Every Wednesday wear Tibetan, speak Tibetan, read Tibetan, eat Tibetan, buy Tibetan – boycott Made in China!
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Lhakar is a homegrown, Tibetan self-reliance movement that started in the aftermath of the 2008 uprising. In spite of China’s intensified crackdown, Tibetans have embraced the power of strategic nonviolent resistance. Every Wednesday, a growing number of Tibetans are making special effort to wear traditional clothes, speak Tibetan, eat in Tibetan restaurants and buy from Tibetan-owned businesses. They channel their spirit of resistance into social, cultural and economic activities that are self-constructive (promoting Tibetan language, culture and identity) and non-cooperative (refusing to support Chinese institutions and businesses).
The Tibetan word “Lhakar” (ལྷག་དཀར་) translates literally as “White Wednesday,” as Wednesday is considered special by Tibetans because it is the Dalai Lama’s soul day (བླ་གཟའ་). In recent years since 2008, Tibetans in Tibet and in exile have taken diverse Lhakar Pledges, resolving to boycott Made-in-China products, or to go vegetarian every Wednesday, to speak pure Tibetan, or to read a Tibetan newspaper once a week, or to wear chuba every Wednesday, etc. Through these pledges and actions, Tibetans are coming together in the greatest noncooperation movement Tibet has ever seen.