Department Information and International Relations

8.2.1 Information and Publications
8.2.2 International Relations
8.2.3 Human Rights Desk
8.2.4 Environment and Development Desk

8.4.1 Information Program
8.4.2 International Relations
8.4.3 Human Rights Awareness Program
8.4.4 Environmental Awareness and Development Program

International affairs of the Central Tibetan Administration are looked after by the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR). The Department has its origin in Chisee Lekhung (the Foreign Office) which was re-established in exile in 1959, after the Chinese occupying forces declared the Government of independent Tibet "dissolved". The Chisee Lekhung then handled the international relations and information dissemination needs of the Tibetan Administration.

A couple of years later the international relations section of Chisee Lekhung was put under the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi, while the remaining sections of the Office in Dharamsala were closed. However, it was not long before the Tibetan Administration was faced with a growing demand from the international community for information on Tibet. The Administration also felt the need to instil political, human rights and environmental consciousness among the Tibetans. Thus, in 1972, the Information Office was reopened in Dharamsala. In 1989 the Office was expanded and the international relations section of the Bureau in Delhi was made a part of it again. It was thus that the Office came to be renamed the Department of Information and International Relations.

A Human Rights Desk was added in 1989 to establish a specialized section at the Department to monitor developments related to human rights in occupied Tibet. The Desk disseminates such information to human rights organizations, Tibet Support Groups and other interested parties around the world. It also educates Tibetans about current principles and situations of human rights.

An Environment Desk was established in 1990 to gather and disseminate information on Tibet's fragile environment and it's destruction under Chinese occupation, and to lobby environmental groups, NGOs, governments and UN bodies to protect Tibet's environment from further damage. The Desk also strives to raise environmental consciousness among Tibetans.

Narthang Press
The Narthang Press prints Sheja, Tibetan Freedom and other publications in Tibetan. It uses letter-press printing technology, as off-set is judged not to be commercially viable in Dharamsala.

Tibetan Bulletin (English): Published bi-monthly, Tibetan Bulletin is a news magazine which has sections on Tibet, international and Dharamsala news. It aims to bring out information on His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Central Tibetan Administration, Tibet Support Groups and Tibetan people both in and outside Tibet.

Tibbat Bulletin (Hindi): A bi-monthly journal on Tibet and Tibetans which is read by Indians in north and central India.

Actualites Tibetaines (French): A quarterly magazine in French, similar to the Tibetan Bulletin in English.

Sheja (Tibetan): A monthly journal aimed at educating Tibetans about Tibet and the world. The readers are mostly concentrated in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Switzerland, the United States and Canada.

Tibetan Freedom: A weekly news bulletin featuring news items on Tibet and the world. Like Sheja, this weekly is read mainly by Tibetan refugee communities.

Publications Section
The Publications Section produces books, booklets and pamphlets in Tibetan, English and Hindi on various aspects of the Tibetan issue. This Section is also responsible for marketing books on Tibet.

Audio-Visual Section
This Section produces audio and video materials on Tibet, which are either sold or distributed free of cost to interested people. It also arranges video film shows on Tibet for Tibetans and non-Tibetans. The Section also has a still photograph unit which records the activities of the Tibetan Administration and life of Tibetans in exile. It also collects and archives historical photos on Tibet.

Translation Section
Established in August 1993, this Section translates relevant materials between English and Tibetan for all DIIR publications.

Documentation Center
This Center collects materials on Tibet for use by researchers. The materials thus collected are indexed and filed so that they become easily accessible to all.

Branch Office.
The DIIR Branch Office in McLeod Ganj (upper Dharamsala) organizes photo-exhibitions and sells publications produced by the DIIR.

8.2.2 International Relations< BR> UN Initiatives The fundamental aim of UN initiatives is to raise the status of the Tibetan issue to a new and sustainable level, and to ensure that the Question of Tibet is placed permanently on the agenda of the international community as a political issue that requires comprehensive political solutions. This the Central Tibetan Administration aims to achieve through three principal avenues: first, by providing governments with accurate information and a comprehensive understanding of the situation in Tibet; secondly, by broadening our formal and informal bi-lateral and multi-lateral relations with other Governments; thirdly, by escalating pressure on China through UN actions.

In August 1991 this initiative succeeded in getting the UN Subcommission on Human Rights to pass a resolution censuring China's human rights record in Tibet.

Representative Offices
The Central Tibetan Administration maintains Representative Offices in ten countries in Asia, Europe and North America (for the list see Appendix I at the end of this Chapter). These Offices spearhead the Tibetan Administration's international relations and UN initiatives. Maintaining direct contacts with governments, parliamentarians, Tibet Support Groups, non-governmental organizations and human rights groups, these Offices keep them informed of recent developments in Tibet. They also help to coordinate the exchange of information between individuals and organizations working for the welfare of the Tibetan people.

Tibet Support Groups. The term "Support Group" has been defined here to mean a group which is primarily non-Tibetan and acts to promote awareness of the cultural, environmental, human rights, and political aspects of the Tibetan cause. These groups are entirely separate from the Central Tibetan Administration and are founded by individuals and groups out of sympathy for the Tibetan cause.

There are some 350 Tibet Support Groups and human rights organizations focussing on Tibet around the world. Table 8.2.2 gives a list of Support Groups, compiled in September 1993. Though not complete, it gives an idea of the geographical spread of engaged concern for Tibet. As can be seen, there are huge areas of the world which have no Tibet Support Groups, most notably in Africa and the Middle East. It is hoped that this situation will change now that the DIIR has established an Africa and Middle East Desk.

Region	No. of Support Groups and Countries
Western Europe	76	Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, UK, etc.
Eastern Europe	10	the Baltic states, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russia, etc.
Scandinavia	10	Finland, Norway, Sweden
North America	74	Canada and USA
South America	8	Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela
Asia-Pacific Region	16	Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand
India and Nepal	49

Africa and Middle East Desk
This Desk was created in June 1993 since the Central Tibetan Administration has not been able to establish a Representative Office to cover these two regions. The Desk aims to foster closer ties between the Tibetan Administration and the peoples of Africa and the Middle East.

Press and Public Relations Section
Among the duties of this Section are: (i) to receive and help international media personnel, officials, writers and so on in gathering information on Tibetans and Tibet; (ii) to supply reference materials like books, video footage and still photographs to media personnel and writers; (iii) to arrange interviews between them and Tibetans who can speak on the subject of the researcher's choice; (iv) to act as interpreters, whenever requested, between Tibetan interviewees and interviewers; (v) to arrange audiences with His Holiness the Dalai Lama for media persons; (vi) to distribute press releases.

Women's Issues Desk
This Desk was established in 1993 to raise international awareness regarding the plight of Tibetan women in Tibet. The Desk strives to put the issue of Tibetan women on the agenda of international organizations, particularly during the forthcoming Fourth World Conference on Women, to be held in Beijing in September 1995. The Desk also aspires to work towards the socio-economic upliftment of Tibetan women.

The activities of the Human Rights Desk include issuing press statements, Urgent Action appeals, reports, surveys, posters and pamphlets on various aspects of the human rights situation in occupied Tibet. It also translates documents on human rights into Tibetan to raise human rights consciousness in the Tibetan community.

Some of the main campaigns to promote human rights in occupied-Tibet concern: cessation of all types of human rights violations; opposition to the use of torture, cruel or degrading treatment or punishment of Tibetan political prisoners; opposition to the death penalty and prison-labor; halting of forced-abortions and sterilization; and demanding an internationally supervised plebiscite on the situation in Tibet.

It is the objective of the Human Rights Desk to generate global awareness about the human rights situation in Tibet. Publications and interaction with international human rights organizations play an important role in this. The strategy so far has been to record the case histories of political prisoners, especially those sentenced to long prison terms or death, and mobilize international pressure on China to call off the sentences. The staff of the desk attend international conferences and workshops on Tibet to highlight cases of human rights violations in Tibet.

The Environment and Development Deskcollects data and produces reports on Tibet's natural environment and on those Chinese projects which are producing devastating environmental damage. The reports are published in magazines to educate both Tibetans and concerned international organizations and the public. The Desk seeks to mobilize international pressure on China to halt projects in Tibet that are damaging the eco-system. Staff members of the Desk also attend international conferences and workshops on the environment and present papers on the environmental degradation in present-day Tibet. The Desk also undertakes concrete projects to preserve the environment of areas where Tibetan refugees are settled.

The aim of the Information and International Affairs Sector is to create and stimulate international awareness about Tibet, leading to world pressure on China to bring about a free, democratic Tibet. The DIIR educates Tibetans, both inside and outside Tibet, on democracy, the Tibetan democratic government and its constitution. The Department also informs the world about how the Tibetan Administration functions now, and how it will function in a future, free Tibet. In the light of this, the following specific goals have been formulated:To pave the way for the success of the Tibetan people's march toward democracy by raising political consciousness.

To raise environmental and human rights consciousness in people, in keeping with His Holiness the Dalai Lama's vision for future Tibet (which will give important priority to these two issues, as well as to democracy).
To educate the Tibetan people and others about the cultural heritage of Tibet, and political, social and environmental developments concerning Tibet and its people.

To gather and disseminate information on the activities of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the CTA and the Tibetan people both in and outside Chinese occupied Tibet.

To present the official viewpoints of the CTA on the issue of Tibet and international political developments.

To increase global awareness and international support for the Tibetan cause in all its aspects, including political, social, cultural and environmental areas.

To encourage debate and discussion on Tibet, in particular by liaising with Support Groups, parliamentarians and others interested in Tibet, and by providing information services and support to the international media and research scholars.

To monitor cases of human rights abuses in Tibet, and publicize them internationally to build up pressure on China to respect human rights in Tibet; and to help political activists in Tibet by encouraging UN bodies, human rights organizations and governments to adopt specific political prisoners.

To conduct research on the natural resources and wildlife of Tibet and to monitor Chinese projects in Tibet which have an impact on the environment.

To promote environment-related projects like afforestation in Tibetan communities.

The Information and International Affairs Sector comprises four main programs:
1. Information
2. International Relations
3. Human Rights Awareness
4. Environmental Awareness and Development

The details of sub-programs or projects under each of these programs are given below. (Many of the recurrent activities described above in section 8.2 will of course continue even though they are not addressed through special projects mentioned below.)

Problems and Needs.
The twin imperatives of the Tibetan people are to restore Tibet's freedom and to transform it into a democratic country with environmental and human rights protection as its credo.

Despite the atrocities suffered during the past fourMwecades, Tibetans are determined to conduct their struggle on the plane of non-violence. However, the success of the Tibetan non-violent freedom campaign will depend greatly on the level of international support, which will be forthcoming only if potential supporters are made more aware of the issue of Tibet.

At the moment a large section of world public opinion is ignorant of the urgency of the Tibetan situation. The matter is not helped by Tibet's past isolationist policy, and the present Chinese regime's determination to keep Tibet out of the international spotlight.

Likewise, a large number of Tibetans do not understand any language other than Tibetan. There are also many who do not even read Tibetan. This restricts their access to information and materials on the outside world and to modern ideals of democracy, human rights and environmental protection.

Program Objective.
To educate the international community about Tibet, and Tibetans about democracy, environmental issues and human rights. Through print and electronic media (for the illiterate), the Central Tibetan Administration needs to provide a forum for debates on how to make future Tibet a truly democratic country, where every citizen can contribute towards the protection of the environment and human rights.

Projects of the Information Program. = There are four projects under the Information Program:

1. Upgrading Narthang Press
2. Audio-Visual Project
3. Photo Section
4. Documentation Center

Objective.
To fulfil the printing needs in the Tibetan language and optimize the utilization of capital goods available to the Press.

Progress since the first IDP.
Since the first Integrated Development Plan the Press has commissioned the development of 24-point Tibetan types and purchased additional 16-point Tibetan types and other stock, enabling it to take on the added responsibility of printing the weekly Tibetan Freedom and employing five new refugees from Tibet.

Future plans. In 1994-95 the Press will commission the development of 18-point Tibetan types for printing books. The Press will also appoint a manager. These measures will enable the Press to improve the quality of printing, to print a larger variety of publications, and to hire five new refugees from Tibet. The total cost of this project to upgrade Narthang Press, which will continue into 1995, is estimated to be Rs 761,200; DANIDA has already committed the funding for this project.

Objectives.
To produce more and higher quality programs on the situation inside Tibet and in the Refugee Community as well as on democracy, human rights and environmental issues. Also to provide technical and material support to other Departments of the Central Tibetan Administration as required.

Progress since the first IDP. Since the first Integrated Development Plan the Audio-Visual Section has been producing a bi-monthly audio program, Tibet Voice, on subjects such as democracy, environmental protection and human rights. The Section has distributed 12,000 tapes of these programs free of cost to Tibetans all over the world. Tibet Voice was launched because many Tibetans in the older age-group are illiterate; in Tibet especially, 80 percent of Tibetans, both young and old, are illiterate. The Section also produced two video films, one on the exiled Tibetans' transition to democracy, and the other on the new-found socio-political freedom in the Buddhist republics of Russia. The Section has distributed 150 tapes of these two films.

Future Plans.
- A major video program on 30 years of Tibetan refugee life in exile will be released in 1994.
- A sound proof recording studio and storage facilities will be built.
- A half-yearly video news magazine will be produced on the situation in Tibet and on the Tibetan Refugee Community.

Implementation.
The Director of the Audio-Visual Section will be responsible for the implementation of this project. He is responsible for running the studio and maintaining the equipment. He will ensure that all important events relating to the Tibetan issue are covered. The Publications Section, in conjunction with the Press and Public Relations Section, is responsible for the distribution of tapes and photos to interested parties.

Human resources.
The Director of the Audio-Visual Section is a professional video film-maker trained in the United States. He is supported by two staff: one was trained in electronic engineering in India and the other received on-the-job training in sound-recording at the Section. It is essential to send one support staff for short-term training in video film-making and editing.

Physical resources.
The Audio-Visual Section has the following video equipment: one camera, two monitors, one recorder, one player and one editing machine. The Section also has an audio duplicator, a four-track sound recorder-cum-mixer and a film projector. In addition the Section intends to purchase one portable video camera, one video cassette recorder, and storage facilities for audio and video tapes.

Financial resources.
The activities under this project will cost Rs 1,020,000. The CTA will pay Rs 90,000 from its own sources, and a Tibetan refugee in Switzerland has promised to raise Rs 741,000 for the studio from the Tibetan Refugee Community there. In addition, the project will generate a revenue of Rs 50,000 from the sale of cassettes. The remaining amount of Rs 139,000 will be sought from donors.

Objective.
To document the life of Tibetan refugees in exile, both as a historical record for the future and as a means to create awareness of Tibetan life in exile.

Progress since the first IDP.
The new photographer of the Photo Section, who returned after training in the United States, has launched a pilot project to document the life of the Tibetan refugees in exile. The largest Tibetan Refugee Settlement at Mundgod in south India was covered in 1993, and other Settlements will be covered in 1994.

Future Plans.
With the experience gained from the pilot project, the Photo Section will launch, in 1995, a full project for two years to record every aspect of Tibetan life in the Tibetan Refugee Community in exile. The Section will also develop a collection of portraits of Tibetan refugees. These photographs will then be used for publications and exhibitions, to foster greater awareness both within the Tibetan Refugee Community itself (for example in schools) and in locations abroad. During his travels to the various Tibetan Refugee Settlements and scattered communities the photographer will also take photographs of rare Tibetan art works, which can be put in the photographic archives in the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives.

Human Resources.
The Photo Section is staffed by one professional photographer who has recently returned from training in the United States. He is supported by the staff of the Audio-Visual Section, of which the Photo Section is part. During the project to document Tibetan refugee life the photographer will sometimes be accompanied by a writer who can draw up suitable commentaries on the photographs, and by a scholar familiar with Tibetan art works.

Physical resources.
The Photo Section has a fairly well-equipped dark room for developing and printing black-and-white photos. However, it only has one camera body and flash and no lenses; at present the photographer uses his personal lenses and equipment for taking photographs. Nor does the Section have even basic storage facilities for photographs. The Photo Section therefore plans to purchase: four lenses (wide-angle, telephoto, micro and normal) and a tripod; studio lights and other equipment which are necessary for developing the collection of portraits; and storage facilities for the photographs.

The Department of Information and International Relations will cover the Daily Allowance totalling Rs 15,000 when the staff are travelling, and the salary and rent of the photographer amounting to Rs 75,000 over two years. The costs of the pilot project are being covered by a private donor. The costs of publications and exhibitions using the photographs developed by the project are not included in this budget, and will be determined when the photographs are ready. Some of these costs will be covered by the income from sales and fees.

Objective.
To upgrade the human and physical resources of the Documentation Center to enable it to provide an efficient information service on Tibet and the Tibetan people.

Progress since the first IDP.
The Center was established in 1993 to serve as a data bank of information on all aspects of Tibet and Tibetans.

Future Plans.
The Center needs to upgrade its human resources, as it is currently staffed by only one personnel. It plans to hire one trained staff member, and through him or her offer on-the-job training to the existing staff member. The Center also plans to acquire a computer with a large memory and peripherals to facilitate fast and efficient data storage, processing and retrieval.

Financial resources.
The cost of a 386 computer, a printer and accessories is estimated at Rs 150,000. Since the Center is a non-profit unit, it cannot afford to buy this equipment. Therefore the Center is approaching funding agencies for this purpose. The Department of Information and International Relations will cover the costs of the Center's staff salaries and benefits from its own resources.

Implications of the Information Program for future Tibet.
Since future Tibet will be a demilitarized nation, international awareness and support will be key to preserving Tibet's freedom. This fact was amply demonstrated in the 1950s when the international community, due to its ignorance about the legal status of Tibet, failed to respond adequately to His Holiness the Dalai Lama's plea for support to reverse the tide of China's invasion and occupation of Tibet.
Moreover, this program will allow Tibetans to gain experience in skills like printing, modern communication and data management, which will be critical for running a modern government and economy in Free Tibet.

Problems and Needs.
Until 1959 Tibetans had very little contact with the outside world. Foreign relations, then, were largely limited to the immediate neighboring countries. However, today, the world is becoming more and more interdependent, making it necessary for everyone, including Tibetans, to join the mainstream of international diplomacy. The objective is thus to foster greater international debates on the question of Tibet. As an example, in March 1994 the All-Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet (APIPFT), which was formed in May 1993, hosted a World Parliamentarians' Convention on Tibet, in order to provide a forum for interaction and future coordination among parliamentarians sympathetic to the Tibetan cause.

Project: International Tibet Support Groups' Meeting.
In October 1994 the DIIR will organize a meeting in Dharamsala of over 300 members from Tibet Support Groups around the world. The meeting will discuss the problems and prospects for the Tibetan cause in different countries and will chalk out a common strategy. It will also explore ways to achieve closer interaction and more efficient exchange of information among all Support Groups.

Implementation.
The DIIR will take care of the organizational work and the Representative Offices will contact Support Groups in their respective areas and prepare a list of participants.

Financial resources.
The budget estimate for organizing this meeting is Rs 1,200,000. The Tibetan Refugee Community has already committed Rs 800,000. The remaining Rs 400,000 will be sought from friends of Tibet around the world.

Implications for future Tibet.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Administration have a vision of free Tibet interacting closely with the world community and contributing to its development. For this Tibetans will need the goodwill and trust of foreign governments and peoples: this is currently being nurtured.

Problems and Needs.
Chinese rulers in Tibet continue to suppress the political and socio-economic rights of the Tibetan people. Forced abortions and sterilizations are commonplace. Likewise it is commonplace for Tibetans to be jailed for expressing support for Tibetan freedom. It is, therefore, necessary for the Tibetan Refugee Community to have human rights activists who will not only mobilize international pressure on China to stop its atrocities in Tibet, but will also ensure that the human rights of people are never denied, even by the Government of free Tibet.

Program Objectives.
To bring greater human rights awareness among Tibetans, and to inform the world about on-going human rights violations taking place in Tibet.

Progress since the first IDP.
The Human Rights Desk has been issuing a fortnightly report on religious persecution; torture, other cruel, degrading treatment or punishment; forced abortion, sterilization and infanticide; political detention; extra-judicial killings; demonstrations; racial discrimination; as well as highlighting the cases of hundreds of prisoners of conscience and political prisoners in occupied Tibet. The Desk has been collecting its information from new refugees and foreign visitors coming out of Tibet. The Desk will continue to produce this report in future and send it to some 500 Tibet Support Groups and human rights organizations.
The project below addresses the need to educate Tibetans about human rights. Towards this end the Desk has already published two Tibetan editions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as educational materials, copies of which reach Tibet.

Objectives.
To educate Tibetans about human rights principles through workshops and the publication of literature. The Project aims to encourage the formation of human rights groups among Tibetan refugees. It is hoped that this project will result in the formation of at least one active non-governmental human rights organization by the end of 1998.

Implementation.
The Project will be implemented according to the following schedule:

Year 1 (1995):
The Desk will purchase one computer and accessories, which will help it to establish a more effective and comprehensive system of monitoring the human rights situation in occupied Tibet. The Desk will then translate and publish the Tibetan version of Rights of the Child. It will coordinate this component of the Project with concerned Tibetan officials and gather human rights educational tools such as good visuals. It will also conduct general research to find out the best means of achieving the objectives of the Human Rights Education Project.

Year 2 (1996):
Launching of a lecture series, essay-writing and painting competitions on human rights topics in Tibetan schools. Site visits will be conducted by the Project Coordinator.

Year 3 (1997):
Tibetan translation and publication of the United Nations' Covenants of Civil and Political Rights and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The Project Coordinator and the Human Rights Officer will make visits to Tibetan schools and communities to evaluate the comprehension of human rights amongst Tibetans.

Year 4 (1998):
Publishing a Tibetan book outlining major human rights violations taking place in Tibet. Reviewing the above projects and drawing up fresh projects for the next five years.
Site visits by the Project Coordinator will be conducted in 1995 and 1996, the period which is vital for the implementation of the Project.

Financial resources.
This Project will cost Rs 778,000 over four years, including the salaries of the two staff members of the Desk. The CTA will contribute 10 percent of these costs and will seek the remaining amount of Rs 700,000 from funding agencies.

Monitoring and Evaluation.
Every six months the Project Coordinator will gather feedback from the trainees as well as the regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Tibetan Women's Association, school teachers, Settlement Officers and local leaders. The feedback will be analyzed by the Secretary and Human Rights officers of the DIIR for preparing follow-up action.

Implications for future Tibet.
History is replete with instances of governments and regimes violating the constitutionally-guaranteed rights of their own peoples, either intentionally or unintentionally. The experience of countries throughout the world has been that where the citizens have a higher level of human rights awareness, the government is less prone to indulge in acts which contravene the fundamental human rights of the people. It is, therefore, necessary to develop the human rights consciousness of the people right from this very moment.
It is envisaged that a Tibetan Human Rights Charter will be declared immediately after Tibet becomes free. Like many other countries, future Tibet will also need human rights activists to protect the rights of its people. This Project aims to train such activists.

Problems and Needs.
During the last 34 years of Chinese rule Tibet's environment has suffered irreparable damage: 50 percent of forest lands have suffered denudation, the wildlife is nearing extinction and vandalous mining operations are underway in many parts of Tibet. Besides, there are reports of nuclear waste dumping in the northern plains of Tibet. To prevent the further destruction of Tibet's environment, it is necessary to inform the world and bring pressure to bear on China. As of now Tibet is not on the world's environmental agenda, and the world is largely ignorant of the problems of Tibet's environment.
Secondly, traditional Tibet had a strong environment protection value system. But today this value system is being eroded by poverty and de-culturization suffered under the Chinese. Hence there is a need to educate the people about the ethos and skills of both traditional and modern environmental protection.

Program Objectives.
To inform the world about the environmental degradation in Tibet, and to instil environment protection consciousness among Tibetans.

Projects of the Environmental Awareness and Development Program
There are three projects under this Program:

1. International Environment Awareness Project
2. Environment Awareness Project for Tibetans
3. Agro-Forestry Training Project

Objectives.
To campaign for international recognition of the current state of Tibet's environment, and to highlight the environmental impact, both within Tibet and transnationally, of the Chinese government's practices and policies in occupied Tibet. Further, to delineate policies and goals formulated by the Central Tibetan Administration for the effective conservation of Tibet's environment as a global resource and life-support system in the future.

Progress since the first IDP.
In 1992 the Desk published a book entitled Tibet: Environment and Development Issues. The book contains information for the media, policy-makers and donor agencies supporting development projects in Tibet. The book was released in Brazil to coincide with the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio in June 1992, when the Department sent three environmentalists to participate in the Global Forum meetings of NGOs.

Future plans.
This project will be implemented through the following activities:

a. Updating and reprinting the book Tibet: Environment and Development Issues in 1995, 1997 and 1999.

b. Publishing guidelines requesting
Tibetan and foreign business investors and development workers to take up development projects in Tibet that are not only environmentally friendly, but appropriate to the needs of local inhabitants. The guidelines will be revised and reprinted in 1995, 1997 and 1999.

c. Publishing an annual newsletter (in English) dealing with various aspects of Tibet's environment and development.

Objective.
Protection of Tibet's environment by Tibetans is one of the fundamental policies of the Tibetan Administration. For the realization of this policy, it is important to build environmental consciousness among Tibetans.

Progress since the first IDP.
In 1993 a 90-minute audio program on Tibet's environment was produced. The program is aimed at educating Tibetans on the need for preserving Tibet's environment. In 1994 the Desk also published a book in Tibetan which introduces the environment of Tibet and spells out the need to protect it.In 1993 the Desk organized the first ever workshop for Tibetan refugees with environmental experts in Auroville, India. The Desk also organized a year-long leaders' training program for eight young Tibetans, as well as a week-long training program for 23 teachers. In addition, the Desk is sending eight Tibetan refugees to receive six months of training in social forestry.
In the later part of 1994 the Desk will also help start nature clubs in different Tibetan schools, and distribute environment-related books to all the Tibetan schools.

Future plans.
Over the next five years the Desk intends to undertake the following activities:

a. The Desk will bring out a quarterly newsletter in Tibetan on issues of environment and development as they pertain to Tibet and Tibetans. The primary objective is to create greater awareness among Tibetans refugees.

b. The Desk will organize annual public hearings on Tibet's environment and development issues, as well as the need to preserve and clean local environments in exile. This annual hearing will be held on World Environment Day, June 5, followed by a clean up of the Dharamsala area.

c. The Desk will organize annual workshops with environmental experts and members of the Tibetan community such as camp leaders in order to discuss issues treated in the report Tibet: Environment and Development Issues. After discussing the issues, the meeting will come up with a suitable agenda for action.

d. Since it was established the Desk has been collecting teaching materials, including slides and audio-visual tapes, as well as information on Tibet's environment. This work needs to be continued and the material gathered together and made into a kit. The head of the Environment and Development Desk and his assistants will compile the kits, slides and audio-visual materials and send them to Tibetan Settlements and schools. The Tibetan Youth Congress and the Tibetan Women's Association will cooperate in distributing kits to their branches.
In 1996 the Desk will compile the slide materials and show them in the various Tibetan communities. In 1997 a video program on Tibet's environment will be produced and distributed. Tibetan Settlements in India will be divided into four zones: east, west, north and south, and the Desk will cover one zone each year.
However, to undertake this project, the Desk will need to purchase multi-image slide equipment since the Audio-Visual Section of the DIIR does not have this equipment.

e. The Desk will continue to organize annual training for leaders and instructors among Tibetans, particularly monks and nuns. The trainees will act as catalysts for instilling environmental consciousness in their respective areas, schools, institutions, and so forth. As in 1994 there will be various types of training: training of one year for leaders; training in social forestry for six months; and training of one week for teachers.
Other components of this project include the expansion of the nature club programs in schools. The Project will span a period of five years.

Objectives.
To develop and implement an intensive and practical environment training program for Tibetan refugees, especially those young refugees who are intending to return to Tibet. They, in turn, will transfer the skill to the people in their respective villages.

Progress since the first IDP. In 1994 the Desk organized a six-month intensive agro-forestry training for 20 Tibetans from India and Tibet. The training was held at the Agricultural College in Palampur in Himachal Pradesh and at Dharamsala.

Future Plans.
Training will be organized in the following stages at Dharamsala. Each course will last for six months.

1995: Training program for 25 students.
1996: Training program for 25 Tibetans and Indians from the Himalayan region.
1997: Training program for 25 monks and nuns.
1998: Training program for 50 people, including new refugees, farmers, and so on.
1999: Training program for 50 farmers from Settlements.

Fifty per cent of the funding for the year 1995 has already been committed by Appropriate Technology for Tibetans in the UK.
The Environment Desk will also liaise with the Tibetan Children's Village (TCV) to provide materials and the curriculum to enable other Tibetan refugee communities in India and Nepal to carry out similar training and education programs.

Human resources for the Environmental Awareness Program.
At present the Environment and Development Desk has four staff members. It needs to hire two more staff, one biologist and one climatologist.

Financial Resources.
The entire environment awareness program for five years, starting from 1995, is estimated to cost Rs 7,264,000. The CTA will contribute 10 percent (Rs 726,000) and a further 3 percent (Rs 218,000) will be raised from the Tibetan Community. Similarly, the sale of publications is estimated to bring in Rs 250,000. The remaining amount of Rs 6,070,000 will be raised from funding agencies.

Implications for future Tibet
Environmental protection is one of the most important items on the agenda of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Administration in Dharamsala. In his first major policy initiative for future Tibet, the Five Point Peace Plan, His Holiness laid great importance on this issue. Two out of the five points are specifically related to environment. This issue is also dealt with in the Guidelines for Future Tibet's Polity And The Basic Features Of Its Constitution. In it His Holiness says that free Tibet's "Government shall be committed to preserving a clean, healthy and beautiful environment".
This vision is inspired not only for the benefit of Tibet, but for the whole world. Because of its altitude, geographical features and location, environmental changes in Tibet have global impact. More particularly, Tibet is the source of the major rivers in Asia which provide sustenance to 45 per cent of the world's population.Environmental protection will be a major policy goal of the Government of future Tibet. This policy can be implemented successfully only if there is involvement from the people at the grass-roots level.
Since the opening up of Tibet to the outside world, a number of economic development projects have been initiated on the plateau. Although the short term gains of some of the projects may appear attractive, it is increasingly important to see that development projects are environmentally sustainable and do not lead to further environmental degradation, depletion of Tibet's resources or result in further human rights abuses.
For Tibetans development projects in future Tibet should be environmentally sustainable and should not only include material and economic well-being but should also aim towards the social, political and cultural development of its people.

The total budget required for the Programs described above amounts to Rs 10.5 million. Of this the Department will contribute 984,000 million or 9 percent from its own funds, and raise a further 959,000 (9 percent) from within the Tibetan Refugee Community and Rs 300,000 (3 percent) from sales. Of the remaining Rs 7.5 million (79 percent) being sought from donors, Rs 1 million have already been raised (for the Narthang Press and for half of the costs of the Agro-Forestry Training Project in 1995).

PROGRAMS	YEAR (all figures in Rs '000s)					TOTAL	Grant
and Projects	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	(Rs '000)	Request
INFORMATION PROGRAM:	1174	508	771	0	0	2453	721
Narthang Press Audio-Visual Photo Section Documentation Center	761 152 261	97 261 150	771			761 1020 522 150	0 139 432 150
HUMAN RIGHT AWARENESS:	252	191	172	163	0	778	700
ENVIRONMENT AWARENESS:	1752	1561	1711	980	1260	7264	5794
TOTAL:	3178	2260	2654	1143	1260	10495	7215

1) Bureau of H. H. the Dalai Lama, New Delhi, India. Established in 1959, it currently represents the CTA in the SAARC countries (excluding Nepal), Afghanistan, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.

2) Office of Tibet, Kathmandu, Nepal. Established in 1962 to represent the CTA in Nepal.

3) Office of Tibet, Geneva, Switzerland. Established in 1991, it now represents the CTA in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Greece, Liechtenstein, Turkey, Italy and Malta. Established to spearhead the Tibetan people's efforts to put the Tibetan issue on the agenda of the United Nations and the European Union (Community).

4) Office of Tibet, New York, USA. Established in 1964 to represent the CTA in North and South America.

5) Office of Tibet, Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1975, it currently represents the CTA in Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines.

6) Office of Tibet, London, UK. Established in 1982, it now represents the CTA in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.

7) Office of Tibet, Budapest, Hungary. Established in 1992 to represent the CTA in Hungary, Poland, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovana, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

8) Office of Tibet, Moscow, Russia. Established in 1992 to represent the CTA in the Commonwealth of Independent States and Mongolia.

9) Office of Tibet, Paris, France. Established in 1992 to represent the CTA in France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Monaco, San Marino and Andorra.

11) Office of Tibet, Canberra, Australia. Established in 1992 to represent the CTA in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Fiji and other island countries in the Pacific region.

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Last updated: 30-Sept-96