Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre
Introduction:
Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre, (KTC) is a non-profit organization in words and in deeds. It was founded on 18th April in 2003 and is the brainchild of Mr. Serta Tsultrim who is also the key founder of the group.
The NGO group is registered as per the rule of law on the 5th March 2005 under the district magistrate of Kangra district, the state government of Himachal Pradesh, India: (Regd.No.157, Regd. Year 2005, Book No. 1).
Besides receiving modern education, the visionary thinking founders of KTC have intense knowledge in Tibetan language, history, Buddhist philosophy and culture.
The organization aims to help protect Tibetan culture in general and improve Tibetan journalism in particular.
Most of the current staff members were born in Tibet and received traditional education there. They received the opportunity to study modern education after coming to exile.
Meaning of the organization:
In a broader sense, Khawa Karpo denotes Tibet. In a narrower sense, it refers to Rongtsen Khawa Karpo, (The Shangri-la) the historical sacred mountain located in the region of Tsa-wa-Gang, near Jol Dechen of traditional Kham province in eastern Tibet.
This area is subjected to the most severe scrutiny and intrusion of the Chinese government in Tibet penetrating every aspect of their lives; Tibetans in this region are in dire straits. Therefore Khawa Karpo – has been named so as to invite attention to their deplorable conditions.
The remaining words, Tibet Culture Centre have been added in order to help preserve and promote the good aspects of our unique Buddhist cultural heritage which is largely influenced by Buddhist principles of love and non-violence. This is not just a national treasure but also a global treasure which has the potential in contributing both individual happiness and global harmony.
Mission of the organization:
Protecting Human Rights and Strengthening Democracy
'''Protecting Human Rights and Strengthening Democracy'''
The mission of our organization is to protect human rights of fellow Tibetans in Tibet and strengthen the democratic establishment of Central Tibetan Administration in-exile. We do this by covering true stories and publish them in our weekly Tibetan language newsletter and update events on our tri-lingual news websites every day.
We serve as a voice of the voiceless Tibetan majority back in Tibet who are immensely suffering from daily social injustice like; freedom of speech, freedom of movement, right to traditional education, right to religion, forced abortion, land confiscation, patriotic education, cultural genocide and of becoming a minority in their own country under the Chinese government decades long hard-line policy against Tibet and her people.
Our weekly Tibetan language newsletter is a small yet significant platform for us to carry the unending stories of their constant humiliation, imprisonment and death to the eyes and ears of UNO and to all other responsible global civilized community with the only hope that their values and principles are not different from us; that we too stand and work for peace, human rights, truth and dignity as much as they do.
It is an undying hope that a collective effort would be made by world’s responsible government leaders, organizations and individuals in supporting and addressing our demand for a genuine autonomy within the framework of China’s constitution and to give Tibetans what is already written and committed in the papers of its constitution - the rights of its minority.
The organization sporadically publish books related to Tibetan language, culture, religion and politics. So far the group has published eight books. And the work towards publishing quarterly Tibetan language magazine is one way.
Ours is an effort to keep Tibetans on both sides of the border united in times of difficulties. We are a small non-profit group yet we stand tall because we tell the truth and stand by the truth.
STRUCTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION AND CURRENT NUMBER OF STAFF MEMBERS:
The main office of our organization is based in Dharamsala. This organization is the brainchild of Mr. Serta Tsultrim, who is also a member of Tibetan parliament in-exile. There are ten permanent staff members at the main office.
Administrative members of the organization:
1) Mr. Serta Tsultrim: Key founder, Editor-in-Chief, Executive Director.
2) Tsering Dhondup: General secretary, project officer, editor for English language news section.
3) Ngawang Tharpa: Administrative manager, web-designer/computer instructor and cashier.
4) Yeshi Tsomo: Accountant, distribution incharge. (i.e., weekly newsletter/books etc)
Other staff members of the organization:
5) Choenyi Woser: Sub-editor and reporter
6) Lobsang Kkhentse: Reporter for Tibetan language news section
7) Tenzin Wangchuk: Sub-editor/reporter for English language news website.
8) Dhondup Gyaltsen: Driver, clerk and assistant to distribution incharge. (i.e., weekly newsletter/books etc)
9) Dolma Lhamo: Editor/reporter for Chinese language news section.
10) Kunkyab Passang: Reporter for Tibetan language news section/ world news translator.
Besides we have one regional reporter in each of our three branch offices. These branch offices are located at Bylacuppee settlement, Mundgod settlement and Kathmandu, Nepal. Our branch office staffs are appointed on annual contractual agreement.
Aims and objectives of the organization:
1) To cover true, accurate and unbiased news reports.
2) To bring timely awareness about any latest development with regard to China-Tibet issue.
3) To uphold the rights of free media expression in society.
4) To preserve and promote Tibetan language and Buddhist cultural heritage.
5) To publish books related to Tibetan struggle, history, gender equality, human rights, democracy and environment etc
The organization aims to pursue these objectives largely through various platform provided by global IT revolution, viz. Weekly Tibetan language newsletter, electronic media, workshop and book publication.
Weekly newsletter: The Tibet Express, (Bod-Kyi-Bang-Chen)
Tibet Express (Bod-Kyi-Bang-Chen) is legally registered under the Information department and Press of Indian government. It is the first ever independent Tibetan weekly newsletter in our Tibetan society and till date, it is being widely distributed in around twenty different countries.
The head office of this weekly newsletter is based at Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh and its branch agencies are based in the most populated exile settlements Byllakuppe and Mundgod. (Its branch agency based in Kathmandu, Nepal has been compelled to close on 5th March 2009 after the regional reporter was detained by local police. He was released after paying the sum of Nepali Rupees six and half lakhs as bribe, but legally stopped us to continue our work there. Therefore, the branch agency based in Nepal is temporarily closed). The newsletter Bod-kyi-bang-chen is being printed and distributed simultaneously in Dharamsala, Mundgod and Byllakuppe.
Contents of the newsletter:
a) News
Exile: It has news articles like programs of H.H.The Dalai Lama, Exile Tibetan government, Tibetan Non-governmental organizations, individual people’s activities, their livelihood, etc.
Tibet: It consists of news articles from Tibet.
World: Some of the selected important news about the world are included here.
Amazing facts: Collection of amazing facts happening in and around the globe.
Sports and games: Reporting of every big and small sports/games being played in and outside Tibet.
Photo news: Important photo news with small captions are also included.
b) Opinions and commentaries
Editorial Column: Editorial column is a regular feature of the paper generally reflects the paper’s views on any major issues covered in that particular issue, or views on any of the contemporary issues—with particular emphasis on the diversities of views.
Public opinion in the form of articles/compositions: The articles written by common people on current important issues are being published in the paper. The ideas and contents of the respective articles are not from the centre but the writer himself/herself is responsible for the write-up.
Letters from readers: This forum includes letters from readers to the agency or the editor regarding the contents of the newsletter, requests, corrections, complains opinions, etc.
Interviews: Interviews taken from authorities, great personalities, concerned people, known people, ordinary people, foreigners, etc.
Special forum for new generation: This forum is exclusive for the youngsters in our society. The forum mainly gives opportunities to Tibetan youngsters to express their personal views on certain issues.
c) Education
Introduction to Buddhism: There is special column of Buddhism in simple language for our readers. It includes interviews with spiritual preachers on Buddhism, transcription of speeches on Buddhism by H.H.The Dalai Lama and other lamas, collection of simple and understandable parts from Buddhist scripture books, etc.
Introduction to Tibetan history: Past history of Tibet is being introduced categorically in simple language and also the true stories which are not in written record are being enquired, researched and published.
World history: Brief stories of the countries of the world along with their national flag and map are being translated into Tibetan from various reliable sources.
Tibetan language: It includes like: Importance of Tibetan language and strategies to preserve it in future. Articles written by scholars and preachers who give importance about the common errors in language.
Elegant excerpts: Precise and meaningful excerpts from the speeches of H.H.The Dalai Lama and other scholars are being placed in every issue of the paper.
Health tips: Research section of Men-Tsee-Khang is regularly introducing about various ailments and its methods to cure and other precautionary measures on the basis of Tibetan medicine and science in simple and understandable language.
Caricature: Every issue of the paper carries satirical and sarcastic caricatures on various contemporary themes.
d) Advertisements
The paper keeps advertisements of government as well as non-governmental organizations or religious institutes, etc.
2) Tri-lingual Website-www.tibetexpress.net/www.bangchen.net
Anyone can enter our website from both the addresses either tibetexpress.net or bangchen.net and both have same content. One can enrich one’s knowledge from our website by choosing any language either English or Tibetan or Chinese and also the readers can do online discussion and debate on any topic. Especially, one can get updated information about in and outside Tibet in our Tibetan web-version and one can participate in discussion through blog as well. We keep on working hard on tri-lingual discussion forums, articles on religion and culture, monasteries in exile, Tibetan settlements, etc.
3) Translation from English/Chinese into Tibetan
We try our level best to translate any articles written by foreign learned and scholars on Tibetan issues, or any other important contemporary studies, articles written by Tibetans in other languages like English or Chinese. Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre has published four books so far and whenever we find any book in other language which are important for Tibet and Tibetans, then we’ll surely work hard to translate and publish them. We have translated Wang Lixiong’s two important articles on Tibet and have kept in our paper, and it has received much appreciation and acknowledgement from our readers.
4) Editing and Publications
We have edited and published various articles and books on some particular regions in Tibet, individual’s autobiography, interviews, other related stories, etc.
a) Wang Lixiong’s ‘A Chinese scholar has discussed about Tibet’ in Chinese, translated by Bawa Kalsang Gyaltsen into Tibetan
b) Nag-Tsang Nuedhen Lobsang’s ‘Nag-Tsang-Shilue-Kyidhug’
c) Bawa Yeshe Gawa’s ‘The history of Bathang Place’
d) Serta Tsultrim’s ‘The glowing legacy: A brief history of Chosje Khenchen Jigmey Phuntsok and Serta La-rung Buddhist Institute’
e) Su-Cha-Hong’s ‘Democracy in Exile’ in Chinese, translated by Shadong Tashi Gyatso into Tibetan version
A quick look into the current members of Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre:.
Mr. Serta Tsultrim: Executive Director/ Editor-in-Chief
Mr. Serta Tsultrim was born in 1974. After completing his primary education, he received diverse education on Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan grammar, poetry, mathematics, religious paintings, etc. from Ragtam Jampa-Ling and Serta Buddhist Institution in Kham region. He fled into exile in the year 1998 and studied for nearly half a year at Tibetan Transit School Sherab-Gatsel-Ling and in 1999, he worked at the Religious Department of Tibetan government in exile as the editor of a comprehensive history book on Buddhist monasteries in Tibet, India, Nepal and Bhutan. From 2000 to 2003, he worked in Norbulingka Institute by taking responsibilities of the editor of the Nor-Wod Magazine, one of the editors to the biography of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama (Zed-Nam-Ser-Kyi-Yang-Nying), published by Norbulingka Institute, and also a part of the Cultural and Research Centre of Norbulingka Institute and worked as a researcher for Tibetan Culture and Education. He was elected for the fifth local Tibetan assembly member of Dharamsala (LTA) in 2004. Additionally, he served as one of the executive members of the Association of Tibetan Journalists. He has also been the member of the 14th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPIE) since 2006. He has founded Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre in 2003 and since then, he has been taking the responsibility of the executive director of the centre and the chief editor of the Tibet Express.
Mr. Ngawang Tharpa: Office Administrator/Web-designer cum Computer instructor
Mr. Tsering Dhondup: General Secretary/Project Officer /Editor of English Language news Section
Chingkar Tsering Dhondup was born in Hunsur Tibetan Settlement, in South India. He studied till high school in his settlement school and after that joined his secondary school in C.S.T. Mundgod. He left his college to pursue Tibetan language course at Sarah Tibetan college to fulfill his childhood dream to become a teacher. Later, he pursued Teachers' training course. Thereafter, he was assigned as Tibetan and English teacher in T.C.V. school Suja for six years from 2003 to 2008 . During his stay in TCV Suja, he also undertook the additional responsibility of school house master for four consecutive years. He joined Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre on 2nd March 2009 and since then, has been working in the centre as an English web-version editor of www.tibetexpress.net. Recently from 1st January 2010, he was promoted to the post of General Secretary and Project Officer of the centre.
Mr.Choeney Woser: Sub-editor
Mr. Choeney Woser was born in Serta county, Kham province in Tibet. In 1992, he joined Tibetan middle school and graduated from that school in 1998. He escaped into exile in 1999. After reaching India in February 1999, he joined Tibetan Transit School where he improved his Tibetan language and also learnt English language and Computer. He was an assistant editor of School’s Tibetan literature Textbook for students in 2000. He took special course in computer diploma at Apar India Institute of Management & Technology in New Delhi during his final year in Transit school. He completely graduated from Tibetan Transit School in 2004. He has been working at Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre as a reporter of Tibet Express (Bod-Kyi-Bang-Chen) since November 2005. Due to his continuous hard work, he has been promoted to the post of sub-editor in April 2008. Currently, he takes the responsibility of the sub-editor of the Tibet Express, and also one of the executive members of Association of Tibetan Journalists.
Mrs. Yeshi Tsomo: Accountant/Newspaper Distribution Incharge
Mrs. Yeshi Tsomo was born at Tsawa Dzogang in Tibet. She escaped into exile in 1991 and graduated 10th class from TCV School, Suja in 1997 and then transferred to CST Mundgod for senior secondary level education. After her schooling in C.S.T.Mundgod, she joined the college of Arts and Commerce in Delhi University and finally in 2002, she completed her B.A. with Office Management and Secretary Practice. She joined Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre in May 2003 and since then she has been undertaking the responsibilities of the accountant cum newspaper distributor.
Mr. Tenzin Wangchuk: Reporter/sub-editor of English language news section
Tenzin Wangchuk Batsang was born in Kollegal Tibetan Settlement in Karnataka. He studied in S.O.S. T.C.V School Bylakuppe (1990 to 2003) and graduated from the school with commerce as the core subject at the intermediate level. He later studied Bachelor of Commerce (2003 to 2006) from St. Joseph’s P.G & Degree College in Hyderabad.
During the 2nd year (in 2004), he was elected as the General Secretary of Regional Tibetan Youth Congress. He took up PGDHRM (2006 to 2007), a one-year management course, in Mysore University. After this, he studied M.A – Mass Communication & Journalism (2007 to 2009) as his major in Mysore University.
He and three other friends started the first-ever Tibetan college students’ bi-monthly English journal called ‘Youth Voice’ in Mysore in September 2008 and edited the journal for a year. After the M.A studies, he volunteered as a reporter for TGiE official website www.tibet.net before joining the Khawa Karpo Tibetan Culture Centre where he currently works as an assistant to English version website and reporter to the weekly ‘The Tibet Express’ newletter.
Mr. Lobsang Khentse: Reporter for Tibetan language news section
Miss. Dolma Lhamo: Editor/reporter for Chinese language news section
Mr. Kunkyab Passang: Editor/reporter for Chinese language news section
Mr. Dhondup Gyaltsen: Clerk/Driver/Assistant to distribution in-charge
Mr. Tashi Delek: Regional reporter
Mr. Tashi Delek was born in 1980 at Kham Minyag Rabgang. He received his elementary education from a private school and later, he got opportunity to study Buddhist philosophy and other Tibetan studies in three different Buddhist Monasteries: Minyag-Rabgang Monastery, Serta Buddhist Institution and A-zom Choegar. After coming into exile in 2002, he joined Tibetan Transit School where he studied Tibetan Studies, English language and computer for five years. He even continued his computer education in Delhi as well. He undertook the responsibility of sub-editor of the magazine ‘Piwang-Karpoe-Rangdra’ of Dzogchhen Monastery and also the responsibility of the editor of ‘Migjhe’ of Gangjong-Rangden-Tsoelen Committee. He joined Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre in September 2008 and since then he has been working as the regional reporter at our Mysore Branch Agency.
Mr. Thupten Tashi: Regional reporter
Mr. Thupten Tashi was born in 1983. He was admitted to Chhog-Tsang Tag-Lung Monastery and later transferred to Serta Buddhist Institution where he studied Buddhist Philosophy and other Tibetan Studies for nearly seven years. After coming into exile in 2003, he got opportunity to study in Tibetan Transit School for five years where he studied Tibetan, English and computer. He did further studies on computer in Delhi as well. He joined Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre in March 2009 and since then he has been undertaking the responsibilities of Mundgod Branch Agency as well as the regional reporter.
