Vancouver, Canada: The President of the CTA Dr Lobsang Sangay who is on an official visit to the US and Canada arrived in Vancouver on 21 May. Earlier that day Dr Sangay met with dignitaries at the US capital Washington DC in relation to the USAID.
In Vancouver, Dr Sangay met with a senior official at the Indian Consulate General and raised the VISA related issues being faced by Tibetans in Vancouver and Calgary while travelling back and forth India. The senior official assured to discuss the matter with related officials and to resolve the issues at the earliest.
Dr Sangay also met and interacted with the Tibetan community and members of the Tibetan Cultural Society. The gathering that saw over 150 attendees and guests commenced with a traditional welcome, lamp lighting and Mandal offering by Dr Sangay. The gathering also saw a cultural performance by young Tibetan children.
Acknowledging and thanking the members of guest for their sponsorship and tireless volunteer service towards the Tibetan Resettlement Project, Dr Sanagy presented them with white ceremonial scarfs.
Dr Sangay reassured the audience of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s well being and His Holiness’s reaffirmation to live well beyond 100 years at the recent Life Long Offering Ceremony in Dharamsala. He also reiterated the importance of having the knowledge of one’s own history and also of culture and language and thereby urged the younger Tibetan growing up in Canada to take part in the weekend Tibetan language schools. Iterating the strength of Unity and Harmony of the Tibetan community, Dr Sangay encouraged the community to maintain the same. The address also briefed on CTA Departments’ recent initiatives and the ongoing infrastructure development in the CTA.
During this visit Dr Sangay also met with the First Nation’s Grand Chief Ed John, an Indigenous leader who has dedicated his life advocating equality and justice for Canada’s Indigenous people and Matilde Bernabei, the Vice Chair of the Canada Tibetan Committee, an NGO that seeks to promote human rights and democratic freedoms of the Tibetan people.
In another meeting with a group of sponsors, Dr Sangay acknowledged and thanked the sponsors for their help and support in resettlements of Tibetans in Canada. Other meetings include interaction with media and meeting with Michael Lansky, the founder and CEO of Terra Braids, artisan bread and pastry bakery with Tibetan employees a part of its workforce.
Dr Sangay is scheduled to deliver the commencement address to the Santa Fe Indian School’s graduating class of 2019 in Sante Fe, US tomorrow.
-Filed by Tenzin Lhakmon, Communication Officer, Sikyong Office
