Grants >> Grantee Spotlight: Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet
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    Nearly twenty years ago, three major pro-independence demonstrations took place in Lhasa, Tibet. As a result, scores of Tibetans were imprisoned, forced to do hard labor, or seriously injured or killed by Chinese authorities. The dates of those demonstrations — September 27, 1987, October 1, 1987, and March 5, 1988 — inspired the name of NED grantee, the Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet. Gu, Chu, and Sum are the Tibetan numbers nine, ten and three, which correspond to the months of the demonstrations.

    The Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet is an association of 360 former political prisoners established in 1991 and headquartered in Dharamsala, India, which provides crucial financial, vocational and medical assistance to current and former political prisoners and their families. Gu-Chu-Sum also works to educate Tibetans who were born and raised in exile about the Tibetan struggle for human rights and to increase international awareness about ongoing human rights violations in Tibet.

    As part of its educational outreach activities in 2005, four members of Gu-Chu-Sum embarked on a 50-day tour of 24 schools for Tibetan children, most of whom were born in India. The former political prisoners taught the children about Tibet, its history, people, culture and language. Gu-Chu-Sum is also organizing a seven-day workshop on human rights and democracy for former political prisoners from Tibet, to educate them about the history and meaning of human rights and which types of political systems are most likely to protect them.

    In addition, Gu-Chu-Sum organized an exhibit of more than 200 rare photographs that document the environmental destruction that has taken place over the past 50 years in Tibet, as well as the destruction of monasteries and nunneries, the flight of the Dalai Lama in 1959, and current conditions in Tibet.

    In order to raise awareness of the plight of prisoners of conscience in Tibet, Gu-Chu-Sum's human rights researchers publish biographies of former political prisoners as well as an annual magazine called Tibetan Envoy and a bi-monthly newsletter. The bilingual Tibetan and English-language newsletter and magazine contain news about the status of political prisoners and information on Gu-Chu-Sum's activities and events.

    As long as Tibetans continue to be imprisoned for their beliefs and human rights violations in Tibet persist, the Gu-Chu-Sum Movement will continue to support those who have sacrificed to preserve Tibetan culture and rights, as well as to educate those who have never seen their homeland. * Indicates Department of State Funding Beyond NED's Annual Appropriation

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