MARCH FOR TIBET'S INDEPENDENCE:
Charlottesville, VA to Washington D.C. 2006

Friday: June 9, 2006

Day Eight: Tibetans climb the Hill to support HR 4562 and exercise their democratic rights to urge their Congressmen to co-sponsor the bill to award His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama with a Congressional Gold Medal for his efforts to spread world peace.

From: ICT International Campaign for Tibet Offices
To: Capitol Hill: House of Representatives Offices in Cannon, Longworth, & Rayburn House Office Buildings
Distance: 17 Miles, 3 buildings, and 15 floors

Topography: Cool marbled floors, neatly painted walls, uniform yet uniquely decorated Offices and many flights of stairs for those too impatient for elevators moving as sluggishly as Congress itself.

Weather: While a storm ravaged the DC area during our lobbying, the buildings themselves gave us shelter and yielded book ends of sunshine.

Details: See the "Congress hears from Tibet" report

The March:
Start: 11:00 am (ICT Office)
Meetings: On the Hill
12:30 am Congressman Rep. Sodrel (R, IN)
1:00 pm Congressman Rep. Godde (R, VA)
2:00 pm Congressman Rep. Case (R, HI)
Lunch: NO LUNCH

Drop- In Visits: 2:30 pm Congressman Rep. Pence (R, IN)
as well as 19 other offices
Finish: 5:00 pm Long day of lobbying

Avg. Time: 10 minutes per Congressional Office

Total Time: 6 straight hours

Marchers:
Core: 17 (Khempo Ngawang Dorje, Charlottesville, VA; Jigme Norbu, Indiana; Tsering Yeshi, Vermont; Thupten Zopa, NY; Tse Dorje, NY; Tenzin Sherab, Hawaii; Yeshe Gyaltsen, Chicago; Kunsang Dechen, Chicago; Pala, Chicago; Ngawang Norbu Sherpa (aka Colonel), Boston; Dawa Phuntsok, Boston; Tsering Youdon, Boston; Rich Felker, Charlottesville; VA, Ananda Reed, Philadelphia; Larry Gerstein, Indiana; Douglas Herman, NY); and of course late but certainly not least Tsewang Rigzin, from Washington State.

Guests: 3 Amalia Rubin, Albany, NY; David Huang, San Jose, CA; Michael Yeun, NJ (Representing the Taiwanese American Independence Movement)

Casualties: None besides Doug's ankle, which was turned in the process of running ahead to get a shot of the "Run for Tibet"

Stand Outs: Jigme for leading the charge and running to the finish line

Host Families: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax
Rev Mary Katherine Morn; Rev Bill Welch
Meals:
Lunch: Worked through lunch
Dinner: Thanks to Karma Zurkhang for having us over for dinner

Leg Nine:
Distance: 13 miles
Wake Time: 6:30am
Start: 9:00am Fairfax, VA
Finish: 3:00pm Key Bridge, Washington D.C.

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