Athlete Wanted : Beijing 2008

If you are competing in Beijing and you would like to receive additional information about Tibet or ways to get further involved in during this critical time, please contact us.

Download our Athlete Wanted ad that appeared in the July 29th New York Times and submit it as a PSA to your local paper.

Some Useful Links

Learn more about Tibet [ link ]
Find Your Local Tibet Support Group [ link ]
Learn more about the history of protest at the Olympics [ link ]
A List of National Olympic Committee websites [ link ]
Human Rights Watch Releases official recommendations to Olympic Teams (July 10, 2008) [link]

Olympic Guidelines on Athlete Activism

NEWS UPDATE: The Beijing Olympic organizing committee issued a stern, nine-page document - covering 57 topics - on June 2nd. Written only in Chinese and posted on the organizers' official Web site, the guide covers everything from a ban on sleeping outdoors to the need for government permission to stage a protest. read more...

5 films you should watch

Forbidden Team (2003), Documentary, 55 minutes

Summary: The story of the formation of the Tibetan national football team and the team's efforts to play its first 'international' game against Greenland. The team is not recognised by FIFA (the football world governing body), the Chinese government attempts to block the match taking place, and because of the refugee status of the Tibetan players many of them are unable to obtain visas to travel to Greenland to play. Despite the many obstacles, the match takes place and although the Tibet team loses 4 - 1 to Greenland, the Team rejoices in the victory of overcoming intense political opposition by China and being able to play its first match.

The Cup (1999), Feature Film, 93 minutes, available on DVD from Amazon and other retailers, Tibetan with English sub-titles

A humorous story about the attempts of two young Tibetan refugees at a monastery in India to follow the soccer World Cup being played in France.

Kundun (1997: Martin Scorsese) Feature Film, 134 minutes, available on DVD from Amazon and other retailers

Summary: acclaimed "biopic" of the 14th Dalai Lama, focusing on his childhood, how he dealt with the invasion of Tibet and his eventual escape into exile. Nominated for 4 Oscars.

Fire Under the Snow (2008)

A documentary film about Buddhist monk Palden Gyatso, 33-year political prisoner, and the Tibet-China problem.

COMPASSION IN EXILE: The Story of the 14th Dalai Lama (1992: Mickey Lemle)

Those unfamiliar with the Dalai Lama will be pleasantly caught off guard by this exiled Tibetan leader's frequent laughter and ability to poke fun. His humor makes for agreeable interludes during the serious business of examining the effects of the 1950 Chinese invasion and subsequent domination of his country. Augmented with music by Philip Glass, Mickey Lemle's 55-minute documentary is an eloquent political plea for the freedom of the Tibetan people and their culture.