GVYT 2017

Dr Siddiq Wahid: Dr Siddiq Wahid is at present a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi. A renowned academic Dr Siddiq received his PhD in Inner Asian Studies as well as a Master’s in Education from Harvard University. He was formerly Vice-Chancellor of Islamic University, Kashmir; Gulab Singh Chair Professor of History, Jammu University and Director, Institute of Kashmir Studies, Kashmir University. He has taught in the United States in his field of study, i.e. Central Asian and Tibetan History. Dr Siddiq has lectured widely in South Asia, Europe and the United States. He has also authored a book on Ladakh titled ‘LADAKH-Between Earth and Sky’, and written extensively on Central Asia, the Tibetan civilization and the Kashmir conflict, with an in-depth study into Indo-China relations.

GUEST OF HONOR

Dr B Tsering is an educationist and Tibetan women’s rights activist. Dr Tsering taught at Upper TCV for over 2 decades and served two terms as the President of TWA. She was also the member of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. She received her PhD in Education Program Evaluation from University of Virginia, USA and is also the recipient of the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellowship. Dr Tsering is presently the principal of Dalai Lama Institute of Higher Education, Bangalore where she has introduced a series of new programs and degrees in the college and most significantly the college was able to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Mysore University. Under the MoU, the Mysore University will recognize the various degrees offered by DLIHE.

CELEBRATING SUCCESS – I

Khube Rinpoche is the President and founder of Karuna Home for Disabled ‘Phenday Ghatsal’. The Home is rehabilitation and residential centre based in Bylakuppe Tibetan settlement in South India, catering mainly to the young, physically and/or mentally challenged individuals both Tibetan and other Indians. Karuna Home is Rinpoche’s commitment to caring for the underprivileged and their wellbeing and officially began operations from December 2004. Karuna Home, which is known as one of the best caregiving centres in the community, aims to equip the disabled with better education and vocational skills to assist them to integrate favourably into their communities once they leave the Home.

Dekyi Yangtso Chawla is the co-founder of Reward360 which is India’s leading Loyalty Technology and Solutions Company specializing in Loyalty and rewards management for almost all the Banks, Financial companies and other MNC’s across the country. Ms Yangtso graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and Post Graduate in Business Management from Bangalore University and Masters in International Business from the National University of Singapore. Her involvement with the Global Tibetans Professional Network has encouraged her to hire Tibetan employees and give internships to several Tibetan students and graduates. On a regular basis, she trains young Tibetans on how to face interviews and giving them job opportunities.

Tenzing Rigdol is a contemporary Tibetan artist whose work ranges from painting, sculpture, drawing and collage, to digital, video-installation, performance art and site-specific pieces. Rigdol has extensively studied Tibetan sand painting, butter sculpture and Buddhist philosophy in Nepal. Mr Rigdol has a diploma in traditional Tibetan thangka painting, a BFA in Painting and Drawing and a BA in Art History from University of Colorado, USA. Rigdol is also an accomplished poet, having published three collections of poetry, “R”–the Frozen Ink (2008), Anatomy of Nights (2011) and Butterfly’s Wings (2011). In 2014, Rigdol became one of only two contemporary Tibetan artists to be included in the exhibition Tibet and India: New Beginnings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. His work Pin Drop Silence: Eleven-Headed Avalokitesvara was also the first work by a contemporary Tibetan artist to be acquired by the Met.

CELEBRATING SUCCESS – II

Yangchen Dolkar (GTPN) is the Director of Operations at Andersen Bjornstad Kane Jacobs (ABKJ)- a premier American consulting design firm based in Bangalore. She was born and raised in Phuntsokling Tibetan Refugee Camp, Odisha. She received her schooling education from CST Hebertpur till class XII. She later moved to Bangalore to pursue her further studies and joined St. Joseph’s Arts and Science College where she earned a bachelor degree in Arts and also certification in Human Resource and Economics Honours. She holds a Diploma in Legal education from National Law School of India University, Bangalore. She is ENVISION’s GTPN Bangalore chapter’s executive board member, over the last seven years she has been providing career guidance and counselling to young Tibetan college students and at Nelamangla Bangalore.

Jamyang Wangyal (Counselor) is a Counselor and Deputy Secretary of South Zone Guidance and Counseling Cell under Department of Education, Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). An alumnus of CST Mundgod, Jamyang graduated from Kittle Arts College, Karnataka University, Dharwad, Master in Psychology from Karnataka University and Post Graduate Diploma in Guidance and Counseling from Regional Institute of Education, Mysore. Mr Wangyal is currently South Zone Counselor guiding and counselling Tibetan students of five major Tibetan settlements in South India including Odisha, Mainpat and Bandara.  His role as a South Zone Counsellor includes conducting Classroom Guidance, Individual Counseling, Group Counseling, Consultation with Administrators, Teachers & Parents/Community, Monitoring the Counseling service, Administer & conduct Psychological Testing, Parental Counseling, Networking with various professionals and colleges.

Tamding Kyab is the co-founder of leading Tibetan IT-start-up “Dachompa”. His team successfully created an Android-based mobile app for the GCM Gold cup – Tibetan premier football competition – and was used widely by Tibetans all over, following the competition. The app had over 2000 downloads in just two weeks with over 800 live streams viewing during the match. Their first project, a mobile app for Kalachakra 2017 was a pioneer digital product in the Tibetan diaspora. The team at Dachompa is currently in the process of developing a mobile app (Android and iOS) for the central Tibetan Administration named “Tibet.net” scheduled to be launched on 29th November 2017 – to bring the widely dispersed Tibetan community on one digital platform.

EMERGING TIBETAN GENERATIONS – I

Tenzin Dalha is a professional TV and movie actor. He is one of the few Tibetan actors to make a foray into Bollywood cinema. He featured in the well-known Bollywood movie ‘Margarita with a Straw’ starring Kalki Koechlin that tells the story of a young woman with cerebral palsy. He also featured in one of the popular Rajasthan Tourism television advertisements ‘Jane Kya Dikh Jaye’. Recently he played the role of a teenaged HH Dalai Lama for the docu-series ‘The Great Escape’ on Epic Channel and received widespread acclaim for his performance.

Tenzin Dickyi Sinzitsang is the co-founder of Munsel ་མུན་སེལ་་ – an online language learning platform that helps one explore the world in other languages. Ms Sinzitsang has a graduate degree in International Relations from Harvard University and an undergraduate degree in the same from UC Davis. She also holds a Diploma in Legal Studies from New York University and a Chinese Language Certificate from Tsinghua University.  Born in India, raised in the US and has studied in India, US and China. She is a disability rights advocate, a passion that she found while working for the US State Department in DC.

Dr Tashi Namgyal is a medical doctor and currently Chief Medical officer at Tso Jhe Khangsar Hospital in Bylakuppe since 2015. Before his current posting, he briefly worked at Delek Hospital, Dharamsala. Dr Namgyal is an MBBS Graduate from Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla. Dr Namgyal’s work in the community is well recognized and is one of the few Tibetan medical doctors in exile serving the community.

Kalsang Yangzom is currently Assistant Professor (English) at Indraprastha College for Women, Delhi University. Ms Yangzom’s M.Phil dissertation was on Tibetan Diasporic Literature is written specifically in English, to examine the role of these literary products in the Tibetan diasporic community. Her research work and conclusions helped her understand Tibetans in exile, and provide a critical space to question what it means to be a Tibetan in conjunct with those living inside Tibet. Besides Tibetan literature, she also works on Diaspora Studies, Cultural Studies, and Gender Studies. She has also presented papers on these at national and international conferences held in New Delhi and Guwahati.

EMERGING TIBETAN GENERATIONS – II

Tenzin Wangdu (Entrepreneur) is the co-founder of Genla Tractor Service in Dhondeling Tibetan Settlement. With a Project Management degree from the Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK, Tenzin Wangdu Sither is an emerging Tibetan. He believes that self-sustaining business venture such as Genla Tractor Service is an important step for Tibetan Community to become self-reliant and independent. He is also the recipient of ENVISION’s Tibetan Entrepreneurship Fund 2015.

Tenzin Dadon (ADAPT) – Tenzin Dadon works in the field of Inclusive education and policy for special children and the differently abled. Ms Dadon’s early education was in TCV School with graduation in Biomedical and Biotechnology from Bangalore University followed by the dual master degree in Medical Biochemistry and Medical Lab Technology. She is the recipient of ENVISION fellowship 2017 and underwent a training in “Community Initiatives in Inclusion” at ADAPT (Able Disabled All People Together), Mumbai and recently finished her fieldwork – an Action Plan in spreading awareness for community initiatives toward an inclusive society. She has worked with organizations like Lha Charitable Trust, Tibetan Ability Centre, in Dharamsala in different capacities and supported their work on inclusion and rehabilitation of the differently abled in the community.

Tenzin Tashi (GVYT participant): Tenzin Tashi is founder and Director of Yak Events, one of the popular event management companies in exile. His passion for the entertainment sector, being a professional DJ and event organizer led him to create Yak Events. One of Yak Events first major undertaking was the launch of ‘Tibet Got Talents’ in Bylakupee, which is one of the biggest Tibetan settlement (shichak) in India. He is also the organizer of the first Tibetan male beauty pageant “Mr Tibet” in exile that was successfully concluded in October this year.

Dear All,

Greetings from Empowering the Vision Project!

We are pleased to announce our 4th Global Vision for Young Tibetans (GVYT) Conference. This conference aims to provide leadership training to young Tibetans, to inspire and motivate young Tibetans to achieve their aspirations, and also to celebrate success and achievements of Young Tibetans.

Registration Deadline : 3rd November,2017

To Register, Click Here

Venue: Lugsam Nyamdrel Hall, Camp 1, Bylakuppe Tibetan Settlement, Karnataka