The Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy (IMTD) is conducting a project that will empower Tibetan Diaspora communities with the skills, relationships, and strengthened cultural identity necessary to advance their cause for self-determination and human rights. Our leadership training and cross-settlement dialogue can empower Tibetans, as a people divided by vast distances and united by shared sentiments of frustration and trauma, to make substantive progress and engage their communities.
Throughout 20 years of conducting trainings with Tibetans in India, our participants have identified problems in their Diaspora. Among these are the lack of youth leadership; a disconnection with Tibetan culture and central authority; a disconnect with the root conflict and the Chinese perspective; growing apathy among youth towards the future of Tibetan interests; and difficulties integrating into foreign cultures while maintaining their own Tibetan traditions, values, and language.
Our 2011 Bangalore trainees will travel north to join 15 Dharamsala community leaders for a week-long dialogue and skill-building exercise. By uniting Tibetan community leaders from settlements across India for this unique opportunity, participants will collectively develop strategies to address their people's future. They will gain valuable skills in leadership, cross-cultural communication, partnership development, community engagement, conflict resolution, diplomacy, and reconciliation.
Using dialogue to foster cross-community partnerships and leadership skills will offer effective alternative tools to self-immolation for Tibetans to productively advocate for their rights and desired future. By keeping the Tibetan movement peaceful and encouraging community involvement in policy and decision making at all levels of Tibetan society, this program will help Tibetans move decisively towards finding common ground, solid goals, and peace with the Chinese.
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Excel file (projdoc.xls).
