PRESERVATION OF RARE
AND IMPORTANT ARCHIVES

The Oral History Department at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA) in Dharamsala is one of a very few Tibetan oral history programs in the world. In operation since 1971, LTWA has holdings of more than 20,000 hours of audiotape and 30,000 pages of transcripts of personal interviews, Tibetan cultural and Buddhist religious activities and works of His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama. In order to preserve this vast store of knowledge for future generations, The Tibet Fund helped the LTWA to transfer this treasure trove into the latest digital format. The Tibet Fund also provided special funding for the Tibet House in New Delhi to digitally photograph its paintings and ritual objects in its museum for a catalog of its collection.

The Tibet Fund welcomes donations to continue this vitally important work. For further information, please contact us at info@tibetfund.org.

PRESERVING TIBETAN LANGUAGE

Whether they are growing up in exile or remain behind in Tibet, Tibetan children are at great risk of not being able to speak and read Tibetan. As language is one of the most important aspects of identity, The Tibet Fund works to support programs that ensure the continuity of the Tibetan language.

We have provided Tibetan textbooks to Sunday Tibetan language classes established by some of the Tibetan Associations in North America and supported the publication of children’s books in Tibetan. 

In Tibet there are very limited resources for teaching Tibetan language and Tibetan language books for children are in short supply. The Tibet Fund is seeking support for publishing projects and teacher training to upgrade Tibetan language learning in schools and orphanages in Tibet.

50 YEARS IN EXILE

In 2009, Tibetans around the world are commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan diaspora, the flight into exile of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and 85,000 Tibetans following a failed popular uprising against the Chinese occupation of Tibet. The Tibet Fund is hosting "50 Years in Exile: A Celebration of Tibetan Culture," a yearlong campaign to raise awareness about the Tibetan diaspora, the refugee community’s achievements and the impact of Tibetan culture and spiritual knowledge on the global community over the past five decades. This project complements the 50th-anniversary program that was organized by the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamsala, India. 

The Tibet Fund launched www.50yearsinexile.org to promote programs and events presented by the Tibetan community and cultural, religious and academic institutions around the world. 

On May 2, 2009 we collaborated with New York's Rubin Museum of Art on Family Day Tibet!, a daylong program of cultural performances, and on May 3 we presented Wisdom & Compassion for Challenging Times, a dialogue between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Mary Robinson at Town Hall in New York City (available on YouTube or click here to view on this website). 

The Tibet Fund launched www.50yearsinexile.org to inform the public about the accomplishments of the exile community and in November 2009 will launch Thank You Tibet !, a global campaign to send messages of support and appreciation to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people for the benefits that Tibetan culture has brought to the world. To join the campaign, please go to www.thankyoutibet.org.