Episodes

Rima Fujita is a fine artist and a descendant of Japan’s last samurai whose creative aesthetic was strongly influenced by both Bushido and Buddhism. Her work has been exhibited internationally to wide acclaim, but Rima’s life passion also lies in her philanthropic efforts. In 2001, she established Books for Children, an organization that creates children’s books and donates them to Tibetan refugees. Rima has created six picture books, two of them in collaboration with Tibetan communities in exil...

The US has a new special coordinator for Tibetan issues! On Dec. 20, 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the appointment of Under Secretary Uzra Zeya to this important role. As the special coordinator, Zeya will serve as the Biden administration’s point person on efforts to help resolve the Tibetan issue, promote Tibetan identity, protect Tibetan culture and heritage, and support the human rights of the Tibetan people. In this special conversation, ICT’s Interim President Bhuchung...

Have you come across the terms “common prosperity,” “ecological civilization” or “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble?” Tibetans in Tibet have been bombarded with such slogans every day of their lives over more than 60 years of Beijing’s rule in Tibet. However, China’s slogans are new to the global community. Many find them intriguing; some dismiss them as mere propaganda. We think it’s time to audit the slogans. In this Tibet Talk, we invite Australia-based veteran Tibet observer Gabriel ...

As daunting as the climate challenge is, it’s important to know what we’re trying to conserve—and it’s vital to find the inspiration to do so. In this episode of Tibet Talks, we have the perfect guest to help with that. Michael Buckley is the editor of the new book, “This Fragile Planet,” a collection of 80 inspiring quotes about the environment from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, matched with 120 eye-catching photos and visuals from a dozen professional photographers. In this conversation, Micha...

In 1991, the US Congress passed the Tibetan Immigration Act of 1990, which provided 1,000 immigrant visas for natives of Tibet in India or Nepal. As a result of this one act, we now have thriving Tibetan American communities in more than 27 states across the country. They are established as part of the fabric of American society, contributing to its wellbeing, but also knowing well the plight of their homeland and carrying the teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in their daily lives. In th...

Join us for this special ask-me-anything edition of Tibet Talks! Three of our leaders—Bhuchung K. Tsering, interim president of ICT, Kai Mueller, executive director of ICT Germany, and Vincent Metten, ICT’s EU policy director—kick off the show with updates from their offices. Then they answer questions from ICT members and Tibet supporters across the globe. (This was truly a multinational event, as Bhuchung spoke live from Washington, DC; Kai was in Berlin; and Vincent was in Brussels.) Througho...

Penpa Dorje and Jose Cabezon are the authors of Sera Monastery, a definitive history of one of Tibet’s greatest monastic universities, located just north of the Tibetan capital, Lhasa. Founded in 1419, Sera Monastery was one of three great seats of learning in the Geluk tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, at one time holding more than 9,000 monks from across the Tibetan Buddhist world. Along the way, Sera also played an important role in Tibetan religion, culture, and politics. Today, Sera monastery ...

The new book “Tibet Brief 20/20” by Michael van Walt van Praag and Miek Boltjes is a call to action for governments to rethink their stance on Tibet. Based on 10 years of collaborative research, analysis and engagement with scholars of Chinese, Mongolian, Tibetan and Manchu historical sources, the book presents an in-depth examination of Tibet’s historical relations with the dominant empires in the region. That’s important today, because the People’s Republic of China continues to base its entit...

Scott DeLisi spent 35 years as an American diplomat, including US Ambassador to Eritrea, Uganda and Nepal. He says Nepal touched his heart more than any other assignment. It’s also where he had a serendipitous meeting with a small blue-eyed Tibetan mastiff puppy in the ancient region of Lo-Monthang on Nepal’s border with Tibet. DeLisi then collaborated with ICT member and award-winning American artist Jane Lillian Vance to create a beautiful illustrated book called “The Ambassador’s Dog.” In thi...

Blessed by the Dalai Lama himself, Tenzin Geyche Tethong’s new biography of His Holiness features previously unpublished photos and unparalleled insights into the Dalai Lama’s leadership, compassion and gentle humor. Born in 1943 in Lhasa, Tethong first joined the Tibetan administrative service in the early 1960s and served in the Private Office of the Dalai Lama until 2007. In this discussion, Tethong tells us about his book, “His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama: An Illustrated Biography,” a...

Tibetans in exile have a borderless democratic governance system. In over 30 countries, they go to the polls every five years to elect the sikyong, their political leader, and the 45 members of their parliament in exile. Tibetans have a two-stage election system, the primary one to determine candidates, followed by the main elections. This year, the primary elections took place on Jan. 3, 2021, and the final elections on April 11. In this two-part conversation, you’ll hear about this Tibetan dem...

Although he’s a first-term member of Congress, Rep. Andy Levin, D-Mich., is a longtime friend of Tibet. From studying at the Central Institute for Higher Tibetan Studies in India, to visiting Tibet, to interviewing the Dalai Lama, Levin uses his past experience to forge a new path of support for Tibet on Capitol Hill. This conversation is part of ICT’s Tibet 2020 campaign to tell the candidates for office why Tibet matters this election year. Join the campaign at www.https://savetibet.org/tibet-...