Friends of Tibet

Founded by Sethu Das in Bombay in 1999 with just one member, Friends of Tibet (India) started its activities as an email club - informing people about the latest from the Chinese-occupied Tibet and from the Tibetan community in exile in India. The website of the organisation: www.friendsoftibet.org was inaugurated by Venerable Yeshi Togden, president of Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet, an association of former political prisoners from Tibet on March 9, 1999 at Dharamshala - the seat of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile. Soon the focus of the organisation turned to the political issues of Tibet and its impact on India and the rest of the world.

Today Friends of Tibet (India) has more than 3,900 members in India and 19 regional chapters and six international chapters. On its seventh anniversary in 2006, the organisation announced the launch of its international chapters - in Uruguay, Spain, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and United Kingdom and went ahead with forming 'Friends of Tibet: Global' - a global network of Friends of Tibet chapters directly supporting the Tibetan people's struggle for independence. Friends of Tibet survives entirely on donations from its individual members and supporters and never accept funding from governments or funding-agencies to ensure its political and financial independence.

The official mission statement of Friends of Tibet is: "Friends of Tibet is a people's movement to keep alive the issue of Tibet through direct action. Our activities are aimed at ending China's occupation of Tibet and the suffering of the Tibetan people. Friends of Tibet supports the continued struggle of the Tibetan people for independence."

Friends of Tibet (NZ) is based in Auckland with branches around the country. By joining Friends of Tibet (NZ) you can keep yourself informed of the current events in Tibet, within the exiled Tibetan refugee community and also local events in NZ that support the Tibetan cause. Friends of Tibet (NZ) has a close association with the Tibetan Children's Relief society for those interested in sponsorship.

Funds raised at local events in NZ go to helping recently arrived refugees in India and to support them through re-education, health issues and re-settlement.

See www.friends-of-tibet.org.nz