Tibetan Dignitaries Visit Bay Area
TANC is honored to host the Honorable Kalon Tripa Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche and Chitue Tsoktso (Speaker of Parliament) Mr. Penpa Tsering to the Bay Area on May 24-26, 2010. This will be the first time that TANC will be hosting Katri and Chitue Tsoktso. Mr. Jigmey Namgyal, Personal Assistant to Katri and Mr. Tsewang Phuntso, Special Liaison – Latin America, will also be accompanying our dignitaries. Invitation has also been sent to North American Chitue, Mr. Tenzin Chonten to join the dignitaries.
We are delighted to extend invitations to Tibetan Associations and communities in the Northwestern States to join TANC for the events in the evenings May 24, 25 and 26 (please see the program below). Presidents of the Associations are also invited to join a special luncheon with our dignitaries on May 26 as indicated in the attached program.
We hope many of our friends and supporters will join the General Public Talk on May 26.
Sincerely,
Dechen Tsering
TANC President
Program by TANC
MONDAY-May 24
5:30pm Tibetans settle at El Cerrito High School, 540 Ashbury Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530-3299
5:50pm Honorable Kalon Tripa & Chitue Tsoktso arrive at ECHS
6-9:00pm Tibetan Community Talk – ECHS [Free event]
- Welcome by TANC & 2 Songs by Tibetan Sunday School Children (15 mins)
- Kalon Tripa: Tibet-Chinese Dialogue & How Tibetan Government Functions (25 mins)
- Chitue Tsoktso: Kalon Tripa & Chitue elections: processes & significance (25 mins)
- Open Forum Q&A (1 hour 35mins) – Moderated by Tsewang Phuntso la (OTNY)
- Conclusion (10 mins)
TUESDAY – May 25
8-10:30am Peace walk across Golden Gate Bridge [not a rally]
10:30-11:50am TANC office reception
12-2pm Luncheon with State, City and District representatives
Venue: Berkeley City Council, 2180 Milvia Street, Berkeley
Co-host: City of Berkeley
2:45pm Arrive at Berkeley Community Media
3-4pm TV Interview: New Tibet Media (Berkeley Community Media – TV Channel 28)
7-8pm Prayer Offering for Kyegundo Earthquake (6th Duntsik) – [Free Event]
- Venue: Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. Large Hall
- Prayers presided & inspirational wisdom offered by Venerable Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche [All in Tibetan]
- Co-host: Nechung Buddhist Center
WEDNESDAY – May 26
9-10 am KPFA Radio Interview
11-Noon Your Call Radio: SFO – Live Interview
12:30-2pm Lunch with TANC board, staff, former Presidents, SFTT, Nechung, Gyuto, & TANC Committee Chairs (& visiting Presidents of NWTAs)
- Venue: Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. Berkeley, Connie Barbour Hall
2:30-5pm Informal Forum with Chinese Scholars, etc. [by invitation only]
- Venue: Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. Berkeley, Connie Barbour Hall
5:30-6:30pm Private Dinner
6:45pm Arrive at El Cerrito High School, 540 Ashbury Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530-3299
7-9pm General Public Talk - fundraiser for Community Center
- Topic: Nonviolence as a Path to Peace
- Co-host: Asia Society Northern California
For questions, please email: contact@tanc.org or call TANC office at 510-666-1355.
Brief bios:
H. E. Venerable Samdhong Rinpoche is the first Kalon Tripa (Chairman of the Tibetan Cabinet or Prime Minister) to be elected directly by the Tibetan people. He was elected to this highest executive post by 84.54 percent of Tibetans who voted on July 29, 2001. On August 15, 2006, Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche was re-elected with majority votes to be the Kalon Tripa (Prime Minister) for a second consecutive term.
Throughout his life, Samdhong Rinpoche played an active role in shaping the future of Tibetan society and Central Tibetan Administration. In 1990, he served on the committee responsible for drafting the Charter of Tibetans in Exile and the constitution of Future Tibet. From 1991 to 2001, Rinpoche was Chairman of the Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies (Tibetan Parliament in exile). While holding this post, he restructured the functioning of the Tibetan Assembly, and also formulated the rules and regulations, and governance of the departments and institutions of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile (TGiE). A close associate of the Dalai Lama he was elected to his current position in 2001. He is also the author of the book Uncompromising Truth for a Compromised World ) (available from World Wisdom).
Soon after his escape to India in 1959, Professor Samdhong Rinpoche worked for the promotion of education and preservation of Tibetan cultural heritage. From 1961 to 2000, he worked in various capacities at Tibetan cultural and educational institutes, including as Principal of Central School for Tibetans in Dalhousie, and Director (later Vice Chancellor) of the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies at Deemed University in Varanasi, India.
During his long career as an educationist, Professor Samdhong Rinpoche earned tremendous respect and esteem in the Indian academic circle. In recognition of Professor Samdhong Rinpoche’s academic achievements, the Government of India nominated him on the boards of Indian Council for Philosophical Research, Asiatic Society of West Bengal, Sikkim Research Institute, Central Institute for Buddhist Studies and Nav Nalanda Mahavira among others. Professor Samdhong Rinpoche also held various positions within the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) including its President in 1998 and in its University Grant Commission. He also held myriad roles in a number of other Indian academic institutions.
The Venerable Lobsang Tenzin (Samdhong Rinpoche’s birth name) was born in Jol, in Kham region of Eastern Tibet. At the age of five, he was recognized as the reincarnation of the 4th Samdhong Rinpoche and enthroned in Gaden Dechenling Monastery at Jol. Two years later he took vows as a monk, started his religious training at Drepung Monastery in Lhasa and completed it at the Madhyamika School of Buddhism. But in 1959, after the Chinese invasion of Tibet, he was forced to go into exile in India along with the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. However, he continued his studies in exile while serving in Tibetan schools. He obtained the degrees of Doctor of Divinity and Doctor of Tantric Studies in 1968 and 1969 respectively.
A scholar, philosopher and fully ordained Buddhist monk, Professor Samdhong Rinpoche is an ardent follower of Mahatma Gandhi. Apart from his firm background in the Buddha dharma, the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and dialectics of J. Krishnamurti have greatly influenced the development of Professor Samdhong Rinpoche’s philosophy and principles. Professor Samdhong Rinpoche’s has been a life-long advocate and practitioner of preservation of tradition and a non-violent human society. He has spoken widely on the principles of non-violence and its relevance in our world of conflicts. Professor Samdhong Rinpoche’s is fluent in Tibetan, Hindi, English and Sanskrit.
Honorable Speaker Mr. Penpa Tsering was born in 1967 at Bylakuppe, South India. He studied at the Central School for Tibetans in Bylakuppe and graduated with distinction from his high school (Class XII). Mr. Tsering majored in Economics Major from Madras Christian College in Chennai and began his career as an entrepreneur.
As a student activist, Mr. Tsering served as the General Secretary of both the Tibetan Freedom Movement and the Nigerian-Tibet Friendship Association. Later he served as the General Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of Domey (region in Eastern Tibet). Mr. Tsering was appointed the Executive Director of the Tibetan Parliamentary and Policy Research Center, New Delhi from 2001 to 2008, before being elected as the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE) after being elected to the 12th and 13th Assembly of Tibetan Parliamentary Deputies. He shared the elected post of Speaker with a colleague since 31 May 2006.
