Dehradun: A five-day workshop on ‘Strengthening of Democracy at the Grass-root level to the members of the Local Tibetan Assembly’ to the members of Local Tibetan Assembly and Settlement officers of Dikyiling, Paonta, Herbertpur, Kamrau, Satuan Kathok, and Puruwala, BRDL members of Dehradun, and participants from Dhondupling Tibetan Settlement began on 22nd May in Dehradun.
Parliamentarians Youdon Aukatsang and Khenpo Jamphal Tenzin are conducting the workshop on the rules and regulation of budget and rules of procedure and conduct of business for the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile respectively to 32 participants from aforementioned settlements.
This workshop from 22nd to 26th May is hosted by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and funded by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.
On 22nd May, a brief inaugural ceremony was held before the commencement of the workshop where Secretary Tenzin Dolma of Dikyiling Settlement read out the workshop agenda, followed by welcome address from Dehradun TSO Dhondup Gyalpo, addresses from the two MPs, and thank you note from Dekyiling LTA Chair Tsering Phuntsok.
Parliamentarian Youdon Aukatsang spoke on the essence and significance of democracy and on some current affairs of the world including Arabic and Ukrainian elections. She advised the participants to embrace freedom, truth, equality, education, and creativity by keeping in heart the gratitude of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s gracious gift of democracy and setting up of the Central Tibetan Administration.
Parliamentarian Khenpo Jamphal Tenzin spoke on the aims and objectives of organising the workshop, followed by evolution of democracy in Tibetan community, provision of establishing Local Tibetan Assemblies in accordance to the Charter by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and others. He also advised LTA members to hold TSO accountable for the welfare of settlement dwellers.
Parliamentarian Lopon Thupten Gyaltsen, a Dehradun residing member of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, was invited to the inaugural ceremony where he talked on the special characteristics of Tibetan democracy and on the importance of rule of law.
This is the seventh LTA workshop organized by the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile since its constitution with previous LTA workshops held at Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh), Phuntsokling (Odisha), Sonamling (Ladakh UT), Gangtok (Sikkim), Salugara (West Bengal), and Dalhousie (Himachal Pradesh) respectively.
The LTA workshops are aimed to strengthen democracy at the grass root level by imparting the participants with detailed information of the Central Tibetan Administrative, the Budget Policy, proceeding of the Parliamentary session, and others to make informed decisions and to hold public offices accountable.
