Brussels 21 September 2025: For the third time in a row, Team Tibet participated in the Refugee Walk in Belgium. This solidarity event started in 2016 by Vluchtelingwerk Vlaanderen (Refugeework Flanders), to raise awareness about people with a refugee background. Lungta – Actief for Tibet, a Tibet support group based in Belgium, took once again the initiative to establish the team and together with their Tibetan teammates they raised the necessary funds and joined the 20 km walk throughout the Ghent region.

Team Tibet dedicated this year’s walk to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in honour of his 90th birthday and in line with the global observance of the Year of Compassion.

Before embarking on the Refugee Walk, a written message of appreciation and encouragement from Rigzin Genkhang, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Office of Tibet, Brussels, was read to the team. “This is a great initiative to express your solidarity with refugees across the globe, which also serves as a grim reminder that globally, almost 80 million people are fleeing violence, war, persecution and climate change. Just like our people cross the Himalayas on foot, many other people also travel huge distances, on foot, in search of safe haven. Let this year’s walk be more than a journey of kilometres. Let it be a pilgrimage of gratitude. Every step you take is a tribute to His Holiness’ lifelong service to humanity and a humble offering of our unwavering commitment to the path he has shown us,” said Representative Genkhang.

This jubilee edition of the Refugee Walk counted over 4.000 participants, divided amongst 650 teams. Their joined effort resulted in raising an amazing €781,585 in donations. The proceed goes towards the operations of Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen and will be spent on a wide range of projects and initiatives in assisting refugees of all walks of live. They strive for proper reception and integration, ensuring that everyone can feel at home in Belgium. Without Refugee Walk, the organisation would no longer exist.

“We were proud to represent Tibet and to dedicate this edition of Refugee Walk to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In times when our society is increasingly shifting to the far-right and intolerance is becoming normalised, initiatives such as these are a ray of hope and fuel our fight for justice and solidarity”, said Han Vandenabeele of Lungta and team captain, “and in the tradition of His Holiness, we wanted to spread a message of peace, compassion and unity.”

-Report filed by Office of Tibet, Brussels