Bring Tibet to the 2008 Games: Support Team Tibet

In August 2008, the eyes of the world will be focused on China, as Beijing hosts the 2008 Olympic Games. The Olympics give the Chinese government an opportunity to whitewash its rule in Tibet and its human rights violations against its own people as it tries to gain international credibility as a leading global power. But it also offers the Tibet movement one of the most powerful opportunities we have ever had to tell the truth about the situation in Tibet and to press for real change.

From now to August 2008, the Tibet movement has an extraordinary opportunity to use the global interest in the Olympics to focus attention on the realities of occupied Tibet today and build pressure on the Chinese leadership. By using the platform of the Olympic Games, the international Tibet movement can create unprecedented pressure on the Chinese government to engage the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile to resolve the occupation of Tibet, fundamentally changing the political and human rights conditions in Tibet.

The campaign offers Tibet Groups opportunities to lead and participate in coordinated global action. At the same time, activities are flexible and rely on individual groups for creativity and innovation in each region. There are four main initiatives around which Tibet Groups can coordinate: Team Tibet, the One Year Countdown, the Torch Relay, and Public Engagement Activities. Each of these is intended to act as a tool for outreach and awareness-raising - to the general public, to high-profile athletes or celebrities, and to the media. Through creative, coordinated, and well-publicized activities, we can insert the Tibetan issue into press coverage of the Beijing Games, build global support for a resolution of the occupation of Tibet, and create meaningful pressure on the Chinese government. The Olympic Games are a once-in a lifetime opportunity to create change for Tibet. Help make it happen.

For further information on the campaign and contact details, please visit the ITSN Olympics Campaign website.

ITSN member organizations can download the ITSN Olympics Campaign Plan, campaign logos and banners, and Team Tibet material and designs from the members worksite.

Forbidden Team

'The Forbidden Team', a film about the Tibetan National Football Team, is a powerful outreach tool for the Olympics campaign because this moving story is symbolic of the Tibetans' struggle to keep their identity alive in the face of aggressive Chinese opposition and it's about one of the world's favourite athletic events - football (soccer)!

The film tells 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 recognized 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.

Further information on film is available from the The Forbidden Team website.

The film is available in DVD format for ITSN members for non-commercial screenings. Further information on conditions for screenings and other materials such as a how-to guide for holding a screening event, a fact sheet including discussion points on the film and the Olympics campaign, and more is available in the Forbidden Team Screening Kit available for download from the ITSN members worksite.