NYC to Philli 2007

MARCHING AGAIN:

ITIM is coordinating another “March for Tibet’s Independence.” The Regional Tibetan Youth Congress of New York and New Jersey and the Tibetan Association of Philadelphia also will be helping with the implementation of this walk. This 100+ mile walk will start at 9 am on June 27th at China’s Consulate in New York City (20 12th Avenue). It will conclude on July 4th with a rally from 1 to 3pm at Independence Hall (143 South Third Street) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The conclusion of this walk coincides with the U.S. celebration of “Independence Day.”

It is highly symbolic for our walk to end at Independence Hall on July 4th. This Hall is considered the birthplace of the United States. The U.S. Declaration of Independence was adopted in this Hall, as was the U.S. Constitution. The Liberty Bell is housed in this Hall. This Bell was rung to announce the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, a document declaring the United States’ succession from England. Since its installation, the Liberty Bell has symbolized the human desire for freedom and independence. Inscribed on the Bell are the words, “Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” As a testimony to the significance of this Bell, oppressed individuals and groups from all over the world visit the Liberty Bell to express their desire for independence and proclaim their wish for liberty.

Participants in this year’s walk will also express their desire for Tibet’s independence when they arrive at the Liberty Bell on July 4th. This will be the second time that an ITIM walk converges on the Liberty Bell. In 1996, Taktser Rinpoche and Palden Gyatso led a “March for Tibet’s Independence” from Washington, D.C. to New York City that stopped at the Liberty Bell to proclaim independence for Tibet. Jigme Norbu (son of Taktser Rinpoche and nephew of His Holiness The Dalai Lama) will once again participate as a way to further His father’s lifelong effort to regain Tibet’s independence.

This is the thirteenth major ‘March’ or ‘Bike Ride’ for Tibet’s Independence organized by ITIM since 1995. To date, our walkers and bike riders have covered a distance of 3,330 miles or 5,358 kilometers in more than 330 days!

WHY ARE WE MARCHING?

1. Because Tibet Belongs to Tibetans
2. For the Tibetans in Tibet
3. To educate people about the situation in Tibet
4. To advocate for the release of Gendhun Choekyi Nyima, The Panchen Lama
5. To advocate for the release of other Tibetan prisoners, particularly Tenzin Delek Rinpoche
6. To promote a Boycott of China’s Goods
7. To advocate for democracy in China
8. For Tibet, Eastern Turkestan, Southern Mongolia, and Taiwan’s independence