North American Tibet Movement to Coordinate Efforts
New York 16 November: Representatives of Tibet Support Groups (TSG) in the United States and Canada met Saturday and Sunday in New York to exchange experiences and discuss ways and means of building a mechanism for coordination and generating a consensus for a strong common focus toward which all the North American TSGs would work together in their own ways.
Organised jointly by the Office of Tibet in New York and the International Tibet Support Network (ITSN), the Conference of North American Tibet Support Groups was attended by 47 delegates. Noting with satisfaction the equal representation of Tibetans and non-Tibetans at this conference, the delegates emphasised the need for Tibetans to play leadership role in the TSG movement. Beginning with brief presentations by all TSGs of their current structures, campaigns and the challenges and opportunities, the conference focused its attention on exploring avenues for greater networking and collaboration among the North American TSGs. They vowed to step up the Tibet movement and identified certain campaigns toward which all the North American TSGs would collaborate and coordinate their efforts in the coming year or so.
Expressing deep concerns over the fate of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, the conference agreed to declare 2 December 2004 as the “Action Day for Tenzin Delek Rinpoche”, and decided on a number of activities that would be undertaken throughout North America on that day. In his message to the conference, His Holiness the Dalai Lama praised the “sincerity and dedication” of TSGs as being “a source of great inspiration for the Tibetan people” Referring to the “frank and cordial atmosphere” in which the third Tibetan delegation had held exchanges of views with the Chinese leadership, His Holiness said he considered it critically important “not only to maintain these contacts, but also to build on them with a view to engaging eventually in substantive negotiations on the issue of Tibet”. The Kashag’s message expressed appreciation to the TSGs “who continue to work for the cause of the Tibetan people with determination and consistency”.
“It is because of your efforts that we have been able to bring the sad and tragic situation of the Tibetan people to the conscience of the international community,” the Kashag’s message said. Nawang Rabgyal, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to North America, expressed his gratitude to the TSGs for their “unwavering concern, commitment and dedication for the cause of six million Tibetans”.
He also thanked the ITSN for its support in “making this conference possible”. This conference was held not because “we wish ill for the Chinese people and nation”, Rabgyal said. “We are here in this conference because we believe that the Chinese government’s current policy toward Tibet is wrong and fraught with danger for both China and Tibet. Most of all, we are here because we believe in the righteousness of truth and non-violence,” Rabgyal added.
ITSN Co-chair Nima Dorjee commented on the tremendous public support and sympathy generated by the Tibetan movement, and said, “Now it is time to move this sympathy into action for Tibet.”
Dorjee called on the Tibet support movement to “work in cooperation and collaborate in its action to affect change in Tibet”. “Ultimately, we must create an environment for Tibetans to be able to determine their own future,” he said in his concluding remark to the conference. Just three weeks earlier, the Office of Tibet organised a meeting of the Tibetan associations in North America. Amongst other things, the delegates of that meeting acknowledged the need for Tibetans to join the TSG movement and play robust roles in its campaigns.
Report Courtesy OoT, New York