Message from Executive Officer
Tashi Delek!
Australia Tibet Council is a community of Australians that has relentlessly joined the people of Tibet in our struggle for freedom and justice. As a Tibetan, I am inspired by the passion and generosity of our supporters. Thank you. It has been an honour to be given the opportunity to lead this incredible community.
Today I am delighted to ask you to join us in our new phase of work for Tibet.
The challenges in front of us are enormous. But I am also excited by the opportunities we have. It is in this spirit I write my first message to you.
2018 is an exciting year for you and me. We are celebrating 30 years of Australians standing up for Tibet. The recent change in our organisation’s leadership after three decades is an opportunity for renewal. Together we have the chance to write a new chapter for the Tibet movement in Australia.
We are aiming to raise $100,000 in the next six weeks. Let me explain why we are doing this.
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Firstly, we have big plans in 2018 and beyond. We will educate the next generation of Australians about Tibet, challenge institutions and businesses kowtowing to China, amplify the Tibetan voices and ramp up the pressure to break our government’s decade-long silence on Tibet.
Our ambitious campaign plan matches our ambitious fundraising goal.
As a movement, we have seen better days. It’s time to bring the global focus back to Tibet.
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Secondly, ATC is an organisation with a big vision for Tibet. But the reality is also that ATC is fighting for its life. Our financial situation is dire. As of today, I am the only staff member. Raising a big chunk of money now would allow us to focus on getting our vital work done for the rest of the year.
These are challenging times indeed. Governments, businesses and institutions in Australia and the free world are increasingly held hostage to Chinese money.
But it is also an exciting time for our movement. We have new opportunities to put pressure on our government, and new avenues to challenge the Chinese government. We have new technologies at our disposal. Most importantly, the Tibetans are refusing to give up. We are a resilient people. Under the spiritual leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, our spirits are as strong as ever.
There is no better way to end my message with a quote sitting at my desk.
The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.
I know I can count on your continuing support to ATC and the Tibetan people. Together we will see a free Tibet.
Onwards
Kyinzom Dhongdue
P.S. You can use the form below to make a donation to our Time for Tibet appeal now, or use the menu at the top right to keep exploring ATC’s exciting campaigns for 2018. Many thanks!
Climate Action for Tibet
Tibet is at the forefront of global climate change. The people of Tibet are witnessing their world disappear in front of their eyes – the glaciers on the mountains are melting, the grasslands are turning into deserts and their traditional nomadic life is being wiped out. China’s rampant damming on the Tibetan rivers and mining of natural resources is causing irreparable damage to Tibet’s fragile environment.
As the Roof of the World and source of Asia’s great rivers, what happens on the Tibetan plateau matters to the entire world.
The Climate Action for Tibet campaign will hold China accountable for its destructive environmental policies and highlight the global importance of Tibet’s environment.
Your donation will help us:
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Bring a Tibetan environmentalist to Australia to speak on the urgent need of protecting Tibet’s environment, not only for Tibetan people but the whole world.
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Help us organise strategic events on World Environment Day and during UN climate summits to call for climate action for the Roof of the World.
Estimated budget: $15,300
Amplify Tibetan Voice
China is silencing Tibetan voices in Tibet and on the global stage. Prisons in Tibet are filled with people who have simply expressed their desire for freedom such as waving a Tibetan flag, calling for the return of the Dalai Lama, writing a political blog or even talking to friends and families overseas and sharing information about events in Tibet.
Globally, China is bullying institutions not to offer a platform for Tibetan voices. The list of institutions kowtowing to Chinese pressure is growing by the day.
A quote by a Tibetan living in Australia:
“I have left Tibet, but I continue to live in fear. If I speak out for my people inside Tibet, I am afraid of my family. If I don’t speak out, I feel guilty of not using my democratic rights in a free country.”
Our job is to amplify the Tibetan voice at every opportunity.
Your donations will help us:
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Train 12 Tibetan-Australians to become effective advocates for Tibet and lead the Tibet Lobby Day this year.
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Empower Tibetan former political prisoners living in Australia to share their stories with the media and the public.
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Launch campaigns for the release of political prisoners in Tibet who have paid a hefty price for merely speaking out on China’s policies.
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Allow us to bring extra hands on deck to accomplish our campaign goals. We have only one staff member right now.
Estimated budget: $20,000
Use the form below to make a donation to help us Amplify Tibetan Voices and to support all ATC’s exciting campaigns for 2018.
Freedom Not For Sale
In 2017, we made an impact on the national debate on China’s growing influence in Australia. We showed that China’s infiltration into Australian politics and education is not only a threat to the Tibet movement, but also to our democratic values.
Our Freedom Not For Sale campaign will call on our government, universities and businesses not to compromise on their values and reject China’s bullying tactics.
Your donation will help us:
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Launch a hard-hitting campaign to shut down Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms, a propaganda outfit of the Chinese Communist Party embedded within our universities and schools. These institutes, underwritten by the Chinese government and purportedly teaching Chinese language and culture, are designed to push China’s interests overseas and control the discourse on issues including Tibet. They threaten the academic freedom with our educational institutions by censoring discussions on human rights and other important topics.
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Lobby local governments to support the Tibetan communities across Australia and fly Tibet’s national flag on significant political anniversaries.
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Give us the reactive capacity to campaign against businesses promoting China’s views on Tibet for their economic gains.
Estimated budget: $20,000
Use the form below to make a donation to support our Freedom Not For Sale campaign and all ATC’s exciting initiatives for 2018.
Stand Up for Tibet
The Australian government has not made a single public statement on Tibet for the best part of the last decade. No Australian Prime Minister has met the Dalai Lama during this period.
We are determined to ramp up the pressure and ensure that Tibet and human rights become an essential part of Australia’s relationship with China.
Your donation will help us:
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Organise over 100 meetings with politicians this year and ensure our leaders take a bold stand on Tibet and speak out at every opportunity.
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Work to secure Reciprocal Access to Tibet for Australian politicians, journalists and citizens to travel to Tibet and see for themselves the human rights abuses.
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Give us the reactive capacity to respond to developments inside Tibet and opportunities as they arise.
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Allow us to bring extra hands on deck to accomplish our advocacy goals. We have only one staff member right now.
Estimated budget: $18,000
Use the form below to make a donation to help pressure the Australian Government to Stand Up For Tibet and to support all ATC’s exciting campaigns for 2018.
Tibet 101
How much does the world know about Tibet today? This is a critical question facing us as a movement. And we want to address this.
The global Tibet movement was born out of a deep awakening by the public in the late 1980s. Organisations like Australia Tibet Council came into existence during this period. But then, a whole new generation was born with limited exposure to the Tibet story. China’s increasing censorship and propaganda in recent years have meant there is a whole new generation with little knowledge of Tibet. Worse still, they are exposed to China’s version of the Tibet story.
A survey undertaken by the Free Tibet group last year to assess public awareness about China’s occupation of Tibet revealed an alarming trend. Understanding of Tibet is declining, and those under the age of 30 are far less aware than those above 50.
Our new Tibet 101 program is about educating young people in Australia and around the world about the importance of Tibet, the human rights situation and the threats to Tibetan culture, environment and way of life as a result of China’s occupation. And equally important, Tibet 101 is about sharing the values that Tibet embodies – peace, compassion and justice. Values that are important now more than ever.
Your donation will help us:
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Produce the most compelling information on Tibet for a whole new generation. We will create powerful videos and educational materials to share widely.
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Speak at events across the country, organise public talks, attend music festivals, print brochures and reach out to thousands of Australians and show why Tibet matters in our increasingly connected world.
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Build a new, user-friendly website that will allow our supporters to get involved in our movement. It will also be a more secure website. As an organisation working on Tibet, we are regularly targeted by cyber attacks by Chinese hackers.
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Build a dynamic presence on social media to share our compelling information about Tibet with thousands of Australians and people around the world.
Estimated budget: $26,700
Use the form below to make a donation to support our new Tibet 101 program and all ATC’s exciting campaigns for 2018.
