Tibetan Youth Leadership and Capacity Building Workshop Organised in Vienna
A three-day Tibetan Youth Leadership and Capacity Building Workshop began in Vienna, the capital of Austria, from 6 to 8 December 2024. The workshop was attended by 23 young Tibetans from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.
Representative Thinley Chukki from the Tibet Bureau Geneva and Additional Secretary Tenzin Lekshay, the official CTA Spokesperson from the Department of Information and International Relations, attended the workshop’s inaugural.
In her opening remarks, Representative Thinley Chukki briefly introduced the workshop’s objectives and extended greetings to the consultants and participants.
Following that, Additional Secretary Tenzin Lekshay emphasised the importance of a two-pronged approach to advocacy: reaching out to policy-makers and mobilising grassroots public movements. “While it is crucial to reach out to policy-makers, grassroots public movements are equally vital, and hence, you should advocate to your classmates, friends, neighbours, and the general public to bring about widespread change,” said Spokesperson Tenzin Lekshay. He also stressed the need for joint campaigns with higher-level policy-makers.
Throughout this three-day intensive training, participants were briefed on the PRC’s policies, transnational aggression, and the establishment of colonial-style state-run boarding schools inside Tibet, with testimony from a former Tibetan political prisoner. The participants were also introduced to Tibet advocacy strategies and the potential of social media in advancing advocacy campaigns.
The topics covered by the two speakers on the workshop’s first day were the PRC’s transnational aggression and residential schools. Each expert shared their perspective and experiences, providing a deep understanding of the issues. In relation to residential schools in Tibet, it was explained how this system is designed to eradicate cultural identity.
On the second day, former political prisoner Phuntsog Nyidron shared her experiences of undergoing intensive suffering and torture during her imprisonment. She emphasised that her story was not just about her personal ordeal but a call to highlight the ongoing suffering of other political prisoners in Tibet.
Additionally, the special envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Kelsang Gyaltsen, delivered a speech on importance of understanding the situation in China. Following this, several other speakers talked about other concerning issues.
At the closing ceremony on the final day, members of Tibet Advocacy Groups (V-TAG members) from various countries briefed their undertakings for this year in their respective areas and outlined future plans and strategies. The participant also exchanged their experiences and insights.
Before concluding, Additional Secretary Tenzin Lekshay and Representative Thinley Chukki expressed appreciation to all the facilitators, consultants, and participants, and certificates were awarded to the participants.
