GUIDELINES FOR WORKSHOPS
Themes for Group 1,2 and 3 are:
A) GOVERNMENT AND PARLIAMENTARY INITIATIVE To formulate strategies for increased support by world governments and parliaments.
B) Increasing Support from Developing countries
To formulate strategies to enhance support from this region
GOVERNMENT AND PARLIAMENTARY INITIATIVE
To formulate strategies for increased support by world governments and parliaments
Tibet was an independent state at the time of the military invasion (1949 - 50) and remains under the illegal occupation of communist China till date. The present Government Of Tibet In Exile is the re-constituted government of independent Tibet, and is recognised as the legitimate Government of Tibet by the Tibetans in and outside Tibet.
Parliaments around the world are increasingly recognising the Government-of Tibetin-exile as the legitimate government of Tibet and His Holiness the Dalai Lama who heads this government as the real representative of the Tibetan people. For instance, both the US Congress and the European Parliament have in their resolutions recognised the Government of Tibet in exile as the legitimate and authentic government of Tibet.
The following may be some points for discussion.
i) to receive His Holiness the Dalai Lama and officials of his government as the legitimate representatives of the Tibetan people.
ii) to impress upon the Chinese government and its people the importance of starting negotiations with His Holinness the Dalai Lama or his representatives without preconditions in all bilateral or multilateral contacts with China.
iii) to impress on the world governments and parliaments to urge China to put an end to the population transfer of the Chinese people into Tibet;
iv) to persuade their respective governments to stop aiding China for projects in Tibet which are likely to:
- a) result in Chinese population transfer or which would sustain and encourage China's population transfer strategy into Tibet,
- b) projects which threaten the environment and violate the human rights of the Tibetan people.'
v) to build pressure on their governments and parliaments to urge China to release Gedhun Choeky Nyima, the boy duly recognised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama from detention, and to ensure that he receives a proper religious education;
vi) to raise the issue of Tibet at the International Parliamentarians Union (IPU) and other similar organisations;
vii) to lobby for more parliamentary hearings on Tibet and adopt resolutions to recognise Tibet as an illegally occupied country.
INCREASING SUPPORT FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
To formulate strategies to enhance support from this region
It is evident that support for the Tibetan movement has been strong in the western part of the world. It is time that we look to the developing nations in particular to the South Asian countries for their support in this struggle. In this regard can the Buddhist Dharma Centre's play a pivotal role in South East Asia? Can we at all sensitise the governments of the developing nations to the Tibetan cause, if so how?
Group 1
Moderator: Marino Busdachin, Radical Party
Rapporeur: Dr. Uwe Meya, Vice President Tibet Initiative Deutschland
Language: English Russian
Group 2:
Moderator: Jean Paul Ribes, President, Committee for the Support of the People of Tibet, France
Rapporteur: Piero Verni, President Italian Tibet Association
Language: English French
Group 3
Moderator: Tim Nunn, President Tibet Support Group UK
Rapporteur: Marco Antonio Karam, President Casa Tibet Mexico
Language: English Spanish
Themes for Group 4,5 and 6 are:
A) TSG Networking
To formulate strategies for a co-ordinated network amongst Tibet Support Groups
B) Economic Development Initiatives in Tibet
To formulate strategies to promote economic development in Tibet for Tibetans
C) Specific Campaigns
To organise specific campaigns for targeted endsA)TSG NETWORKING
To formulate strategies for a co-ordinated network amongst Tibet Support Groups
Some points which you may like to consider during the course of your discussion:
To set up a "desk" to guide, assist and monitor the strategies laid down in this conference or to form an international advisory body either comprising of TSG members or officials of the Tibetan administration or any other agency;
To introduce regular drive for increasing membership;
To introduce a journal covering TSG news world-wide, or to send material to every issue of the Tibet Bulletin which will carry a special write up on the TSG activities. Introduce more frequent TSG meetings, say every two years.
B) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES IN TIBET
To formulate strategies to promote economic development in Tibet for Tibetans
From a pristine state in 1950, Tibet the "Roof of the World" must today be placed close to tile peak of the global list of endangered environment and economic deprivation with exhaustive transitional impact.
Pushed aside by aggressive Chinese entrepreneurs, China's economic blitzkrieg of Tibet in recent years has succeeded in marginalising Tibetans from the mainstream of economic development in Tibet. If this trend continues, Tibet might become prosperous, but it will not be Tibetan prosperity.
The following points may be considered for discussion:
i) Strategies for a stronger campaign to stop international aid to projects in Tibet which encourages Chinese migration into Tibet,
ii) Strategies to help Tibetans in Tibet halt the continuing deterioration of their traditional social values (prevent Tibetans from exposure to AIDS, drugs etc.)
iii) Organise visits to Tibet by TSGs, to undertake research on human rights, environment, etc.
C) SPECIFIC CAMPAIGNS
To organise specific campaigns for targeted ends
Below are a few probable campaigns which the TSG's may like to jointly adopt for implementation. For a greater political impact it is felt that the campaigns adopted should as far as possible be accepted by all the TSGs for onward implementation in their respective countries.
The campaigns listed below are of importance to the entire freedom struggle. Following points may be considered for discussion:
i) The UN has passed three resolutions on Tibet, urging China to respect the fundamental rights of the Tibetan people, including their right to self determination. A campaign should be launched to pressurise the UN to implement its own resolutions on Tibet;
ii) To draw out strategies to launch a Satyagraha or a civil disobedience movement inside Tibet. How can we introduce this movement in Tibet?
iii) Campaign to strengthen the Chinese Democratic Movement. Can there be a closer co-operation between the TSGs and CDMs and how can we strengthen this movement?
iv) Commence a letter campaign aimed at business houses investing in China,
v) A campaign to be launched in Tibet through mass literature to be distributed in Tibet to actively discourage Tibetans from either selling or contracting land, buildings, apartments or rooms to new Chinese settlers since most of the land is used by the Chinese settlers to grow vegetables or other foodstuff that the Chinese need, and this encourages the Chinese to come to Tibet.
vii) Launch a campaign for the adoption of political prisoners etc. Group 4
Moderator: Thupten Samdup, Chairman Canada-Tibet Committe Rapporteur: Dr. Andrey A. Terentyev, Editor "Buddhism in Russia"
Language: English Russian
Group 5
Moderator: Nachman Alon, Chairman Friends of Tibet Israel
Rapporteur: Anders Anderson, Executive Member, TSG, Denmark
Language: English French
Group 6
Moderator: Steward Johnson, Chairman Australia Tibet Council
Rapporteur: Dr. Anand Kumar, Secretary Indo-Tibet Friendship Society
Language: English Spanish
Note: Presentation of the six group reports will take place at the Plenary hall at the Wasserwerk Building.
Second International Conference of Tibet Support Groups Wasserwerk Bonn, Germany 15th-17th June 1996
14th June 1996
14.00 - 18.00hrs Registration at Hotel Scandic Crown
Address: Berliner Freiheit 2
53111 Bonn
Tel: +49 (0228) 2698-0
Fax:+49 (0228) 2698-222
19.30hrs Dinner reception hosted by the Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung (for delegates and invited guests only)
Venue: Hotel Scandic Crown
Chief Guest: Mr. Rolf Berndt, Executive Trustee,
Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung
15th June 1996
All TSG participants and honoured guests are requested to take their seats at the old Plenary Hall, Wasserwerk building by 08.00 hrs
08.15hrs Invocation by Buddhist Monks
Welcome address by Kalon Tashi Wangdi, Kalon In-charge of Information and International Relations, Government of Tibet in Exile
Inaugural address by the Chairman of the Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung Dr. Otto Graf Lamsdorff (MP)
Messages from Parliamentarians
Address by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
10.00-10.30hrs Coffee break
Panel Session 1: Tibet and its Future
10.30 hrs Opening Remarks by the Moderator Lodi Gyari, President, International Campaign for Tibet, Washington, DC
10.40-11.00 hrs Sino Tibetan Dialogue
Address by Kalon Tashi Wangdi
11.00-11.20 hrs Democracy and Future Tibet
Address by Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, Chairman of Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies
12.20-11.35 hrs TSG: Its Achievements and Expansion
Address by Mr. Tempa Tsering, Secretary Department of Information
and International Relations, Government of Tibet in Exile
11.35-13.00 hrs Discussion
13.00-13.15 hrs Closing Remarks by the Moderator
13.15-14.15 hrs Lunch
Panel session II: Resume of Activities and Support Programmes
14.30- hrsOpening Remarks by the Moderator. Dr. Jan Anderson, Former Editor 'Tibet Forum'
14.40-14.50 hrs Presentation of Strategies and Action Plan
Dr. Jürgen Axer, Regional Representative South Asia, Friedrich-Naumann Stiftung,
14.50-15.00 hrs Presentation of Lobbying Strategies Tim Nunn, President Tibet Support Group UK
15.00-15.10 hrs Presentation on Campaigning and Networking
Steward Johnson, Chairman Australia Tibet Council
15.10-15.20 hrs Presentation on "Dealing with the Media"
John Ackerley, Director International Campaign for Tibet,
Washington
17.00 hrs Discussion
17.15 hrs Summing up by the Moderator
17.15-17.45 hrs Introduction to group work
Moderator: Dr. Michael van Walt van Praag, Secretary General,
Unrepresented Nations and People's Organisation (UNPO) Hague, Netherlands
18.00 hrs Coffee break
19.30 hrs Group work begins
Venue: working rooms at the Langer Eugen
16th June 1996
09.00-13.15 hrs Group work continues
Venue: Langer Eugen
13.15-14.15 hrs Lunch
14.15-15.00 hrs Group works continues
15.00-16.00 hrs Compilation of group reports
Information Market: display of TSG information and activities
16.00 hrs All TSG participants to assemble at the old Plenary Hall, Wasserwerk building
16.00-16.15 hrs Remarks by the Moderator: Dr. Michael van Wait van Praag
16.15-17.45 hrs Presentation of group reports
17.45-19.00 hrs Discussion and adoption of plan of action
20.00 hrs Dinner reception hosted by the Tibetan Communites in Europe and the Friedrich-Naumann Stiftung (for delegates & invited guests only)
Venue: Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung
Sophienhof, Margarethenhof, 53637, Königswinter Tel:
+49 -2223-701249
17th June 1996
09.00-11.00 hrs Presentation of final draft of action plan to the TSG participants
11.00-11.30 hrs Coffee break
Closing Ceremony:
11.30-13.15 hrs Presentation of the plan of action Dr. Michael van Wait van Praag
Concluding Remarks by the Chief Guest
Vote of thanks by Kalon Tashi Wangdi
