GLOBAL TIBETAN PROFESSIONALS SUMMIT
Mindful Tibetan, Engaged ProfessionalsSeptember 6-8, 2010, Dharamsala
(Concept Note)
1. Summit Background
2010 marks 51 years of exile for Tibetans outside Tibet. The early pioneers built an impressive refugee infrastructure in the Indian subcontinent particularly in India, Nepal and Bhutan. Under the dynamic leadership of His Holiness of the Dalai Lama, we have established both a well functioning democratic institution in exile as well as numerous social and cultural institutions that sustain the Tibetan movement and promote our unique cultural heritage.However, today we find ourselves at a very critical juncture. There is a dire need for Tibetans to come together and put our diverse skills and expertise in action towards strengthening our community. A growing number of Tibetan professionals and entrepreneurs have acquired many years of expertise in a variety of fields, which if properly harnessed, will go a long way in realising the goals of the Tibetan communities in exile. The time to engage has never been as critical and timely as now.
A Global Tibetan Professionals Network (GTPN) was initiated by ENVISION in 2008 with support from Bureau Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi. This network was envisioned as a platform for sharing and networking and as a medium to facilitate Tibetan professional’s engagement with their communities. There are currently several GTPN chapters operating in India and North America. The chapters are working together on a clearer articulation of the network’s programmes and coordination.
It is within this context that the first ever Global Tibetan Professionals Summit is being convened by ENVISION.
2. Summit Objective
- To provide a forum to meet and network
- To understand the issues, discuss solutions, and develop a shared vision and a plan of action to effectively contribute to the community
- To build a foundation for cooperation among the Tibetan professionals
- To strengthen the Global Tibetan Professionals Network
3. Programme Activities
a) Understanding the current realities
Day one of the summit will focus on understanding the current realities and gaps in order to enable the participants to have informed discussion and to properly examine the root cause and conditions of the challenging issues facing the community today. To assist in the process, the Secretary of the Department of Education and the Chief Planning Officer from the Office of Planning Commission, Tibetan Government in exile will give a brief overview of the current situation on education and the overall human resource development. They will highlight on the situations of the challenges and the nature of existing gaps. This will be followed by an interactive session with the participants.b) Thematic Meetings
The Summit has put together the following thematic meetings:1) Education of Tibetans in Exile
a) Strengthening basic education projects & programmes
b) Developing vocational skill development programmes
c) Instituting higher and specialized learning system
2) Public Health Care
a) Public health education and awareness programmes
b) Primary & emergency health services development programmes
c) Public health infrastructural development & innovations
3) Economic Development
a) Promotion and creation of private Tibetan entrepreneurs
b) Mechanisms for development of financial services
c) Promotion of Tibetans handicrafts productions & marketing
Participants will be asked to choose and sign up for one of the above four thematic meetings. A meeting group no larger than 15 people will be formed. The thematic meetings will include a short presentation from the concerned CTA Departments followed by interactions. Participants will identify challenges and examine the causes and conditions of the issues presented within the thematic groups.4) International Relations
a) Developing mass media & multi medias b) Lobbying mechanisms & techniques c) Innovations in advocacy of Tibetan issues and agenda
c) GTPN Overview and the Way Forward
This session will be an open discussion forum to share the current status of the Global Tibetan Professionals Network (GTPN) and the challenges faced followed by interaction among the participants regarding future prospects and plan for GTPN. Summit organizers will seek input from participants on a circulated proposal drafted by members from the North America Tibetan Professionals Conference held in Garrison, New York in October 2009.d) Working towards a Common Vision/Action Planning
The second day of the summit will start with a special audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. After the audience, selected Summit participants will share their ideas and lead everyone on vision building exercises. Thereafter, the participants will break out in smaller sessions and work towards articulating a common vision.The third and the final day of the Summit will be dedicated to action planning. Based on the visioning and discussions held in the last two days, participants will break in small groups to come up with a “SMART” action plan. ENVISION will also table two proposals as working ideas through the group facilitators. The action plan from groups will be shared and discussed further to adopt a draft action plan. It is the Summit organiser’s hope that the professionals gathered will be able to coalesce around at least 2-3 specific ideas and also build strong commitment from the participants.
The outcome of the Summit in particular the adopted plan of action will be presented to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in exile.