MINNESOTA, US: Hon’ble Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay was in Washington, DC from 18-21 February to oversee the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to US Capitol in coordination with the Office of Tibet, New York. The major outcome of the visit was the meeting between President Barack Obama and His Holiness on 21 February and the appointment of Dr. Sarah Sewall as the Special Coordinator for Tibetan issues on February 20, 2014.

After his successful visit to Washington, DC, Sikyong Dr. Sangay visited San Francisco to attend the meeting with a group of about 80 influential business and school leaders arranged by Global Leadership Incubator (GLI) on 25 February. The group comprised of about 65 Silicon Valley tech leaders, 12 Representatives of Ivy League institutions and few philanthropic organisations. His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Sikyong spoke to the group about the preservation of Tibetan culture and providing education for Tibetan children in the US.

Dr. Sangay was in Vancouver, BC in Canada from 25-26 February to meet the Tibetan community. In his public address, he spoke on the situation in Tibet, importance of education in sustaining our struggle and the Middle Way policy towards resolving the issue of Tibet. On his second day in Vancouver, Sikyong gave media interview to the Globe & Mail, interacted with influential a think tank followed by extensive interaction with a group of mainly law students and others at the university of British Columbia on current situation in Tibet and dialogue with the People’s Republic of China on the issue of Tibet. Sikyong also met with the newly arrival Tibetan immigrants from Tenzingang, Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Sikyong arrived in Calgary, Canada on 27 February and addressed the Tibetan community in the evening about importance of education, recent visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Washington, DC, the Central Tibetan Administration’s consistent effort to improve the livelihood of the Tibetan community and to resolve the Tibetan issue followed by Q&A session. He also addressed young Tibetans in English about the importance of education and the awareness and preservation of Tibetan culture and identity. A member of Parliament from Calgary West, Mr Rob Anders, joined the Sikyong address to the Tibetan community, and he commended the peaceful and non violent struggle of the Tibetan people.

Sikyong will be flying to Colorado on 28 February, followed by in Minnesota where he will join His Holiness the Dalai Lama for the Losar, the Tibetan New Year programme. He will also visit Washington, DC again from 4-6 March.

Sikyong is accompanied by his Private Secretary Jigmey Namgyal from Dharamsala, and Ngawang Yonten from the Office of Tibet, New York.

More photos: