The Northwest Tibetan Cultural Association (NWTCA) was established in 1993 to create a spiritual and cultural home for Oregon and Southwest Washington Tibetans and their traditions. The main purpose of the NWTCA and its members is to preserve and promote the endangered Tibetan culture. By building an organized group of committed people the NWTCA provides activities and events for Tibetans while interacting with the greater Northwest community to promote education about the Tibetan culture and reinforce the Dalai Lama's message of global peace and compassion.

Recognized as the key to creating a better understanding of Tibet, the NWTCA strongly encourages younger members to uphold traditional Tibetan values while contributing positively back to the Tibetan, regional, and global communities that they are a part of. Those values of patience, tolerance, and compassion for all beings are the essence of the Dalai Lama's teachings. His teachings embody the belief that these values connect us all as sentient beings.

The largest project of its kind, the NWTCA sponsored the Pathways To Peace Festival as the first step in building a permanent Tibetan Studies and World Peace Center. This Center will house the NWTCA global vision for peace through research, the sharing of Tibetan culture, and the Dalai Lama's message of global peace and compassion.