Tibetan Parlimentary & Policy Research Centre

The Tibetan Parliamentary and Policy Research Centre based in New Delhi, funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) successfully concluded a 8 day long 6^th An objective and practical program for school students titled: Introducing the Tibetan Democracy in Exile and Situation of Tibet at Staff Mess, Gangkyi in Dharamsala from December 24 – 31, 2009. The workshop was attended by 90 students and 14 teachers from 19 different schools and institution.

The main objective of this workshop was to introduce students about the Tibetan democracy in exile and situation of Tibet. To make the students understand thoroughly the structure and functions of Tibetan exile government based in Dharamsala. It also aimed at helping the Tibetan students to have a better knowledge about the achievements, failure and the future prospects of the three pillar of democracy in the exile Tibetan governance and making them more responsible Tibetans. To make the students understand about the current political situation and present human rights situation inside Tibet. To impart the importance of maintaining the religious and moral ethos to preserve the Tibetan identity.

This year we have made slight changes in the arrangement of program during the workshop. Instead of introducing the organisational structure of Tibetan Government in Exile and Non-Governmental Organisation in details, we stress more on panel discussion on the different topics such as achievement, failure and the future prospects of the three pillar of democracy in the exile Tibetan governance, future responsibility of Tibetan youth towards their own community, discussion on “why election commission, public service commission and the office of the auditor general are kept as autonomous bodies in the exile democratic governance” and present human rights situation inside Tibet and China’s harsh treatment toward political prisoner.

Students were taken on tour to major institutes of CTA including all the department and autonomous bodies in and around Gangkyi, Dharamsala. A set of questionnaires were distributed to all the students at the beginning and at the end of the workshop to evaluate the level of their awareness regarding the structure and the functions of CTA and Tibetan NGOs & Media. After analyzing their response, it reveals that the workshop proved to be beneficial and productive as illustrated in the table below: