South African Students to Meet Their Tibetan Peers
Thursday, 29 June 2006, 10:00 AM
South Africa: South African students from Morris Issacson High School and Lethukuthula Secondary School under Gauteng, and St. Benedict School and Mengeni High School under KwaZulu-Natal are scheduled to visit Tibetan Children’s Village schools in Dharamshala, India, for a period of three-weeks in July 2006.
The visit is taking place under the South Africa/Tibet Cultural Exchange Programme and is jointly organised by the African Cultural Heritage Trust and the Office of Tibet, Pretoria.
When His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited South Africa in November 2004, he laid a great emphasis on preservation and sharing of the rich cultural and traditional values of the people of South Africa and Tibet.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s advise was soon followed by the first visit of five Tibetan students and a teacher to the above mentioned South African schools in October 2005.
Besides interacting with South African students and teachers in the schools and learning a great deal of South African culture,the Tibetan students presented Tibetan traditional songs, dances, costumes as well as the political situation of Tibet.
On 1 July 2006 one student each from the above South African schools accompanied by Mr John Sithole, Chairman of the African Cultural Heritage Trust (ACHT), will visit India.
The South African students are excited and eager to exhibit African culture to thousands of Tibetan students in India. They are also keen to learn the Tibetan traditional values and culture, which they will be present to their schoolmates on their return to South Africa.
Mr. John Sithole, Chairman of the ACHT says “It is very important for South Africa’s younger generation to learn and preserve the cultural and traditional values of their own country as well as of other countries. Tibet being a country possessing rich cultural and traditional values, I hope the South African students will derive benefit from this visit”.
Report sent by the Office of Tibet, Pretoria
(www.tibet.net is the official website of the Central Tibetan Administration.)