Bylakuppe Hosts First Tibetan National General Meeting [Friday, 27 August 2010, 9:03 a.m.]

Dharamshala:
Around 450 Tibetan delegates have gathered at the Tibetan settlement in
Bylakuppe in South India’s Karnataka State for the first National
General meeting which began yesterday.The delegates consist of
members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, members of the Kashag,
representatives of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon,
representatives of local Tibetan assemblies, general public,
Bod-Rangwang Denpai Legul Tsockchung, NGOs, schools, Tibetan doctors,
scholars and social activists.During the 6-day meeting, the
delegates will discuss a wide range of issues such as political
affairs, promotion of democracy, religion, culture, sustenance of
settlements, education, health, economy, welfare of Tibetans living in
scattered communities and resolution of the issue of Tibet through the
Middle-Way Approach.The delegates will be divided into 8 sub-committees to discuss on these issues.In
his opening remarks, Mr Penpa Tsering, Speaker of the Tibetan
Parliament-in-Exile, said: “Since the delegates are given choice to
join sub-committees in accordance to their nature of their
responsibility and interest during this meeting, we hope they will use
the best of their skill and intelligence to make the meeting
meaningful.”The Speaker called on the delegates to give suggestions with sound knowledge of the issues concerned.In
his address, Kalon Tripa Samdong Rinpoche said: “The Tibetan community
in exile unlike other refugee communities has become one of most
exemplary and successful establishment in terms of society, education
and health among others.”“However, the sustenance of the
present condition of Tibetans in exile will solely depend on the
Tibetan people’s collective merit and their way of thinking and moral
behaviour,” he added.Kalon Tripa said the Tibetan community in
exile maintained a good amount of sustainability in terms of 
livelihood and social stability after gradually tiding over the
problems of exile from 1959 until 1970s. But since 1980s and
particularly in the last two decades, this positive trend has undergone
great changes. These changes needs to be assessed and discussed during
this meeting. He further said if these issues are not tackled
properly, the fate of the entire Tibetan people in general and
particularly of those in exile will be seriously affected.Kalon
Tripa underlined the need for serious deliberations on strengthening
efforts to achieve specialisation in education, population growth,
self-reliant community and to check degeneration of ethical behaviour. 
(Click here to read full statement of the Kashag in Tibetan).The
final recommendation will be presented in the presence of His Holiness
the Dalai Lama during the closing ceremony on 31 August.The
opening session began with a minute’s silence as a mark of respect for
the people affected by the recent natural calamities in Tibet and other
parts of the world.More pictures of the opening ceremony:

Speaker and deputy speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and Kalon Tripa Samdong Rinpoche lead a ceremonial procession during the opening session of the first Tibetan National General Meeting at Dickyi Larsoe Tibetan settlement in Bylakuppe in South India on 27 August

Delegates of the first Tibetan National General Meeting outside the community hall – the meeting venue