July 6, 2004: In celebration of the 69th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Feasts were given in our honour, every gonpo was open to us, monkish blasts on colossal horns brayed out welcomes, and while nothing could exceed the helpfulness and alacrity of kindness shown by all, there was not a thought or suggestion of backsheesh. The men of the villages always sat by our camp-fires at night, friendly and jolly, but never obtrusive, telling stories, discussing local news and the oppressions exercised by the Kashmiri officials, the designs of Russia, the advance of the Central Asian Railway, and what they consider as the weakness of the Indian Government in not annexing the provinces of the northern frontier. Many of their ideas and feelings are akin to ours, and a mutual understanding is not only possible, but inevitable.

Isabella L. Bird, 1894
Among the Tibetans from Project Gutenberg.

Friends of Tibet (INDIA) is an effort by individuals from all over the world to spread awareness about the unique cultural and religious identity of the Tibetan people. Friends of Tibet (INDIA) began with one member in 1999. Today, the organization includes more than 3,400 members from all over the world.

VolunteerTibet is a volunteer referral service that quickly and efficiently connects organizations of the Tibetan community with skilled volunteers. VolunteerTibet officially launched its service on December 10th, 2002, commemorating the date His Holiness the Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize, and currently works with non-profit and government Tibetan organizations in India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet.

The Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) is a Tibetan non-governmental organization (NGO) that investigates the human rights situation in Tibet and presents this information internationally in various forms. They also organize educational programs and promote the principles of democracy within the Tibetan community. TCHRD, founded in 1996, is the first Tibetan NGO to be formed with the goal of protecting and promoting the human rights of the Tibetan people.

The Press Club of Tibet was founded in 1997 with the aim to strengthen and mobilize the journalistic skills of the members focusing on the Tibetan freedom struggle. It was founded by a handful of Tibetan journalists based in Dharamsala, northern India, where the Tibetan government-in-exile headed by the Dalai Lama is headquartered. The club oversees the needs of the Tibetan journalists, organizes workshops and seminars, and protects the democratic right of freedom of speech.

Since the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1949, the school system has been dramatically changed. Hundreds of monasteries have been destroyed, leaving entire communities and thousands of students without the means of an education. The Chinese education system requires students to learn Chinese as their first language leaving Tibetans with little education in their own language. The resettling of the Chinese people in Tibet has left Tibetans as a minority in their own country. The Tibet Multi-Education Centre (MEC) is a non-profit educational centre for Tibetans-in-exile in Dharamsala, India. They aim to provide free, quality education to newly arrived Tibetans and others in the community. The MEC currently provides classes in several languages, a research and publication centre, and runs a restaurant and hotel to support needy students.

Sockpa Kangtsen is a hostel for monks at Gaden Monastic University which has been reestablished in South India. The Kangtsen is part of Shartse College one of the two colleges at Gaden. At present there are over 120 monks at Sockpa Kangtsen. Almost all of these monks originate from the North Eastern-Amdo region of Tibet closely associated with the lineage of Achok Rinpoche and Achok Tseney Monastery. At Gaden, Sockpa students are generally well known for their dedication to studies and interests in scholarly works.