Dharamshala: A five-day workshop on ‘Strengthening of Democracy at the Grass-root level’ organized by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile to the members of Local Tibetan Assemblies and Settlement officers of Shillong (Meghalaya), Tenzingang (Arunachal Pradesh), Miao (Arunachal Pradesh), Tezu (Arunachal Pradesh), and Tuting (Arunachal Pradesh) in Guwahati, Assam, successfully concluded on 28th July 2023.

The workshop from 24th to 28th July 2023 in Guwahati was conducted by parliamentarians Geshe Monlam Tharchin and Ratsa Sonam Norbu and was attended by 19 participants – 4 settlement officers from Miao Choepheling, Tenzingang, Tezu Dhargyaling, Shillong, and Tuting, 12 members of the Local Tibetan Assemblies, and 3 members of the BRDLs of Tuting and Tezu.

First two days of the workshop focused on teaching parliamentary procedures, budget rules, and various account heads to the registered participants by the resource persons and the third day of the workshop was dedicated to the preparation of mock sessions to be held on the last two days of the workshop.

Enacting like a real parliament session, the first day of the mock session was held as a general session and the second day was held as a budget session with LTA chairs and vice-chairs of the previously mentioned settlements presiding the sessions alternately. The participants were exuberant to prepare solidarity resolution, obituary resolution, starred questions, calling attention motion, private member’s bill, TSO’s clarification, legislative amendments, appropriation act, and other documents. The resource persons intervened between the sessions to provide necessary suggestions to improve the assembly proceedings.

A closing ceremony was held on the final day of the workshop wherein parliamentarian Geshe Monlam Tharchin applauded the attendees’ active participation during the workshop and asked the participant to work in accordance with the rules and regulations learnt during the past five days. The ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks from Tenzingang LTA chair Phuntsok Tsering.

This is the ninth 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), Dalhousie (Himachal Pradesh), Dehradun (Uttarakhand), and Bir (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.

This workshop was funded by USAID and NDI.