Emoji has been called the fastest growing form of language in history and while there seems to be an emoji for almost everything you can imagine, there is one glaring omission: Tibet!

Tibetans all over the world are being denied the ability to express themselves online. This is not OK. We can fix this, but we need your help to do it.

The process for having a new emoji added is long, technical and difficult, but with enough resources we can see it through to the end. Support the campaign today

Whether you use them or not, emoji are now a part of daily life, featuring on every smartphone and social media platform in the world. Emoji have been referred to as  "the fastest growing form of language in history" and for many they now form a vital part of online communication. Because of this, the decisions made on which emoji do and do not appear in this new language are extremely important and can have far-reaching effects.

For the most part, the people in charge of emoji have done a good job of making sure everyone is represented in this new digital language - from recent updates which have allowed users to customise hair colour and skin-tones, to ensuring that males and females are equally depicted.

 

Perhaps the most important area of the emoji lexicon when it comes to representation is the flags section. Flags represent the most comprehensive and universally recognised symbols through which communities around the world communicate their identity and a sense of belonging - yet the Tibetan flag is nowhere to be seen. Representation matters. We must remedy this.

The selection of emoji is decided by a group called the Unicode Consortium, made up mostly of representatives from the big tech companies like Google and Apple. They meet several times a year to decide which emoji should be added to the official list.

It should come as no surprise that a committee made up mostly of white, wealthy, men isn't always up to the task of deciding on the communication needs of the entire world. So, to their credit, they accept proposals for new emoji from the public.

The submission process is incredibly long and complex - taking up to two years and requiring some pretty major technical expertise. However, with your help, we will have the resources to see the entire process through to the end - and hopefully end up with a new Tibetan flag emoji on all our phones!

 

As well as the proposal, we will be running an awareness campaign. A major part of the approval process involves being able to show mass public support for the inclusion of the proposed emoji. Our campaign will help raise awareness of the lack of a Tibetan flag emoji, and encourage the public to show their support for its inclusion. Along the way we will also be introducing the flag to a whole new audience of people who may never have heard about Tibetan culture before.

 
What will we use the money for?
First and foremost, the money will go towards submitting the best possible proposal. Without the proposal, there can be no Tibetan flag emoji so this is the most important element. The money will be spent on things like external consultants to help us with the technical details and graphic design work to help us make the emoji look perfect. We will also be working with  Tibet-support organisations on both the proposal and the campaign.

The remaining funds will go towards running the best campaign we can to raise awareness with the public. This may include things like:

   Promotional videos and graphics

   Merchandise like shirts, hats and bags with campaign logos and hashtags

   A professional media pack for journalists

   Advertising and PR budget

  Travelling to events to promote the campaign (such as the yearly EmojiCon in New York)

   Hosting our own events and promotional days

Together, we can make sure the Tibetan flag, and Tibetan culture, gets the recognition it deserves.
 
Other Ways You Can Help
For those looking to do more, there are a few other things you can do to help the campaign.

Share this page on social media and with friends.
Follow the campaign on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - @tibetflagemoji
Tweet the hashtag #InsertTibetanFlag to show your support - feel free to tag in @Unicode and @Emojipedia so they can see how important this emoji is to us all.

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