Ottawa:The annual Tibetan representatives meeting organized by the Department of Information and International Relations convened in Ottawa, Canada from 29 April to 1 May.
Marking the first meeting of the Office of Tibet (OOT), Kalon Tripa Lobsang Sangay and Kalon Dicki Chhoyan of the Department of Information and International Relations led discussions on various agenda items of the Central Tibetan Administration, including the new Kashag's guidelines for the various offices of Tibet and policy and budget measures for the CTA.
The annual meeting came on the heels of the successful World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet (WPCT) in Ottawa. 12 OOT representatives based around the world already gathered for the WPCT meetings met for the discussions.
After The Tibetan Representatives Meetings, Kalon Tripa and Kalon Dicki Chhoyan shared their insights with the next generation of Tibetan leaders in comments to a gathering of 7 Tibetan students interning in carious offices of the Parliament of Canada.
In the meeting, facilitated by Parliamentary Friends of Tibet, Canada, Kalon Tripa explained the desperate nature of the current situation inside Tibet, including a series of self immolations.
Stressing the importance of being a true Tibetan through maintaining Tibet's strong cultural heritage, Kalon Tripa encouraged students to learn the history of Tibet, to study its rich language and culture and recognize the growing importance of the Tibetan environment and its impact on both South Asian countries and global climate change.
Optimistically looking to the future, Kalon Trip drew lessons from Tibet's past. Reminding the students of the hardships of the older generation, Kalon discussed the successful return of the 13th Dalai Lama to Tibet in 1913, adding that Tibetans all must work together diligently to successfully restore freedom inside Tibet through guiding the return of the 14th Dalai Lama to the nation.
