Dharamshala: On January 23, 2025, Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile attended partners meeting of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) at the Milan Conference Hall of the Jaypee Vasant Continental Hotel in Delhi. During the meeting, she spoke about the long-term collaborative projects between the Central Tibetan Administration and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation’s South East Asia division, as well as its productivity.

In her address, the Deputy Speaker highlighted that the Tibetan Parliamentary Policy Research Centre (TPPRC) was established by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile in collaboration with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in New Delhi, during the tenure of Professor Samdhong Rinpoche as the Parliament Speaker.

The main objectives of establishing this centre were to strengthen democracy and reinforce the non-violent nature of the Tibetan struggle, to assist the Central Tibetan Administration particularly the Tibetan Parliament in fulfilling Tibetan aspirations, and to promote the political status of the Central Tibetan Administration.  In order to achieve these objectives, several publications were produced and distributed, including Comparative Government studies,  Path to Democracy, Eight volumes of Parliamentary speeches by Speaker Professor Samdhong Rinpoche, Compilations of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s March 10th statements, Studies on autonomy and Tibetan perspectives, Compilations of Tibet-related matters in both houses of Indian Parliament. These publications helped enhance analytical understanding among Tibetan parliamentarians and other interested parties.

Regarding parliamentary programs, they initiated strategic meetings for parliamentarians and orientation programs for new MPs on the constitution and regulations, which continue to this day. Local Tibetan Assembly members also received hands-on guidance and workshop on their duties, legal regulations, and youth leadership development, which helped strengthen democratic processes and the rule of law.

Although the TPPRC office in Delhi had to close in 2014 due to financial difficulties, collaborative projects continued through the Social and Resource Development Fund (SARD) of the Department of Finance. The current FNF South Asia Director, Dr. Carsten Klein, has facilitated visits of German parliamentarians and various diplomatic representatives to Dharamsala, allowing them to visit the Central Tibetan Administration, Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Upper TCV School, and the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts. These visits helped showcase not only the structure of the Tibetan administration but also the nature of the Tibetan struggle.

Additionally, the Deputy Speaker had the opportunity to participate in a study tour with Southeast Asian parliamentarians to observe the functioning of both houses of the German Parliament while also raising awareness about the Tibet issue.

Under the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the more than 3 decades of partnership has greatly helped in strengthening democracy through non-violent means in nurturing the elected leaders and people with democratic maturity. On behalf of the Central Tibetan Administration and the Tibetan people, she expressed gratitude to the consecutive FNF directors, German government officials, and the German people for their valuable contribution. She also requested other FNF partners to invite representatives from either the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile or the Tibet Policy Institute to participate in future environmental and climate-related conferences in Southeast Asian countries to raise awareness about the importance of the Tibetan plateau.

After her speech, she presented ceremonial scarves (khatas) and gifts to both the outgoing and incoming directors, and ceremonial scarves to other participants along with informational booklets about the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. The meeting concluded with ten-minute presentations from each participating section about their work, followed by a question and answer session.

The main purposes of this meeting were to mark the transition of Dr. Carsten Klein, the FNF South Asia Director for India, who is being transferred to Germany, and his replacement by Moritz Kleine-Brockhoff, the FNF Bangkok Director, who will take over the India division. It was also to review the collaborative work and achievements of organizations associated with the Foundation to date, to explore opportunities for mutual learning among related organizations, and to identify key areas for potential future collaboration.