Lobsang Wangyal needs a laptop to continue his good works!

update 2 february: Lobsang needs to pay lawyer $670, for the work of the assistants. (Lawyer himself is doing this work pro bono.) The fates have it that it's just over what we have got so far in funding for laptop. So we are back at square one, and he's still working on a shoestring and at cybercafes (which are few and far between in these days of smartphones.)

Laptop for Lobsang - $1,800

update 4 january: Lobsang's old laptop finally gave up :( Lobsang is at the Dalai Lama's Kalachakra teachings in Bodh Gaya, and his current laptop finally gave up the ghost. More info is here.

Lobsang doesn't fit in a "sector" or a niche, so he hasn't gotten mainstream recognition, funding, or support. Also, Tibetan culture looks down on tooting your own horn. So i'm here to toot it for him!

Can you help Lobsang with his good work?

Your $10 help is just as appreciated as some big donation -- remember, this is crowdfunding, it all adds up to a big help! Anything received over the final price of the laptop will be helping Lobsang with his expenses.

You can donate easily here — just go to that big green button. Or you can contact him or myself directly.

Don't hold back because you can't give much -- Every little bit helps. It's not just money -- it also does a whole lot for the morale, and it helps other people see there is support so they will jump in too! If your concerns are privacy, or no bank, or whatever, just contact us -- there are many ways!

Thank you.

Lobsang Wangyal is an exile Tibetan in McLeod Ganj India, a freelance photojournalist, an event producer, a social activist, and most recently is fighting for the right of passport for Tibetans in India (details are below).

All this takes a lot of time, travel, and paperwork, which he does on his own time and out of his own pocket. In the meantime, his computer is almost 10 years old, and is fading fast has died as of 3 January.

As you can imagine, his computer is his lifeline and his main tool for his work. As a photographer, a good MacBook Pro is his need, but beyond his means.

Here is what he is looking for: an older MacBook Pro, 1TB hard drive, 16GB ram, 15" screen. The price for these is running around $1,200 to $1,500. He will also need a Thunderbolt/HDMI adapter for external monitor. Then there will be shipping to India, and a couple of 1TB USB drives for backups. We think $1,800 will get Lobsang back on top of his game again.

Lobsang's main website is LobsangWangyal.com. There you can learn more about him, and contact him there as well. He also has a Wikipedia page and mentions on Twitter. If you have any questions, please send a message through the link to the right.

Who is Lobsang Wangyal, and what is he doing?

Lobsang Wangyal lives and works in McLeod Ganj India, serving the community in his own special way. His day job is as a freelance photojournalist. You have probably seen many photos in news stories of the Dalai Lama, scenes of McLeod Ganj and exile Tibetans, without even knowing they were his. He also produces events in the community, and helps local individuals with various problems. He has lived there for over 20 years, and has no plans to live anywhere else!

Fighting for passport for Tibetans in India

Lobsang's latest work is through the courts and bureaucracies of India for passport for Tibetans. Indian law from many years ago provides for citizenship (and passports) for Tibetans; however it was not being enforced, and local offices even denied it was possible. So Lobsang filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL - class action suit), which he won on 22 September, and the court ordered that he, and all Tibetans who qualify, should be issued Indian passports if they apply.

Here is one of many news stories about this, at Asian Age, and here's another story, with a lot of supportive comments from the Tibetan world!

You can find many more stories about the success of the PIL through google search and twitter Also, over the years Lobsang has written about this citizenship and passport issue on his news portal, Tibet Sun

update 3 jan 2017 But -- it seems success on paper only! Now he is having to continue the fight: to get the local authorities to follow this order! Here is only one example -- a supposedly "adverse" verification report. And since then the authorities have got the correct verification report, but are delaying sending it to the passport office.

Can you help with LW's work?

You can donate easily here — just go to that big green button! Or contact him or myself directly.

thank you!