Voluntary Tibetan Advocacy Group India’s Strategy Meeting and Training Commenced in Dharamshala
By ATWS Staff Editor
ATWS Dharamshala, Nov 14, 2023: A three-day Voluntary Tibetan Advocacy Group India’s Meeting and Training organized by the Department of Information and International Relations ( DIIR), CTA began yesterday evening at the Administrative Training and Welfare Society, Dharamshala. ATWS is facilitating this workshop with all the venue and service facilities.
Chief Guests Shri Kishan Kapoor, Member of Parliament Lok Sabha Himachal Pradesh, and Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, Former KalonTripa ( Prime Minister) graced the inaugural ceremony along with Mr. Tenzin Lekshey la, Additional Secretary and Spokesperson of CTA, and Mr. Tsewang Phuntsok la, North Zone Chief Representative Officer.
Around thirty-five V-TAG members from various parts of India attended the event along with the organizing team led by DIIR Tibetan Advocacy Section Head, Ms. Dukthen Kyi la.
This workshop aims to hone the advocacy skills of the Tibetan youths and create a platform for them to brainstorm on strengthening the existing Tibetan Advocacy to contribute to the Tibetan cause at large, as briefly introduced by Mr. Lekshey la.
Following the brief introductory remarks, Mr. Kishan Kapoor highlighted how youths significantly impacted in freeing many occupied nations in the past while lauding the V- TAG initiative of the 16th Kashag led by Sikyong Penpa Tsering la to mobilize Tibetan Youths internationally to promote the Tibetan advocacy campaign. “I believe that Tibet, the roof of the world today, too will definitely be free one day through the collective efforts of the Tibetan youths who have pledged today to stand steadfast against the Chinese Repressions,” said Mr. Kishan Kapoor. Further, he added that he had attended this event despite his critical health condition to express his sincere support to Tibet as a sitting member of the Indian parliament. Historically, India has been a long-time friend of Tibet and extends all its solidarity in resolving the long-standing issue of Tibet that subjected Tibetans to great hardships under Chinese Repression for three consecutive generations both inside and outside Tibet over the last seven decades.
The former Kalon Tripa (Prime Minister), Professor Ven Samdhong Rinpoche, spoke primarily on the importance of focusing on having a very clear understanding of the very nature of the Tibetan Issue, the essence of the Middle Way Approach and thereafter continuing the Tibetan freedom movement through the Middle Way approach. “ I think advocating for the Tibetan cause is simple because His Holiness the 14th Dalai lama’s visionary leadership has already set a clear and obvious way forward. So we are just to follow the set path that nullifies the need to find any other new solution.” “Our freedom struggle lies around the contradiction between truth and lies, correct and incorrect, honesty and dishonesty, and holding a contradictory view is certainly not a rebellious struggle ”, said Prof. Ven Samdhong Rinpoche. Further, he stated that “Truth and non-violence are the two fundamental foundations of a peaceful resolution to the Tibet issue, as stated by His Holiness the Dalai lama. When truth prevails, there is a remote possibility for violence; when both non-violence prevails, there is no struggle for anything other than truth. Therefore when both truth and nonviolence are recognized and clearly understood, there is hardly a need to look for any other alternative solutions. However, it is extremely on our part to have a clear understanding of the truth of the Tibetan cause.” He then stressed that all Tibetan movements in the future must solely be based on Truth and violence with a clear understanding of our future goal of the Middle Way Approach, as formulated by His Holiness the Dalai lama and unanimously adopted by the Tibetan parliament in exile. Further he added that the mutually beneficial Middle Way approach is purely based on the tenets of the existing Peoples’ Republic of China’s Constitutional framework that also calls for genuine regional autonomy, which aligns with our ultimate objective to enable a harmonious existence of all Tibetans together as one distinct entity. Therefore, until the PRC’s existing constitution is amended, the Middle-Way approach can remain the only viable solution and peaceful resolution to the Tibetan Freedom struggle.
The inaugural ceremony concluded with a brief vote of thanks speech by Ms. Dukthen Kyi la, Head of the Tibet Advocacy Section. In the two days ahead, the participant youths will brainstorm on strengthening Tibetan Advocacy. It will include presentations on personal testimonies of Former Political Prisoners, the ongoing critical situations in Tibet, and revising action plans of the recently held Tibetan International Youth Forum.
Read more on below link