New York: Education Kalon Dr Pema Yangchen visited Madison, Chicago, and New York from 25-30 July after successfully concluding ‘workshop for Tibetan Language Teachers in North America’ in Minnesota.
She addressed the Tibetan Community of Madison at Deer Park Buddhist Center where she reminded the Tibetans that one of the main reasons for coming into exile is to preserve Tibetan language and culture, which is denied in Tibet. She has also met with Carmen Romero, Director of Cultural Linguistic Services of the University of Wisconsin. The Director briefed her about the activities of Tibetan translation and interpreter services available in the university and offered to collaborate in whatever way possible.
On the next day, Dr Pema Yangchen visited Chicago where the students of the Tibetan Language and Cultural School performed spectacular Cultural shows. In her address to the Tibetan community, she said that the reason why children learn English so easily in the US is that of the conducive environment. Therefore, In order for Children to learn Tibetan language, it is must to create a favourable atmosphere for the children.
On her last leg of a tour in the US, she was warmly welcomed at JFK airport in New York on 27 July by the president and the board members of Tibetan Community of NY&NJ, Principal and the teachers of Tibetan Language and Cultural School. In the evening she attended the dinner reception hosted by Chinese Friends to honor her, the Representative Ngodup Tsering and Kunga Tashi, outgoing Chinese Laison officer of the Office of Tibet. Over a hundred Chinese friends attended the dinner gathering.
The Kalon was invited to New York for the workshop of Tibetan Language teachers as one of the resource person. The workshop is organised by the Office of Tibet and Tibetan community of NY&NJ and forty-one teachers attended it. While sharing their feedback, representatives of teachers expressed that they found the workshop extremely useful and requested to organise such workshop again in the near future. The representative Ngodup Tsering also addressed at the inaugural and concluding function of the workshop. The other two resource persons are Tsering Samdup, Director of Education Council of CTA and Tenzing Nuba, retired public school English teacher from Los Angeles.
On the request of Tibetan Community of NY&NJ-the largest Tibetan Association in North America, The Kalon and the Representative attended and addressed the handing over a function of the Association’s board members. In their address, both of them stressed on maintaining unity among the Tibetans. The gathering was attended by about 80 representatives of various Tibetan organisations in New York.
Tsering Tashi, Secretary of Office of Tibet and Tsering Samdup, Director of Education Council of CTA accompanied the Kalon throughout the tour. She has left for Ottawa for various engagements in the city.
-Report filed by OoT, Washington DC-