International Campaign for Tibet
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| Type | Non-profit |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1988 |
| Location | Washington D.C., Amsterdam, Bruxelles and Berlin |
| Website | http://www.savetibet.org |
The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) is a private non-profit advocacy group working to promote democratic freedoms for Tibetans, ensure their human rights, and protect the Tibetan culture and environment. Founded in 1988, ICT is the world's largest Tibet-related NGO, with a total membership of over 400,000 as of 2007. ICT is a member of International Federation for Human Rights.[1][2]
ICT maintains offices in Washington D.C., Amsterdam, Bruxelles and Berlin. ICT conducts the following activities:
- Monitors and reports on human rights, environmental and socio-economic conditions in Tibet;
- Advocates for Tibetans imprisoned for their political or religious beliefs;
- Works with governments to develop policies and programs to help Tibetans;
- Secures humanitarian and development assistance for Tibetans;
- Educates and mobilizes individuals and the international community to take action on behalf of Tibetans;
- Reaches out to Chinese individuals and organizations to increase mutual understanding between Chinese and Tibetans;
- Promotes self-determination for the Tibetan people through negotiations between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama.
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[edit] Funding
The organization receives some funding from the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy (NED).[3]
[edit] Celebrity Support
ICT is supported by large numbers of well-known celebrities around the world. Richard Gere is one of the most outspoken supporters of the campaign and is chairman of the Board of Directors for ICT. Paris Hilton has voiced her support for the movement and participates in various charities and benefits around New York. British comedian Russell Brand also occasionally mentions his support for the movement on his BBC Radio 2 show. Actress Sharon Stone suggested that the 2008 Sichuan earthquake may have been the result of "bad karma," because the Chinese "are not being nice to the Dalai Lama, who is a good friend of mine."[4] Observers have noted that Wenchuan County, the epicenter of the earthquake, is located in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, where ethnic Tibetans comprise over half of the population.[5] Other notable supporters include Talia Rosenbaum and Lindsay Lohan.
[edit] Light of Truth Award
Nearly annually the ICT presents the Light of Truth Award, a human rights award for persons and organizations that have publicly contributed substantially to the rise of and battle for human rights and democratic freedoms of the Tibetan people. On one occasion, in 2001, the award was presented to all the people of India, with president R. Venkataraman accepting delivery of the prize. The award has been presented since 1995 by the fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, to the recipients personally.[6] The recipients are:
- 1995: A. M. Rosenthal
- 1996: Richard Gere, Lavinia Currier, and Michael Currier
- 1997: Charlie Rose, and Claiborne Pell
- 1998: Martin Scorsese, and Melissa Mathison
- 1999: Hugh Edward Richardson, and Danielle Mitterrand
- 2000: Richard C. Blum
- 2001: The people of India, taken delivery of by R. Venkataraman
- 2002: Heinrich Harrer, and Petra Kelly
- 2003: Benjamin A. Gilman, Michele Bohana, and Robert Thurman
- 2004: Otto Graf Lambsdorff, Irmtraut Wäger, and Václav Havel
- 2005: Elie Wiesel, Carl Gershman, and Lowell Thomas, Jr.
- 2006: Hergé Foundation, and Desmond Tutu
- 2009: Julia Taft, and Wang Lixiong
- 2011: George Patterson
[edit] Notes
- ^ A Great Mountain Burned by Fire: China's Crackdown in Tibet, FIDH : "International Campaign for Tibet is a partner organisation of the FIDH".
- ^ Human Rights in China, The EU-China Human Rights Dialogue: Perspectives from NGO Representatives, China Rights Forum, No 3, 2010 "But this was only possible because ICT became a member of the FIDH"
- ^ "Democracy Projects Database". The National Endowment for Democracy. http://www.ned.org/dbtw-wpd/textbase/projects-search.htm.[dead link]
- ^ "Sharon Stone quake karma remarks spark anger in China". Agence France-Presse. 2008-05-27. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hWK2KdEFCaHcxde6-AXrexm59hfw. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
- ^ Zhang, Keen (2008-05-27). "Sharon Stone: Heart of Stone?". China Internet Information Center. http://www.china.org.cn/culture/2008-05/27/content_15500819.htm. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
- ^ Staff. "Light of Truth Awards". International Campaign for Tibet. http://www.savetibet.org/about-ict/light-truth-awards. Retrieved 2010-02-04.
