This week a group of determined Tibetans and Tibet activists from six countries in Europe participated in the Tibetan Empowerment Days. The event, organized by the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) from September 23-26, brought together 12 Tibetans and Tibet activists from six European countries – Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands – to Brussels.
Participants engaged with 15 EU policymakers and their representatives, shared their stories and pushed for stronger support for Tibet within European institutions. They urged their representatives in the European Parliament for the re-establishment of the Tibet Intergroup and appealed for stronger support for Tibet at the European Union level.
ICT’s EU Policy Director Vincent Metten said: “Tibetan Empowerment Days are an excellent opportunity not only to train and empower young Tibetans to become effective advocates for Tibet, but also to raise awareness about the critical situation in Tibet within the new European Parliament following the 2024 European election. As the human rights situation inside Tibet deteriorates at an alarming pace, it is crucial that Tibet remains on the European political agenda and that Members of the European Parliament take new initiatives in support of the Tibetan people.”
This year’s edition of the Tibetan Empowerment Days was a direct follow-up to the EU4Tibet campaign – during which over 100 European elections candidates signed a “Pledge for Tibet” committing to support the Tibetan people in the European Parliament if elected – and focused on transforming those pledges into concrete actions. One key recommendation that participants passed on to their representatives was the need for the re-establishment of the European Parliament’s Tibet Intergroup, which has historically played a pivotal role in keeping Tibet on the European agenda.
The four-day program began with a comprehensive training on EU-China policies, recent developments in Tibet as well as advocacy and communication techniques. Participants then had the opportunity to meet with dozens of Members of the European Parliament from different political groups to raise awareness about the alarming situation in Tibet and appeal for EU action on issues such as transnational repression, Chinese government’s interferences in the succession of Tibetan Buddhist leaders, the environmental degradation on the Tibetan plateau as well as China’s increasing interferences in Europe. Participants also engaged in discussions with an official from the European External Action Service (EEAS) and with representatives from NGOs working on China – including Amnesty International and the World Uyghur Congress.
The Executive Director of the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, Ms. Tenzin Dawa, also participated in the meetings to present her organization’s latest report on China’s transnational repression of Tibetans.
The event was supported by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy as well as the Office of Tibet in Brussels.
