Public Meetings

Introduction

In a democratic system, right of expression of a person’s views and ideas is considered to be the most important feature for establishing a free and democratic society. The term democracy means rule by the people, therefore it is of foremost importance for the people to have the right knowledge of their rights and duties. There are many programs and among it the Public meeting is a very effective platform for empowering the people and sharing different ideas through discussions and debates.

The Tibetan exile community faces various challenges at different levels. The life of a refugee involves struggling to keep their culture and religious practices alive for their coming generation while at the same time adopting various aspects of the host culture and traditions to keep friendly and comfortable relations with them. Apart from conflict issues from within the exile communities even the situation of the Tibetan people in their homeland Tibet governs the lives of these Tibetan refugees in exile. Therefore holding well planned Public meetings on various issues the people deal with and are affected by would contribute towards identifying and expressing their fears, hopes, anger and needs which then could be further explored by concrete steps for a positive outcome for the future adhering to non-violence under any circumstances being the focal point of the discussion.

Aims:

The main aim in organizing these public meetings is to promote clarity on various conflicting issues in the society and to provide a platform for various groups of people to share their feelings and ideas on various problems in our society and how we can deal with it. We have also introduced non-violent conflict resolution tools, communication skills and listening skills to breakthrough certain misunderstandings and stereotypes in the society which hinder the existence of a harmonious society. Emphasis was also given on the importance of non-violence and compassion in dealing with situations.

Experience:

Since its inception, the Centre organized its first public meeting on 31st March, 2002 with a group of young Tibetans born in exile and newly arrived from Tibet. The meeting was unique in itself as the main objective was to build a bridge of brotherhood in their relationship even if there were small differences between them. The meeting offered a platform where they got to share their views and take a step further in deepening their relationship and mutual understanding. It was greatly appreciated by everyone. There was no looking back after that and the Centre has organised a number of public meetings in all sections of society. There was also a time where we got the opportunity to organise a special public meeting in the form of a panel discussion. Giving it the title of “We the People”, we worked in collaboration with RTYC Dharamsala and Students for a Free Tibet (India) and were able to get together an audience of around 500 people who enthusiastically participated in the discussion.

The topics of the panel hovered around the significance of democracy and the importance of taking an active part in the democratic structures with a special focus on the upcoming 14th Assembly elections. The election commissioner was also invited to explain the rules and requirements of the forthcoming elections so that most of the doubts regarding the voting methods were clarified.

It was a great opportunity and learning experience for the Centre in organizing such events. The good co-operation that we experienced among our partner organizations was important for its success. It gave us strength and hope for organizing more of such activities for the welfare of the whole society.