Northern Europe’s Tibetan Communities Gather in Copenhagen for Strategic Meeting.

Copenhagen: The Office of Tibet, London, convened a gathering of the Chairpersons of the Tibetan Communities under their work jurisdiction in Copenhagen as part of the Second Meeting of the Local-based Civil Society Organisations on 1 February 2025. The meeting was held to discuss and compare work done by the different communities to help strengthen the cohesiveness of the Tibetan society, plan purposeful activities for the upcoming Year of Compassion, better advocate for Tibet in the corridors of power and ascertain ways for increasing the Tibetan voluntary contribution collections in their respective countries.

The day-long meeting was held inside the Gefion Gymnasium, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 københavn K, a venue organised by local co-hosts, the Tibetan Community in Denmark.

The Chairpersons of the Tibetan Communities in Britain (TCB), Sweden (TCS), Norway (TCN) and local co-hosts Denmark, along with the UK Coordinator for Voluntary Tibet Advocacy Group, attended the meeting. 24 Tibetans living locally in Copenhagen, including many young Tibetans, participated in the meeting.

In her opening remarks at the start of the meeting, Representative Tsering Yangkey welcomed all the participants and underlined the significance of the meeting. She expressed her happiness at seeing so many young participants and urged the community leaders to encourage and support the youth in taking initiatives for the Tibetan cause and community. Representative urged the Tibetan parents to create a favourable environment for their children to understand and stay connected with Tibetan identity and cultural heritage by making the effort to always speak in Tibetan language at home.

Tenzin Zeydhan, Under Secretary and Accountant at the Office of Tibet, London, led a session about the importance and workings of the Tibetan Voluntary Contribution book (Green Book) and provided explanations and clarifications to the many questions raised by the participants.

Dr Tara Urquhart, UK National Coordinator for Voluntary Tibet Advocacy Group, held two separate sessions with the youth participants, during which she introduced them to the VTAG and gave a basic introduction to the structure and functioning of the Central Tibetan Administration. Following the presentation and discussions, the youth better understood their role as advocates for Tibet, some of whom promised to initiate events to create more awareness about Tibet in Denmark.

The Office of Tibet, London, encouraged more participation from Tibetan students in Northern Europe in Tibetan cultural exchange programs in India and the Young Tibetan Educational Club (Y-TEC) in the UK to help the youth connect more with their Tibetan roots. The representatives of Denmark, Norway and Sweden considered reviving the Tibetan Scandinavia Summer & Winter Camp, which if implemented, would be a good outcome from the meeting, as this helps in bonding and community cohesion.

This meeting was a follow-up to a similar meeting convened in Stockholm, Sweden, in June 2023.

At the end of the meeting, the Tibetan Community in Denmark hosted a Tibetan dinner for all the meeting participants, providing yet another platform for further informal discussions and networking.

“We discussed many matters relating to the Tibetan diaspora in Northern Europe and creative ways to elevate Tibet to the top of the agenda. I am encouraged by the enthusiasm and potential among the Tibetan community, especially the youth.” Representative Tsering Yangkey concluded.