Inter-Cultural workshop on Conflict Transformation

Background:

After having worked intensively at the grassroots level in the Tibetan community for the past seven years, TCCR could sense the need for a project that would bring together people from different cultures living side by side. Therefore the idea of a workshop that would have Indians and Tibetans participating, sharing and learning together came about. This ‘Inter Cultural workshop on Conflict Transformation’ is a series that has great potential to benefit both the communities and is an innovative step taken by the TCCR. The first Inter Cultural Workshop on Conflict Transformation was held at Dharamshala from 25 to 29 November 2007.

Since Tibet’s invasion by China in 1959, India has become one of the primary countries where a large number of Tibetan refugees continue to reside. Tibetan refugees strive to keep their cultural heritage alive while living in a bigger foreign culture and the host Indian community strives to keep their culture intact while welcoming a another culture in its midst. These pose challenging situations to both the communities and there is a tendency for clashes of interests and way of living. We believe that by facilitating and introducing the skills and tools of Conflict Resolution to mixed groups of Local-Indians and Tibetans we would be able to address the issues and conflicts faced by them and explore means for transforming these conflicts into positive energy, mutual trust and social harmony.

Aims:

To promote clarity and mutual understanding among the Indian and Tibetan communities. To transform the conflicts and challenges into positive energy that leads to an atmosphere of peace and brotherhood and to equip the participants with unique skills and methodologies to manage and resolve conflicts constructively and in a non-violent way. To strengthen the long standing historical relation between Indians and Tibetans dating back to the spread of Buddhism from India to Tibet and to contribute towards a harmonious co-existence of the Tibetan refugee communities along side the local Indian host communities and develop deeper understanding and respect for their cultural differences and enable them to contribute towards forming a support community that can help each other in the times of crisis on both sides. To empower the participants to become leaders and role models in their communities and be an inspiration for others to follow a non-violent and compassionate path. Our Centre also looks forward to highlight the merits of democracy that the Indian Government and the Tibetan Government-in-exile enjoys therefore contributing to the strengthening of democratic processes and democratic ideologies.

Experiences:

While topics related to conflict resolution and peacebuilding would be the highlights of the workshop, discussing various issues related to the Environmental changes in Tibet and its effects on India and the world were very interesting. Another area highlighted was the condition of the political prisoners in the Chinese prisons in Tibet and the challenges that the rural population in Himachal Pradesh were facing raising some very potent issues like selective foeticide and agricultural developments. These segments not only served to bring to notice the various challenges faced by both communities but also engaged the other to explore deeper into how each can be of help and support each other in their efforts. Another very enjoyable and knowledgeable segment of the workshop was the Theatre of the Oppressed which introduced to the participants a different form of theatre that could be used as a media for the people to bring to light various social and political issues to the front in a very interesting and effective way.

Violent confrontations between Indians and Tibetans in Dharamsala were also brought forward by the participants, which reflected the amount of trust they placed in the trainers and the serious importance they gave to the workshop process.

We also organised activities that were able to bring participants closer to each other. There was sharing, debating, exchanging cultural songs and dances and simply having fun together in each other’s presence. All in all we were able to provide a balance of lectures, power-points and simulation exercises.

Achievements:

The essence of conflict resolution is to be able to speak about our experiences and feelings, and listen to other people’s stories.

For the Tibetan Centre for Conflict Resolution this has been an innovative step taken towards furthering communal harmony and deepening mutual understanding among the Indians and Tibetans living along side in Dharamsala. We may not have been able to guarantee an entirely peaceful Dharamsala in terms of Indo-Tibetan relationship but what we are able to state is that, this workshop definitely has been a move towards generating respect and understanding towards each other so that in the future when conflicts do arise they are managed in a mindful way by both the sides. The Indian and Tibetan participants have expressed their wish to work together in various projects in the future so as to be able to share and utilise each others’ expertise and be of support to each other.

Thus with a firm belief that by facilitating and introducing the skills and tools of Conflict Resolution to mixed groups of Local-Indians and Tibetans we are extremely hopeful to be able to address the issues and conflicts faced by them to a more concrete advantage and explore means of transformation.

Setbacks:

Even after scrupulous preparations, constant communication and proper dispatch of time schedule and programme planning we have not been able to bring together an equal number of participants from both sides. Although there have an imbalance in the strength of participants from the two cultures this did not hinder their learning, enjoyment or sharing to gain a positive outcome. We believe that in the future, to be able to have a balanced participation we would have short introductory meetings bringing together people from the different groups. These meetings could be aimed at introducing the concept of Conflict Transformation and involve short presentations that would help in bringing out their interests and eagerness to know more.

FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS:

This workshop has given me an unexplainable opportunity to express my feelings and to get out of the shell that I had long been carrying on my shoulders. Although it was about the how to resolve conflicts that arises within friends, family, communities, societies, race, culture etc. but apart from that you had made me realise what and how I could contribute to when these issues take place. Therefore I wish in future you could conduct more workshops like this among all the age groups professionals institutions etc. in order to have a peaceful coexistence among different communities..
- Tashi Palden, Teacher from Mundgod

I really enjoyed a lot and I have never ever had this kind of fun in my life while learning lots of things during a workshop. I made new friends here. I didn’t think I was capable of sitting a whole day in one room for a programme, this is the first time that I have and I am so happy for it. I want to help the Tibetan people to get their freedom, like us I want them to be free. I realise that I was born to help mankind so I will definitely help the Tibetan people while I am alive.
-Arun, Scientology Bangalore