With the Dalai Lama now an old man—he is one of the most revered leaders of civil disobedience since Gandhi—and China declaring that it will determine the identity of his successor, the peaceful and violent protests of the past days may be Tibet’s last, best chance to win some measure of the basic human rights we Americans hold so dear—religious liberty, basic political rights.
~ele ed-in-chief, Waylon H. Lewis

After decades of repression under Chinese rule, the Tibetan people’s frustrations have burst onto the streets in protests and riots. With the spotlight of the upcoming Olympic Games now on China, Tibetans are crying out to the world for change. The Chinese government has said that the protesters who have not yet surrendered “will be punished”. Its leaders are right now considering a crucial choice between escalating brutality or dialogue that could determine the future of Tibet, and China.

We can affect this historic choice–China does care about its international reputation. China’s President Hu Jintao needs to hear that the ‘Made in China’ brand and the upcoming Olympics in Beijing can succeed only if he makes the right choice. But it will take an avalanche of global people power to get his attention–and we need it in the next 48 hours. The Tibetan Nobel peace prize winner and spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama has called for restraint and dialogue: he needs the world’s people to support him. Click here now to sign the petition–our goal is 1 million voices united for Tibet:

China’s economy is totally dependent on “Made in China” exports that we all buy, and the government is keen to make the Olympics in Beijing this summer a celebration of a new China, respected as a leading world power. We will deliver our petition directly to Chinese officials in London, New York, and Beijing, but it must be a massive number before we deliver the petition. Please forward this email to your address book. The Tibetan people have suffered quietly for decades. It is finally their moment to speak–we must help them be heard.

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