Canberra: The seventh governing body meeting of the National Federation of Australian Tibetan Communities Association was convened on 14-15th October 2023, at Wagga Wagga City in New South Wales. The meeting was attended by the Presidents and Vice Presidents of Tibetan communities from Canberra, Sydney, Queensland, Victoria, Newcastle, Wagga Wagga, and Nowra.
Representative Karma Singey of the Office of Tibet, Canberra, attended the meeting as the chief guest, and Member of the Tibetan Parliament Tenzin Phuntsok Doring attended as the guest of honour.
The meeting discussed and deliberated on various agendas, including strengthening Tibet advocacy in Australia, facilitating the CTA’s newly initiated V-TAG programme, and the importance of the membership drive in the payment of Green Book and Blue Book (Tibetan Solidarity Partnership) contributions.
The governing body meeting of the Federation meets every two years, during which the new President and Secretary of the Federation are elected. On the 7th Governing Body meeting, Chozen Ngawa, President of the Sydney Tibetan Association, was elected President, and Phurbu Khonnyi Tsang, President of the Nowra Tibetan Association, was elected Secretary of the Federation.
In the morning of 15 October, all the participants were invited by the Tibetan Association of Wagga Wagga for the opening of the new section of Tibetan books at Wagga Wagga City Library.
Representative Karma Singey and MP Tenzin Phuntsok Doring expressed their gratitude to the Wagga Wagga City Council and the Multicultural Council for their support in setting up a new section for Tibetan books in the city library, and both spoke on how the Tibetan language is currently facing existential threats in Tibet under Chinese rule and how relevant and significant the Tibetan culture of compassion and non-violence is in the face of a violence-ridden world.
The State MP for Wagga Wagga, Dr. Joe McGirr, and Belinda Crain, CEO of the Multicultural Council of Wagga Wagga, graced the launch of the event.
–Filed by Tibet Information Office, Canberra
The 7th Governing Body of the Federation of Australian Tibetan Communities Association in progress.
Representative Karma and MP Tenzin Phuntsok with incoming President Ngawa Chozin and Secretary Phurbu Khonnyi Tsang and outgoing President Kalsang Tsering and Secretary Gurbum Kyab of the Federation
Representative Karma Singey speaking at the opening of the new section of Tibetan books at Wagga Wagga City Library
Group photo with State MP Dr. Joe McGirr at the launch of new section of Tibetan books in Wagga Wagga City Library.