Dharamsala: “Yes, Tibetans will succeed, Tibet’s story will be a success story,” said Dr Lobsang Sangay, the President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) in his address to the participants –scholars, experts and strategists gathered for the Five-Fifty Forum held earlier this month in Dharamsala.
This strong belief that echoed through Dr Sangay’s address embraces hope, a hope that is not devoid of realism rather a hope deeply rooted in the resilience of the Tibetan people.
The Five-Fifty vision as explained by Dr Sangay is premised on His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s advice to ‘hope for the best and prepare for the worst,’ and aims at fulfilling the aspirations of the Tibetans in Tibet: restoring freedom for Tibetans and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to his rightful home.
At the same time, the Five-Fifty vision also embodies possibilities, thereby aiming to prepare and strategies to reinvigorate the Tibet movement for the next fifty years, if need be. It asks, how do the CTA redefine, rephrase and re-energise the Tibet narrative in the context of the global scenario?
President Dr Sangay further emphasized that “the Tibetan struggle has survived and succeeded in deflecting the brutal attempt of the PRC to annihilate the very Tibetan identity and the Tibetan approach serves as an antidote to the dominant playbook that resorts to extreme nationalism and violence to resolving conflict and political differences.”
Set under the Chatham house rules, the Five-Fifty forum strived to garner a free, fair and frank discussion on way forward strategy to engage with China through dialogue, strengthening the communications and advocacy strategy and in strengthening CTA’s leadership.
Dr Sangay expressed his belief and hope that the Five-Fifty Forum will deliver and avowed to take concerted efforts to implement the recommendations of the Forum.
Apart from the significance of upholding the universal principles of human rights, Tibet as a geopolitically and environmentally strategic issue matters far beyond the Tibetan people and is very much relevant to Asia and the global community.
‘We are the good guys, we do take pride in our earnest attempt to resolve the Tibet issue through non-violence and dialogue with China, based on the principles of Middle Way Approach’ said President Dr Sangay.
Reflection report submitted by Tenzin Lhakmon, Communications Officer, Office of Sikyong.