Lodi Gyari to resign as Executive Chairman: ICT
DHARAMSALA, June 4: After a quarter century of association with the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) in various capacities, Mr Lodi G. Gyari will be retiring from the Board of Directors of ICT and also as its Executive Chairman, ICT announced in a statement released on June 2.
Mr. Gyari popularly known among Tibetans as Gyari Rinpoche joined the ICT in 1991 as its President while concurrently serving as the Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. After stepping down from the presidency in 1999, he began to serve as the Executive Chairman of the Board of ICT.
Under Mr Gyari’s leadership, the organization evolved from a Washington based NGO to a truly international network with offices in Amsterdam, Berlin and Brussels.
“Mr. Gyari will remain an invaluable advisor and friend to the organization,” ICT stated.
“We are of course overwhelmed with gratitude for his unswerving dedication, creativity, professionalism, wisdom and warm heart throughout these many years. We will always wish him the very best.”
Mr Gyari had served in the senior most positions in the Tibetan administration in exile. At the age of 30, he was elected as the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile and was one of the youngest people to be appointed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the Kashag (the Tibetan Cabinet).
After being appointed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to lead negotiations with the Chinese government, Mr Gyari conducted nine rounds of high level talks with the Chinese counterparts and was instrumental in maintaining a broad international interest and support for the dialogue process.
In May 2012, citing “utter lack of progress in the talks and the increased repression inside Tibet” Mr Lodi Gyari resigned as the Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
