It was my honor and privilege to be part of the Annual Youth Conference “Let’s make a difference” (LMAD) organized by Initiative of Change, Asia plateau. The conference for young leaders aims at strengthening moral values, self-introspection and inner conscience and is widely participated by youths from across the country and other nations every year. I always had the desire to be part of this conference as it was highly recommended by my friends who attended before through ENVISION. I appreciate Empowering the Vision Project (ENVISION) for the opportunities and support it provides to Tibetan youth. This year I had the good fortune to be of the LMAD 2016 conference along with nine other Tibetan students, shortlisted and financed by ENVISION (only a min. return fare (one way) is to be borne by the participant). The Conference inspired me to be a contributing member of society and helped discover myself from within. (About the Conference, the format and more, please follow the links: http://www.lmad.in)
The conference was held at Asia plate
au located in Panchgani, Pune. This place was a treat for us as we got to experience the serene, green and simple life compared to today’s crowded and concrete living. Everybody enjoyed their stay, falling in love with the beauty and the pleasant weather found there. We were just so overjoyed to find ourselves in a commune where meaningful living was emphasized.
Initial few days were quite challenging as we had to follow the ‘early to bed and early rise’ routine and also we weren’t allowed to use/keep any digital or cellular device with us during the course of the conference. But we really challenged ourselves, overcame our discomfort to imbibe this habit of getting up early and disconnecting digitally. ‘Quiet time’ and ‘Inner voice’ are two important aspects of the conference. Quiet time was practiced to be able to center our thoughts without interruption and to hear our inner voice. We spent some time in silence every day to listen to our inner voice to understand what we are from within and questioned ourselves on what is good for us and how we can bring changes. We are so carried away with our busy lives that we often failed to respect the emotion of family and loved ones. The whole process of quiet time was rejuvenating as it nourishes our soul and replenishes our energy. At LMAD, we were given a platform to share our most personal stories regarding family and other relationships. After realizing their misdeeds, many broke down regretting the hurt it may have caused the other… many made commitments to reconcile with people they have differences with. The day concluded with a feeling of gratitude to our family and loved ones for all the sacrifices and hard work that they have done for us.
‘Power of One’ was one of the most inspiring sessions. The organisers invited inspirational speakers to address the participants, speakers who have dedicated their lives toward building the nation and to mankind. They shared real life experiences, struggles and their contribution toward bringing changes in the society. The ‘Power of Individual’ was best represented by these personalities who in their own unique way have contributed for the betterment of community and society at large.
There was another interesting session where we got the opportunity to write a “Letter to Yourself” in which we state the commitments and best practices adopted by us for enriching our own life, building it for better and that of the society at large. Our coordinators collected the letters and we were told that these letters would be posted to our respective address to remind us about our commitments and to relive those days at Asia plateau. Since I have never done such things before, I am eagerly looking forward for that letter to arrive to push me and to reiterate the commitment made there. 
I have never come across such an amazing programme where everything was managed with such heart and love. Everyone associated with the organisation, even volunteers are so enthusiastic and selfless in serving the vision. Even after years of running this programmes, the legacy of disciplined life and values are still intact and much celebrated.
This conference, I believe, has shaped everyone’s life in a unique manner. I have adopted a whole new approach to life and learned to acknowledge my past mistakes and found ways to address them, unknown to me earlier. I sensed varying degrees of positive vibes generating from within and also noticed changes in most of the participants in the course of the time spent there. I would definitely make efforts to continue the practice of ‘quiet time’ and constant introspection of self for my growth and that of our society collectively.
This amazing experience as an LMAD participant wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Empowering the Vision Project team. I can’t possibly put into words how thankful I am for their encouragement and support in empowering young Tibetans like me. This was a unique journey that I hope has changed me for the better and I encourage more Tibetan youngsters to enlist participation next year.
Lobsang Dolma, LMAD Participant, 2016