Eleven young Tibetans and Tibet supporters from across Europe gathered in Brussels last week for the 2025 edition of the Tibetan Empowerment Days, a training and advocacy program coordinated by the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), with support from the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).
The four-day event in the Belgian capital, also home to the EU’s main institutions, opened on 22 September with a one-day capacity-building workshop at ICT office, where participants – coming from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands – deepened their knowledge about the EU and its human rights policies and the current situation in Tibet. They also took part in communications exercises that strengthened their confidence in advocating for the Tibetan cause clearly and persuasively.
They then took their concerns and messages directly to policymakers through meetings with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) – in particular members of the Delegation for relations with China, the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Subcommittee on Human Rights – and of the Belgian Federal Parliament.
While receiving the advocates along with other members of the European Parliament’s Tibet Friendship Group, Vice-Chair MEP Hannes Heide lauded the group for their commitment: “Your generation carries the responsibility of keeping Tibet’s culture, identity, and struggle for human rights alive. Your voices inspire us and remind Europe why standing with Tibet is so important.”
In their meetings, participants thanked the European Parliament for its long-time support for Tibet and put forward concrete recommendations to policymakers on ways in which it could do more for Tibetans’ rights, culture and language — currently under severe threat under China’s assimilationist policies, such as the colonial boarding school system and closure of private Tibetan language schools. Welcoming the recently adopted resolution on religious freedom in Tibet, they urged the European Parliament to go further, and to press the EU and its Member States to impose targeted sanctions on Chinese officials responsible for interference in the succession of the Dalai Lama.
Participants also raised concerns about China’s campaign of transnational repression against the Tibetan diaspora in Europe. They also encouraged the European Parliament to address Tibet not only as a human rights issue but as a strategic and environmental priority for Europe — particularly considering the ecological vulnerability of the Tibetan Plateau, known as the “Third Pole,” and China’s ongoing campaign of transnational repression impacting Tibetans and others in Europe and globally.
In view of the upcoming visit of a delegation from the Chinese National People’s Congress to the European Parliament — the first such official visit in seven years — participants also discussed the implications of this renewed diplomatic engagement, and asked MEPs to raise Tibet-related human rights and environmental concerns during their discussions with their Chinese counterparts.
EU policymakers engaged with interest and provided constructive feedback to the participants, and ICT will follow up to build on this engagement in the coming months. The program also allowed participants to experience European democracy firsthand, while honing their skills, expanding their network, and strengthening their effectiveness as Tibet advocates and activists.
Quotes from participants:
- “The Tibetan Empowerment Days is more than an event — it’s a space where young Tibetan voices are uplifted through dialogue and advocacy,” said Nicole from Germany.
- “It allowed me to gain valuable insights into the inner workings of the European Union, knowledge that will strengthen my efforts to further the Tibetan cause,” Thupten from Austria remarked.
- “This program feels like adding wood to a fire — it strengthens our voices and sustains the spirit of resistance against oppression. I am truly grateful for this experience,” concluded Saorán from Ireland.
Vincent Metten, EU Policy Director at ICT, noted: “This new generation of Tibetans and European advocates is vital in keeping Tibet on the EU agenda. Through this program, we aim to equip them with the knowledge, tools and networks they need to effectively raise their voices and advocate for the rights of the Tibetan people in their own countries.”
Launched almost 20 years ago by ICT in Washington, DC under the name Tibetan Lobby Days, the program has since been replicated several times in Brussels. The 2025 edition was the second one held since the new European Parliament was elected in June 2024, continuing the momentum built through initiatives such as EU4Tibet, which brought together Tibet Support Groups and young Tibetans to raise awareness among newly elected Members of Parliament.
