By Phuntsok Yangchen
DHARMASHALA, January 14: The Department of Information and International Relations of Tibetan government in exile (known officially as the Central Tibetan Administration) today began its three-day Community Trainers workshop on Middle Way Approach (Umaylam), the official policy of the administration to resolve the issue of Tibet through dialogue, at the Community Hall, Tibetan Settlement Office here in McLeod Ganj.
The three-day workshop is being attended by representatives from various Tibetan NGOs and Tibetan institutes including Tibetan Medical and Astro. Institute, Norbulingka Insititute, Tibet Charity, Tibetan Women’s Association and Tibetan People’s Movement for Middle Way.
Tsering Wangchuk, Joint Secretary of Department of Information and International Relations called the workshop more of a “discussion platform.” “We will try to keep it as interactive as possible by encouraging more discussion and brainstorming rather than individuals talking at a stretch.”
Similar workshops had already been conducted in the past for officials of Tibetan government in exile, senior students and teachers of TCV Suja and settlement leaders of Bir and Chauntra. The department also plans to carry out similar workshops in other Tibetan settlements across India in the near future.
Speakers at the workshop include Secretaries of Department of Information and International Relations Sonam Norbu Dagpo, who was part of the Tibetan delegation headed by Lodi Gyari for talks with China, and Tashi Phuntsok.
The Middle Way Approach, proposed by the Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama and adopted by the Tibetan parliament in exile, is the official policy of the Tibetan administration which continues to seek dialogue with China on the issue of Tibet.
The Tibetan Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay reiterated his administration’s commitment to the policy recently at the conclusion of the 27th meeting of the Tibetan Task Force, a body set up in 1999 to assist the Dalai Lama’s envoys in the dialogue process with the Chinese government.
The last round of talks between the Envoys of the Dalai Lama and representatives from the Chinese United Front Work Department was held five years ago in January 2010. Since then, China has refused to meet the Tibetan representatives.
In May 2012, the two Envoys of the Dalai Lama, who had led nine rounds of talks with China since 2002, resigned citing the deteriorating situation inside Tibet and their “utter frustration” over the lack of positive response from China.
