Despite the upheaval and tragedy of the last two months there remains a cautious optimism that 2008 may yield positive outcomes for both China and Tibet.

On 11 May China suffered its worst natural disaster in a generation. The devastating earthquake that rocked Sichuan in Western China, including the Aba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, has naturally dominated the thoughts of Chinese, Tibetans and Tibet supporters alike over the past two weeks.

After an exhausting day in Canberra on 24 April, ATC staff and volunteers were back in the office planning the next steps to take us up to and beyond the Beijing Olympics in August.

Acknowledging the differing perspective between Australia’s Chinese communities and those of Tibetans and Tibet supporters, we have refocussed our efforts towards finding common ground. We have decided to cancel the Australian leg of the Tibetan Freedom Torch Relay in favour of new initiatives to build support for the resumed Tibet-China dialogue. ATC will be co-hosting a gathering of politicians, academics and influential public figures during the Dalai Lama’s teachings in Sydney next month. In addition, we are organizing a China-Tibet youth dialogue later in the year.

Our volunteer Branches around Australia remain active in building and sustaining public awareness of the current crisis in Tibet. On 16 May ATC’s New South Wales Branch held a vigil at Circular Quay marking the anniversary of the abduction of the Panchen Lama. This week the Victorian Branch has embarked on a series of creative weekly activities in the run up to the Olympics under the title ‘Tibet Tuesday’. Volunteers in Queensland have been responding to many requests for talks in schools and workplaces.

For their first ‘Tibet Tuesday’ action volunteers in Melbourne create a mandala outside Town Hall using rice, lentils, flower petals and leaves.

The announcement in late April of plans to resume the Tibet-China dialogue was initially met with some cynicism, many regarding this as a move by China to quiet international criticism ahead of the Olympics. However ATC is working with other international Tibet support groups to find new ways to bolster the dialogue and increase the likelihood of substantive outcomes. On 15 May the Australian Senate passed a motion ensuring Australia’s continued support for the Tibet-China dialogue and urging the Government to actively monitor progress.

The Dalai Lama’s June visit to Sydney and the continuing countdown to the Beijing Olympics in August will provide valuable opportunities for increasing public and political support for Tibet. And we intend to use them. Keep an eye on the ATC website for things you can do to help.