Basic HTML Version

|  | Table of Contents |  | View Full Version

Page 34 - The Indian EYE 051526
P. 34

    South                     The Indian Eye

                                  AMERICANNewsline

             34                                                                                                                    MAY 15, 2026
                                                               Q&A WITH JIGME TSERING

                   “Tibetan Cultural Diplomacy Has Been a Core

            Component of Our Activities Across Latin America”

                 igme Tsering assumed office as Representative                                         Sand  Mandala  tour  across  Argentina,  Colombia,
                 of  the  Office  of  Tibet  for  Latin  America  on                                   and Brazil. Geshe Dorjee Damdul, Director of Ti-
            JMarch 3, 2020, in São Paulo, Brazil, following a                                          bet House, New Delhi visited Brazil in 2023, while
            formal handover from his predecessor, Mr. Tsewang                                          Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi also visited for teach-
            Phuntso, in the presence of senior officials of the                                        ing engagements that year. Geshe Ngawang Phende
            Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). During his                                           participated in the Mystical Arts of Tibet delegation
            tenure, the Office of Tibet in Latin America under-                                        in 2024. Lama Glenn Mullin, Lama Rinchen Khy-
            took a broad range of activities aimed at strength-                                        enrab, Lama Padma Samten, Lama Karma Tartchin,
            ening  diplomatic  engagement,  institutional  part-                                       Lama Lodro Lhamo, Dr. Louis Héber, Ilana Gor-
            nerships, and the promotion of Tibetan culture and                                         ban etc also came to Tibet House Brasil and shared
            values across the region. In São Paulo, he also served                                     their knowledges.
            as Executive Director of Tibet House Brasil (THB),                                            During the Covid pandemic, Tenzin Choegyal
            an organization dedicated to preserving Tibetan cul-                                       and Dr. Tenzin Dorjee conducted online classes. Bra-
            ture in Latin America.                                                                     zilian Tibetan Buddhist lamas like and board mem-
                Tsering is a veteran Tibetan official with three                                       bers  also  delivered  talks  and  meditation  sessions.
            decades of experience in media, technology, admin-                                            What steps did you take for parliamentary diploma-
            istration, and public service. His work has focused                                        cy and political engagement in the region?
            on promoting Tibetan heritage, spirituality, and cul-                                         The  Office  placed  sustained  emphasis  on  en-
            tural  identity  through  institutional  leadership  and                                   gagement  with  national  legislatures,  government
            digital innovation.                           Jigme Tsering (left) with the famous Brazilian nun Monja Coen   institutions,  civil  society  organizations,  and  Tibet
                Previously, he served as Secretary of the Tibetan   (centre) and Lia Diskin of Palas Athenas at the Tibet House Brasil  support groups throughout Latin America.
            Public Service Commission cum Election Commis-                                                One major achievement was the establishment
            sion from 2016 to 2019, overseeing human resourc-  bia, Costa Rica, Argentina, and Mexico with a group   of the Mexican Parliamentary Group of Friends of
            es, recruitment, and training while promoting gover-  of five monks.                       Tibet, which institutionalized legislative support for
            nance rooted in Buddhist ethics and Tibetan cultural   His Holiness the 42nd Sakya Trizin visited Tibet   Tibet within the Mexican Congress. This initiative
            values.                                       House Brasil and consecrated the new office prem-  was  facilitated  through  coordinated  engagement
                From 2005 to 2016, he was Director of TibetOn-  ises in October 2023. Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche de-  between parliamentarians and Tibet support organi-
            lineTV and Editor-in-Chief of the CTA Audio Visu-  livered two formal teachings under the auspices of   zations, with the Office providing strategic guidance
            al Department, managing cultural and educational   Tibet House Brasil.                     and liaison support.
            programming and producing documentary archives.   Tenzin Namgyal Rinpoche visited Tibet House   As part of these efforts, members of legislatures
            Earlier,  he  led  the  Tibetan  Computer  Resource   Brasil and delivered a public lecture in 2024. Khen-  in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Chile, and Mexico sub-
            Center, supervising IT systems, networking, and Ti-  po Samdup and Lama Pema Dorjee also visited and   mitted letters of support to His Holiness the Dalai
            betan-language technological development, includ-  conducted meditation sessions and spiritual retreats.  Lama and the Kashag in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025.
            ing Tibetan script applications and digital tools.  Mr. Losang Samten and his wife carried out a   The letters reaffirmed respect for the Tibetan peo-
                Between 2020 and 2026, the Office of Tibet for                                         ple’s  religious  freedom  and  the  Tibetan  Buddhist
            Latin America implemented a coordinated program                                            community’s  exclusive  right  to  determine  matters
            of parliamentary diplomacy, cultural outreach, ed-                                         concerning the reincarnation of His Holiness.
            ucational  initiatives,  and  high-level  engagements.                                        Parliamentarians  from  the  region  also  signed
            These efforts strengthened institutional support for                                       appeals calling for the immediate release of the 11th
            Tibet and deepened relationships with governments,                                         Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, who was
            legislatures, academic institutions, civil society organi-                                 taken into custody by Chinese authorities with his
            zations, and spiritual communities across the region.                                      family at the age of six and has remained out of pub-
                In an exclusive interview with the Indian Eye,                                         lic view since then.
            Tsering spoke about his years in São Paulo and the                                            In October 2023, the Mexican Parliament hosted
            activities  organized  by  Tibet  House  Brasil  across                                    the official visit of Sikyong Penpa Tsering. The visit
            Latin America. Excerpts:                                                                   resulted in a parliamentary communiqué expressing
                What were the main events and activities organized                                     support for Tibet and reaffirming the importance of
            by THB since you assumed office as Executive Director                                      safeguarding Tibetan cultural, religious, and linguis-
            in 2020?                                                                                   tic heritage. The Office of Tibet coordinated the en-
                Since  2020,  around  180  events  and  programs                                       gagement in line with CTA policy priorities.
            have been organized.                                                                          In November 2022, the Representative under-
                The Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute con-                                           took an official visit to Chile to strengthen engage-
            ducted three official visits to Brazil and Argentina                                       ment with members of the Chilean Congress, mu-
            through delegations of doctors and astrologers. The                                        nicipal authorities, and Friends of Tibet Chile. The
            Mystical  Arts  of  Tibet  ensemble  undertook  two   Jigme Tsering with a Tibet supporter In Argentina   meetings enhanced parliamentary understanding of
            multi-country tours covering Brazil, Chile, Colom-                                                           Continued on next page... >>

                                                                   www.TheIndianEYE.com

| 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 |