Tibetans in Exile

Alan Twigg has here recovered the amazing story of how George and Ingeborg while travelling in northern India in 1961 encountered many of the Tibetan refugees who had fled over the mountain passes. Appalled by the condition of the children — huddled together with inadequate bedding, surviving on a diet of thin soup and momos, steamed dumplings of mixed wheat and corn flour — they expressed their desire to help. “You must absolutely come and see uncle,” said a young girl. This was Khando Yapshi, the Dalai Lama’s niece. Among the first Westerners to meet with the Dalai Lama, the Woodcocks vowed to provide humanitarian assistance. This was was the genesis for the Tibetan Refugee Aid Society (TRAS), one of two remarkable non-profit charities spearheaded by the Woodcocks. Since 1962, TRAS has raised over $500,000 and has undertaken 300 projects. Both of the Woodcocks’ volunteer-based low-overhead organizations are still going strong today.

Alan Twigg has written and published BC Bookworld, a cultural newspaper, since 1987. In addition to his fifteen books, he has produced six films about authors and a music CD with David Lester for poet Bud Osborn. He has conceived and coordinated numerous literary prizes, and created and compiled a public service reference site, hosted by Simon Fraser University, to offer free information on more than 8,000 British Columbia authors. In 2000 he received the first annual Gray Campbell Award for outstanding contributions to the writing and publishing community of British Columbia.