Brisbane:  Tom and Elaine Berndt, long-time members of Australia Tibet Council, visited parliamentarian Tenzin Doring in Brisbane following their trip to Dharamshala, the hub of Tibetan exile administration and residence of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. The tour was conducted under the auspices of Australia Tibet Council led by Dr. Zoe early October this year. The group that included the Berdnts also visited the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and interacted with standing committee members including the Deputy Speaker, Dolma Tsering.

The tour has had a great impact on them and were deeply moved by the Tibetan exile community’s lives.  As Tenzin Doring was the resident parliamentarian to the Tibetan parliament-in-Exile, they drove two hours long to approach Mr. Doring to discuss how they can best contribute to the Tibetan exile and diasporas. The meeting took nearly two hours and the Berndts and Doring discussed matters from ensuring funds and membership drive of Australia Tibet Council to bringing more ‘Friends of Tibet’ by dint of being Blue Book members. Since they are already ardent members of the Australia Tibet Council, Mr. Doring introduced them to the Blue Book to which they readily accepted to be part of and within a fortnight, an application was made by filling and submitting forms following which the Blue Book was obtained. The Berdnts joyfully visited Mr. Doring again on 23 December to inform with pride and joy that they received the Blue Book, and took a photo to introduce and publicize the same to encourage others to follow suit in support of Tibet cause.

The Berdnts who live in Queensland are resolute in taking further actions in supporting Tibet cause in whatever way possible and plan to conduct several activities to highlight the Tibet issue.

Mr. Doring thanked Dr. Zoe, executive officer of the ATC, for the October tour that brought wider awareness on the Tibetan exile community and congratulated the Berdnts on being the latest member to the ‘Friends of Tibet’. The parliamentarian earlier provided advice to the local Tibetan communities in Australia to ensure the Blue Book holders be invited as honorary guests to the Tibetan community events by dint of being members to the Blue Book as ‘Friends of Tibet’ in their respective regions.

Meanwhile, the national Tibetan community of Australia, which is the umbrella organization in its seventh governing body meeting of the National Federation of Australian Tibetan Communities Association, held in mid-October this year passed resolutions earlier to undertake measures and programs to bring about more ‘Friends of Tibet’ by undertaking membership drive to Blue Book.