Tibetan Americans, US Congress celebrate Tibet Lobby Day, Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday
Tibetan Americans, US Congress celebrate Tibet Lobby Day, Dalai Lama's 90th birthday
Washington DC [US], June 28 (ANI): Hundreds of supporters of Tibet convened at the Capitol this week to make their voice heard about Tibet to their elected leaders, just ahead of the 90th birthday of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on July 6, 2025. According to International Campaign to Tibet (ICT), Tibet Lobby Day provided more than 200 representatives of 25 states and the District of Columbia with the opportunity to visit over 100 congressional offices.
The event of this year ended with a celebratory opening of the 90th birthday of the Dalai Lama, co-operated by Congressmen Michael McCaul and Jim McGovern and attended by the Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis and Congressman Michael Baumgartner. The presenters according to ICT were other organisers, The Office of Tibet, through Namgyal Choedup, The Capitol Area Tibetan Association and the ICT Chairman Richard Gere who took part through video.
In one of our conversations, [His Holiness] said: I will never be born again in China. I will be reborn in freedom.' It is an unbelievably deep statement, which Congressman Michael McCaul said in his birthday message. I questioned him, "Do you hate the Chinese people? He responded, 'I cannot allow bad feelings to weigh down my soul. ICT states that even though the CCP may remove your land, they cannot remove your culture and spirit as he has taught us.
Congressman Jim McGovern added, "The Dalai Lama has been my inspiration; the patience and charity he exhibits as a person has been an inspiration to me. As someone who has grown up in the Catholic faith, I have been inspired by his leadership in the spiritual front and as a Congressman, I have been inspired by his leadership in the national front, bringing out of the darkness of his constituents towards a brighter future. His Holiness motivates millions of people, his religious teachings on religious tolerance, non-violence and peace-making, and his message of freedom and dignity of Tibetan people. To-morrow, we will invite him to celebrations with his birthday in Lhasa, Tibet, the next year."
According to Tencho Gyatso President, "I am extremely grateful to our Congressional supporters and the hundreds of grassroots activists. I thank those of you who have found time off your hectic schedules to renew your commitment to this Tibetan cause, to the oppressed in Tibet and a glorification of His Holiness the Dalai Lama who has attained the age of 90. This would not have been such a success without the dedication of these fervent people, activists and congressmen."
The kind feelings of Senator Todd Young of Indiana were expressed when the Senator said, "The Dalai Lama has been a promoter of peace, respect and understanding throughout his lifetime. It is my honor to be beside the Dalai Lama and the people of Tibet in their fight of freedom and peace against the continuous aggression by the Chinese Communist Party. The situation that is present in Tibet and elsewhere is intolerable."
This event was a part of both the Year of Compassion program by the CTA and the Compassion Rising program by ICT to work towards uniting communities all over the world to celebrate the birthday of the Dalai Lama by bringing together advocates, congressional representatives, and other supporters in the DC region to share their stories and experiences. This is happening in the wake of the recent Tribeca Festival in New York City of Kundun.
Tibet Lobby Day is a yearly gathering coordinated by ICT that brings together Tibetan Americans and the friends of Tibet in Washington, DC to have an audience with their Senators, Representatives, and Congressional staff. This is an event that enables the Tibetan Americans and other proponents to interact with their congressional representatives at a very personal level with the aim of putting forward their views, opinions and dreams with a demand of a practical response to Tibet as brought out in the ICT report.
This immediately took its toll, with four new co-sponsors to the resolution in the Senate and six in the House coming by the conclusion of Lobby Day and more expected to come. According to the ICT statement, ICT President Tencho Gyatso said: "We are very grateful to all the advocates who attended Tibet Lobby Day and without them, all that would not have been possible." (ANI)
