This Wednesday, October 17th, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be presented with a Congressional Gold Medal in Washington.

You can register to watch this historic event live by going to http://ict.convio.net/site/PageServer?pagename=DLDC_webcast_English

The webcast will begin at 11.00am Washington time (1.00am Thursday morning Australian Eastern Time), with the awards ceremony itself commencing two hours later.

The Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honour that the US legislature can bestow, may be the most significant international tribute to the Dalai Lama since he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.

All over the world, Tibet support groups and Tibetan communities in exile will be celebrating this momentous occasion and using the opportunity to strengthen calls for real improvements in Tibet and sincere dialogue between Chinese authorities and the Dalai Lama.

The award, bestowed for the Dalai Lama’s ‘many enduring and outstanding contributions to peace, non-violence, human rights and religious understanding’ (US Congress) will be presented by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at a ceremony in the Capitol building at which President George W. Bush and Laura Bush will be present.

This will be the first time that a US President has appeared at a public event with the Dalai Lama.

The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) has organized a huge event on the West Lawn of the Capitol building to precede and follow the ceremony. This will include a public address from His Holiness, Tibetan cultural performances and remarks by Nancy Pelosi and long-time Tibet supporter Richard Gere.

Wednesday’s ceremony comes as Chinese authorities are intensifying their smear campaign against the Dalai Lama and backsliding on human rights and basic freedoms for Tibetans. Since the Dalai Lama’s tour of Australia earlier this year there has been a brutal crackdown on dissent and religious expression in Eastern Tibet, with many arrests and increased pressure on Tibetans to denounce the Dalai Lama.

The coming year may be crucial to the future of Tibet. The enormous attention on China in the run up to the Olympics in Beijing next August provides an unprecedented opportunity to hold China to account for its ongoing human rights abuses, an opportunity strengthened further by America’s powerful endorsement of the Dalai Lama this week.

Help ATC and the international movement of Tibet supporters make the coming year a pivotal year in the struggle for a free Tibet. Keep an eye on the ATC website – www.atc.org.au - for ways you can help.

It’s Time for Tibet.