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This Saturday marks the beginning of the year 2138 in the Tibetan lunar calendar - the Year of the Iron Hare. And this year, it's more important than ever that we wish one another "Losar Tashi Delek!" - or "Wishes for an Auspicious New Year."
Here at ICT we will be celebrating Losar (the Tibetan new year) by renewing our efforts to fortify and protect Tibet's unique culture, religion and language . . . and the right of Tibetans to assert themselves within the Chinese state.
Will you join us by supporting ICT's new Private Partnership for the Sustainability of Tibetan Communities?
One positive outcome of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's life in exile has been the dissemination of the Tibetan culture around the world. But our introduction to the Tibetan people has come at a price for Tibetans who have fled their homeland.
Most long-staying Tibetan refugees live in settlements in India and Nepal, first established in the early 1960s. But these settlements were never intended to be a lasting solution for Tibetans, many of whom still dream of one day returning to Tibet with the Dalai Lama.
Unfortunately these temporary homes are crumbling now and in urgent need of our help.
That's why ICT has just created the Private Partnership for the Sustainability of Tibetan Communities to directly support these and other Tibetan communities to help ensure their cultural survival.
By donating today, you will be partnering directly with Tibetans in their settlement revitalization plans including:
- Improving clinics so that maternal-child care is assured.
- Upgrading the curriculum in schools and monasteries, and offering teacher training.
- Guiding artisans and farmers in marketing their goods, increasing their ability to earn a reliable living for themselves and their families.
- Rebuilding homes so that they are safe and sanitary.
By investing in the settlements, we can give Tibetans the hope of maintaining their identity and holding on to Tibetan traditions - including the celebration of Losar.
I hope you will join all of us at ICT as we greet this Tibetan new year with optimism. It's time for us to do what we can to enrich the lives of others and celebrate what can be.
Your support today will provide direct relief to Tibetan communities, helping them live safer, better lives as they act as guardians of a timeless culture that enriches us all.
I know my Losar will be filled this year with many reasons to celebrate - including the comfort and support of generous friends like you.
I am proud to have you as a partner in this important work, and I hope the Year of the Iron Hare will be our most effective yet.
Losar Tashi Delek!
http://action.savetibet.org/images/Mary%20Beth%20Markey%20signature.gif
Mary Beth Markey
President
P.S. Tibetan communities need good fortune in the new year. Please contribute today in support of ICT's work to help Tibetans sustain their unique religious and cultural identity. Thank you!
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