Dharamsala: The Office of Tibet, Washington DC in collaboration with Emory University organised the first workshop on ‘Secular Ethics and Youth leadership’ for Tibetan youths in North America on 16 August. The workshop was supported by Dalai Lama Foundation and Karma Triyana Dharmachakra.
22 Tibetan university students and young professionals from 11 different states in the US and Canada participated in the workshop held at KTD, Woodstock, New York.
His Eminence Gyalwang Karmapa Rinpoche graced the closing ceremony and also distributed ‘Certificate of Participation’ to the participants.
In his address, Gyalwang Karmapa said the teaching of Secular Ethics is His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s wish and that Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD) is happy to host this workshop and would like to make the space available for this kind of workshop in the future.
He also stressed the importance of learning the Tibetan language calling it ‘Soktsa’- the root of life, for all Tibetans.
The workshop is aimed to instil in our youths a sense of kindness, compassion, positive attributes and human values, which are critical to nurturing a loving and peaceful humanity and at the same time, a sense of global leadership and Tibetan identity is infused.
Workshop on Secular Ethics and Youth Leadership in progress. Photo/OOT DC
Representative Ngodup Tsering thanked Gyalwang Karmapa Rinpoche for making KTD available for the workshop and appreciated Khenpo Karma Tenkyong, the president of KTD; the staff and the volunteers for going out of their way for making this event successful.
He urged the younger generation of Tibetans to be smart, strong and creative and at the same time a good human being. He said that he had mixed feelings of joy and concern as he observed the participants during the workshop.
He expressed that while he was happy to see smart, young Tibetans from prestigious American Universities participating actively in the workshop but the medium of communication was in English.
The first two days of the workshop focused on leadership and the last two days delved on Secular Ethics.
The participants were given exposure to the comprehensive, detailed and systematic description of Secular Ethics, which is a product of many years of study, research and experiments of the resources persons from Emory University.
The speakers are Bhuchung Tsering, Vice President, International Campaign for Tibet; Tenzin Dorjee, Program Director at Tibet Action Institute; Kunga Tashi, Chinese Liaison Officer, Office of Tibet; Khenpo Pema Wangdak, Director Vikramasila Foundation and Palden Sakya Centers; Ellen Petry Leanse, Author, The Happiness Hack, an Amazon bestseller; Ngodup Tsering, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to North America and Professor Lobsang Tenzin Negi & Geshe Dadul from Emory University.
The workshop concluded on 20 August.
-Filed by Office of Tibet, Washington DC-
Workshop on Secular Ethics and Youth Leadership in progress. Photo/OOT DC