Review
Product Description
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.
About the Author
Alan Twigg is a fifth-generation Vancouverite who has produced the cultural newspaper B.C. BookWorld since 1987. He has written thirteen books on diverse topics including First Nations authors in BC, historic sites in Cuba, and BC's fur trade. In addition, he has written, produced and hosted six documentary films including George Woodcock, Anarchist of Cherry Street; Jeannette Armstrong: Knowledge-Keeper; and Spilsbury’s Coast; which aired nationally on CBC. In 2007 he became the second recipient of the Jack and Doris Shadbolt Fellowship in the Humanities at Simon Fraser University. Also in 2007, he was named the first Writer in Residence at the George Price Center for Peace in Belize. In another enormously important contribution to BC’s literary culture, Twigg created the free public reference site that provides information on more than 8,000 British Columbia authors. Hosted by Simon Fraser University Library, this archive of critical summaries, photographs and interviews at www.abcbookworld.com attracts thousands of hits every day.
