Dharamshala: More than 100 members of the Tibet Support Groups, including former MP and prominent columnists, from 32 different countries gathered in Dharamshala at the Gangchen Kyishong for Special International Tibetan Support Groups Meeting that commences this morning, on 7 March 2026. The conference was convened by the Core Group for Tibetan Cause–India and facilitated by the Department of Information and International Relations, Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), and will run for three days until 9 March.
This Tibet Support Groups meeting was held as part of the CTA’s year-long celebration of Ghoton, the Year of Compassion, in honour of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th birth year.
The gathering commenced with a brief inaugural ceremony during which Sikyong Penpa Tsering delivered keynote speech, along with an addresses from Shri Rinchen Khando Khrimey, National Convener of the Core Group for Tibetan Cause in India, and Kalon Norzin Dolma, Department of Information and international Relations (DIIR). Richard Gere, a notable Tibet supporter and long-time friend of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who is unable to attend the conference due to unforeseen flight schedule changes, also shared a video message for the event.
The inaugural of the ceremony was began with an opening remarks from the Master of Ceremony, Karma Choeying, the Secretary of DIIR. The Secretary stated that the Department has invited “Friends, well-wishers, and supporters from all over the world to celebrate with us and refelct on the life and legacies of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Universal messages of peace, non-violence, compassion, and oneness of humanity which are timeless and their relevance are more profound then ever in today’s tumultuous world that we are living in.”
The gathering was then officially kicked of with a traditional ritual of invocation by monks of Nechung Monastery and the ceremonial lighting of lamps by Sikyong Penpa Tsering and Shri Rinchen Khando Khrimey.
Through a deeply moving video message, Richard Gere emphasised that, “We are playing a long game here and the long game is that everyone is liberated and that has been the power of this from the beginning. This is political for sure — social and cultural — but it’s also universal.”
Referring to the recent highlight of a group of Buddhist monks completing a 15-week, 2,300-mile “Walk for Peace” from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., which concluded in February 2026, he said, “I was talking about this to many and over the last days, I spoke to His Holiness about how moving it was to see fifteen or so monks walking across the America.”
He continued, “In that journey — there were no Christians, there were no Buddhists, no Muslims, there were no Jains, it was just human beings, sentient beings, trying to figure out how make a life very aware of the suffering around those.”
He further reflected that, in the last words of Gautama Buddha, according to both the Theravada and Mahayana traditions, the shared message was to “tame ours minds and work out.”
He added, “We have to find a way… from impeccable motivation and this is how we’re gonna win. It’s not gonna be this year, it’s not gonna be next year. The game is an innocent game of plan and the Tibetan paradigm, the Tibetan genius, the Tibetan experiment, is central to that which gives us the power.”
“And we are all in this together,” he concluded.
Following this, the event’s main convenor, Rinchen Khando Khrimey, delivered a welcome address, extending his sincere congratulations to Sikyong Penpa Tsering for his historic victory in the 2025–26 Tibetan general election and wishing him success in his second tenure as Sikyong.
“At the moment, the world is completely in a crisis; there is uncertainty everywhere. In spite of this, out of 37 countries where invitations have gone, I’ve been told that representatives from 32 countries have come. That too, overcoming this crisis, which demonstrates all of your will, dedication, and mission for the Tibet cause.” Therefore, he said, “I can see that the goal before us is not far—we will definitely achieve the goal.”
He stressed that a message through this international conference must reach across the world that “We are all for Tibet” until the Tibetan cause is amicably resolved. He then briefly introduced the Core Group for Tibetan Cause – India and shared how the occupation of Tibet has affected his native state of Arunachal Pradesh in India. He further offered insights into the workings and functions of the various regional Core Groups across India.
As the audience also included many members of Tibet Support Groups from other countries, he recommended stronger collaboration and increased communication among Tibetan Support Groups worldwide.
Before concluding, he emphasised that as His Holiness and the elder generation of Tibetans are gradually dwindling due to advancing age, Tibet Support Groups around the globe must encourage and inspire younger generations in their respective countries and regions to join this movement alongside the new generation of Tibetans, ensuring the continuity of the just cause of Tibet.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering began his keynote address by introducing prominent individual members as well as representatives of major NGOs working for Tibet to the gathering. He also disclosed that some members from Eastern Europe were unable to attend the conference due to airspace disruptions in the region caused by ongoing unfortunate wars.
While succinctly reflecting on the evolution of Tibet Support Groups from their formative years to the present, Sikyong expressed, “Your support has been very valuable for us,” even in countries where the number of Tibet Support Groups remains limited. “In many countries where we don’t have Tibetans, but still, with your (Tibet Support Group members) help, with your dedications, we were able to reach out to the media, we were able to reach out to the parliamentarians, foreign officers, and some we couldn’t. But we have to work towards that end.”
As Tibetans witness a growing number of Tibet Support Groups and members worldwide, Sikyong credited His Holiness and His lifelong contributions to the well-being and future of Tibet for these achievements. “The results that we bear today are the results of what His Holiness has sown over the decades.” He added that His Holiness remains the driving force behind the Tibetan freedom movement even today.
“If we pull our energies together, Tibetans and the Tibet Supporters, we can achieve anything because our fight is based on truth and justice. And we continue to follow the Middle Way Approach policy that was proposed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.” However, Sikyong added that the current Kashag has strategised to seek leverage at both ends of this policy to garner legitimacy for the mutually beneficial middle path. He therefore recommended studying the works of Michael van Walt van Praag and Hon-Shiang Lau for deeper insights.
Speaking about the Year of Compassion celebration, Sikyong briefed the gathering on the initiative’s undertakings and the major events that the Central Tibetan Administration has conceived for this year-long celebration.
Before concluding, Sikyong further shared that the Central Tibetan Administration aims to secure legislation similar to the Resolve Tibet Act in other like-minded countries, as well as statements and resolutions supporting the uninterrupted process of recognising the reincarnation of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in the future, with the support of members of Tibet Support Groups in their respective countries.
The inaugural session then concluded with a vote of thanks from Kalon Norzin Dolma, who expressed her heartfelt appreciation to all the participants, as well as to the organising team and facilitators for their efforts in making the event possible.
