YOTA Youth Conference, 2006

“I was introduced to Initiatives of Change at the YOTA youth conference, I am in a job which pays me good but I hate the environment I work in, so I have given my resignation and now I want to follow my dreams and take up the work I wanted to do for many years but feared risking my current job”.


The above feedback was recently received by YOTA and highlights the main focus of the conference: to motivate and galvanise our youths to grasp opportunities and make a better future for themselves.

YOTA (Youth Opportunity Trust Asia) recently organised a groundbreaking Tibetan Youth Conference at Panchgani, Pune from Oct 9th-14th, 2006. The venue of the conference was MRA- Initiatives of Change, Asia Plateau, a picturesque and serene place perfectly suited for holding such an innovative and exciting event. There were over 100 young Tibetans, comprising of graduates and undergraduates from across India.

The conference focused on the themes of motivation, confidence building and career development with emphasis on goal setting and how to take responsibility for your future. Mr. Alan Clements, chairman of YOTA presided over the six day conference. An inspiring personal message from His Holiness The Dalai Lama to the participants of the conference was read out at the inauguration ceremony. (For the complete message, please visit this link.)

The high calibre of speakers included Mr V.C Vishwanathan, a corporate motivation guru, Kunsang Tenzin, an established Tibetan businessman, Ven.Geshe Lhakdor, former translator to His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Ms. Youdon Aukatsang, a Tibetan parliamentarian, Mr. Neichute Doulo, Entrepreneurs Associates, Mr. Viral Mazumdar, youth coordinator MRA-IOC and a businessman, Mr. R D Mathur, former Director MRA-IOC, Tenzin Tsundue; writer, poet and Tibetan activist, Mr. Fredrick Hyde-Chambers, acting Chairman Tibet Relief Fund and Col SS Singh, Managing Trustee YOT.

The conference kicked off with a stimulating warm up session by the charismatic Tenzin Tsundue which set the mood for the coming days. In the evening there were some fun ice breaking games and group activities to prepare the participants for what lay ahead. Each day then began with a morning meditation and quiet time followed by a session with the primary speaker of the day, lively group discussions on the topic of the day and ended with a debriefing given by participants. There were also two afternoons of hiking to the Asia Plateau and a picnic in Mahabaleshwar, where participants indulged themselves in boating and finally ended up all drenched in water!

The sessions given by V C Vishwanathan and Youdon Aukatsang focussed on the importance of attitude, belief and commitment in life. Many of the participants shared their views and strongly expressed their concerns. Many different issues were raised. In particular problems such as having been recruited and selected by a foreign company, the difficulties encountered when getting a work permit and visa on Identity Card (IC), which is supposedly the equivalent to a passport for Tibetans; problems in getting a job in international airlines such as air hostess due to lack of Indian passport, again the IC does not seem to be acceptable; business licensing obstacles encountered in settlements. There were many more points and areas of concern made, and it was evidently very valued to be able to make these points to Youdon, a newly elected young Tibetan parliamentarian

Inspiring personal stories by Kunsang Tenzin and Suresh Mazumdar, two well established businessmen, motivated the participants with the zeal to face challenges. Ven Geshe Lhakdor gave a very enlightening introduction to Buddhism and elaborated on how one could achieve success by culminating simple human qualities of compassion, love and hard work. One of the participants said, “despite the fact that we get basic Buddhist education in school, I have never come across anyone who could relate to the mindset of a young Tibetan through Buddhism and someone who could be as effective as Geshe Lhakdor la in explaining it to us”.

Neichute Doulo spoke about entrepreneurship and how entrepreneurial qualities could be relevant even for those who are not involved in businesses. There were sessions by Alan Clements where a lively brainstorming discussion about the aspirations of a young Tibetan, the key area of problems and possible solutions to them was had.

The final night of the conference couldn’t have been more memorable with a candlelit dinner arranged and served by the organisers, followed by a fun filled cultural evening where all participants showcased their talents! The closing ceremony ended with the distribution of certificates, pictures and gifts. Participants submitted their feedbacks at the end and bid adieu to each other. A glint in their eyes expressed how much they are going to miss their short stay at Panchgani.

Youth Opportunity Trust Asia is an independent organisation working for the empowerment of Tibetan youths. It organises training projects, workshops, conferences and supports young entrepreneurs.

You can reach YOTA at www.youthopportunity.org or you can email us at info@youthopportunity.org.