious paintings), symbolizing the Great Scholar Translators of Tibet's early history who, adept in two languages, laid the foundation for Tibetan Buddhism by translating religious texts from Sanskrit and other languages into Tibetan. We have chosen this motif as a symbol for The Tibet Fund's mission of preserving
Tibet
's unique culture and religion. The color green is the auspicious birth color of His Holiness the Dalai Lama who is our Honorary Patron and who has guided our efforts. The design was created by Mr. Losang Gyatso.
|
|
COMPASSION IN ACTION
The Tibet Fund
Celebrates 25 Years of Service
click here to view
or download (pdf format)
>>>> CLICK HERE
FOR VIDEO OF THE INTERFAITH
CEREMONY FOR PEACE IN TIBET
>>>>> CLICK HERE
FOR PHOTO GALLERY OF THE
INTERFAITH CEREMONY
FOR PEACE IN TIBET
all photos: Clark Jones
INTERFAITH CEREMONY FOR PEACE IN TIBET & JOINT STATEMENT ON
TIBET
ISSUED BY NY RELIGIOUS LEADERS
Religious leaders from Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, American Indian faiths and over 1500 supporters,including Tibetans, gathered at The Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew in
New York
for an Interfaith Prayer Ceremony for Peace in
Tibet
and offered their prayers for those who have died and those who continue to suffer as tensions escalate inside of
Tibet
. The organizers of the Interfaith Prayer Ceremony included The Congregation of B'nai Jeshurun, The Interfaith Center of New York, Jewel Heart, the Buddhist Council of New York, The Temple of Understanding, New York Open Center, The Tibet Fund and The Gere Foundation.
"We're speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves.We're talking about the violation of each Tibetan's right to religious and cultural freedom. For those who care about human rights, who care about our Tibetan brothers and sisters, who care about our Chinese brothers and sisters, it is our responsibility to speak out on behalf of those who have been denied these rights. It is an honor to join this special group of people of so many faiths and express our solidarity."
-Richard Gere, President and Founder of the Gere Foundation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
