Wangpo Tethong

Life and work

Wangpo Tethong was born to Tibetan refugees at the Kinderdorf Pestalozzi in Trogen, Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. He studied history and law at the University of Zürich, where he graduated with the master's degree (phil. I) from the philosophial departement in 1997.

In 1988 Tethong assisted the German Die Grünen politicians Petra Kelly and Gert Bastian, convenors of the first international hearing on Tibet. From 1988 to 1989 Tethong was a board member of the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), and between 1986 and 1990 president of the Tibetan Youth Association Europe and board member of the Verein Tibeter Jugend in Europa (literally: Association of Tibetan Youth in Europe). He co-founded the Studentische Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Tibet (STAFT) at the University of Zürich in 1989, and was co-editor of the Tibetan-German magazine Bod Shon (Junges Tibet, literally "Young Tibet") from 1989 to 1995. Since 2001 he is the elected president of the Gesellschaft Schweizerisch-Tibetische Freundschaft (GSTF), literally Swiss-Tibetan Friendship Society. Wangpo also served as party secretary and spokesperson of the Green Party in the Canton of Zürich from 1997 to 1999. Tethong was also a co-initiator of the Tibetan Freedom Radio that broadcasts a Tibetan and Chinese radio service, co-founder of Lamtön, an advice center for Tibetan refugees in Switzerland in 2004, chairmen of the ITSN Olympics Working Group from 2001 to 2008 and since 2008 president of the National Olympic Committee of Tibet. He also initiated ICT Deutschland in 2004, in 2008 Filming for Tibet and one year later Tibet Film Festival.

As the first exile Tibetan, he carried out a daring protest at the Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 2006. Among other events, Tethong also organized the manifestations with HH 14th Dalai Lama in Berlin (Germany), Wien (Austria) and Zürich (Switzerland). Since April 2000 Tethong is the mediaofficer of Greenpeace Switzerland, since 2006 senior consultant for the Zürich-based Kampagnenforum, an agency for development and implementation of participatory communication campaigns. He works as freelancer, consultant for public affairs, and on communication and film production.

Tibetan Parliament in Exile

On 6 May 2014 Wangpo Tethong was elected as member of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile from Europe constituency, where he took the oath of office from speaker Penpa Tsering at a ceremony held at the Tibetan Parliament in Dharamshala. He replaced Chungdak Koren who submitted her resignation citing health reasons. Wangpo gained the third highest votes in the last parliamentary elections from Europe constituency, which is represented in the Tibetan Parliament by two members: he has been involved in various services to the Tibetan community including the campaign for jailed Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen. The 44 members of the 15th Tibetan Parliament arepresentent the three traditional provinces, four Tibetan Buddhist sects and the traditional Bön religion of Tibet. Its members are directly elected by Tibetan exiles above the age of 18 from their respective around the world.

Personal life

Wangpo Tethong is married, father of two children, and lives in Jona, Canton of St. Gallen.

Publications (selected works)