By Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, April 10: The exile Tibetan government, known officially as the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), on Monday launched a document- Vision Paper, Securing Tibet’s Future, that sets all of the 16th Kashag’s (Cabinet) future vision for the CTA and its stakeholders in the coming years. The launch was attended by delegations from funding outfits such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Tibet Fund, National Democratic Institute and staffs of CTA.
This document is divided into three main sections; resolving the Sino-Tibet conflict through the Middle-Way Policy, the welfare of Tibetans-in-exile, and enhancing CTA’s administration efficiency and capacity, whose guiding principles are based on equitable justice, cooperative effort and moving forward.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the executive head of the CTA, stated that the 16th Kashag, over the past two years, has managed to develop the “guiding document” based on the commitment made during his campaign and is a product of an extensive consultation where the perspectives and views of Tibetans communities and leaders around the world are incorporated to assure unified approach taken on by the CTA to better connect with its global population. He also urged all the civil servants of the CTA and the general public to read and understand the document’s contents, which will help to bridge and align the Tibetan community dispersed across 25 countries under a common and strategic vision through self-determination and self-governance.
Speaking on the Vision Paper, the Cabinet Secretary, Tsegyal Chukya Dranyi, said that all the departments should consider and follow the Vision Paper as a basis for developing and implementing future policies in programs laid by the Kashag. “The Kashag is fully committed to following the vision and wisdom of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in finding a non-violent, mutually beneficial, negotiated and lasting solution to the Sino-Tibet conflict through the Middle-Way Policy,” he remarked.
The USAID Mission Director to India, Veena Reddy, who has been instrumental in developing the Vision Paper remarked, “US AID has been proud to work with the Tibetans and CTA to support the resilience and self-reliance of the Tibetan community, particularly those living in India and Nepal. As you know, this has been a long-standing Bi-partisan consensus within the US to support the Tibetan community to advance human rights and dignity of all Tibetans and to help preserve its linguistic, cultural and religious identity.”
