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Economic Times
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
We have to formalise our ties with governments: Sikyong Penpa Tsering on Tibet's political future, global outreach
Reuters Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the head of Tibet's government-in-exile The political head of the Tibetan government in-exile is called the Sikyong. This democratically elected position was established in 2011 when the Dalai Lama relinquished his political responsibilities. The current Sikyong, Penpa Tsering, was born in a Tibetan settlement in Bylakuppe in Karnataka and now works out of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) office in McLeodganj, Himachal Pradesh. In a conversation with Nirmal John, Tsering, a fan of South Indian cuisine, especially parotta and fish curry, details his plans to counter the many problems facing the Tibetan community. Edited excerpts Q: It is nearly 15 years since the decoupling of the political and spiritual parts of the Tibetan administration. How has it worked out so far? A: His Holiness (the Dalai Lama) knows he will live up to a certain point. So, he has prepared the Tibetans to take care of themselves. It took a long time. Our people had no idea of what democracy meant and the organs of democracy needed. We started slowly. In 1991, he made our parliament a fully legislative body. In 2001 we had a direct election of the head of government. Then in 2011, he devolved all his political responsibilities. I feel we have grown over the years. I spent a lot of time visiting every single community, bringing in more efficiency, building databases. I am also committed to making sure His Holiness is not unduly bothered by small issues happening within the community. Q: His statement on Wednesday emphasised tradition in the process of finding the next Dalai Lama. One impact of that would be the long wait for what would be a small kid to grow up. In the interim, the office of the Sikyong will become even more critical. A: That's a question we are always asked—if there is a reincarnation in future, wouldn't things be difficult in the interim period? Of course, it'll be. But as the leadership of the Tibetan community, we are trying. Now His Holiness is there, so we get some respect from governments, parliamentarians, foreign officers and all that. We have to now start institutionalising our relationship with governments and others so that the same dignity, the same recognition that we are given right now when His Holiness is present, may continue when he is not there. I don't want to praise our own administration, but I think we have done pretty well in the last four years, reaching out to the international community, keeping our people together. Q: One of the problems you are facing is young people moving out, thereby diluting the community's fightback. A: Young people moving out is a problem. We have started a big project called BBCC—building back compact communities. Since people moving out causes problems for the sustainability of compact communities here, we are trying to provide housing to those who don't have it. Many people who came from Tibet over the last 30-40 years don't have housing. The idea is to address the immediate need of housing, and then the long-term sustainability of the community. Many have become citizens of other countries. They speak the language, they understand the system. Now, if they understand what's happening in China, what's happening in Tibet, then as Tibetans for Tibet, they could be the best advocates for Tibet. But the downside is that the next generation will be born in a totally different environment. We are just beginning to explore having compact communities globally, starting with a project in Minnesota. I'm speaking with 100 young Tibetan students flown in from around the world at the International Youth Forum here. If we do this for 10 years, we'll have more than 1,000 young Tibetans, who will be the next generation of Tibetan leadership. Q: How has US President Donald Trump's USAID cuts affected your budget? A: The total US funding is around $14 million. $2 million is for PRM—population, refugees, migration—and for health issues, which is directly under the State Department, so it was not cut. Of the remaining $12 million, $5 million is for two specific projects—$3 million to build the capacity of institutions and individuals at CTA, which is a five-year project and we are on year four, so we need to mobilise to finish this. Another project is the digitisation of all Tibetan scriptures. $7 million is for education, health, rehabilitation—it is connected with so many departments here. That has been restored. For the other two specific projects we have reached out to other governments; they are interested in supporting. Our sources are not just countries, there are organisations and individuals too. But for the last seven months it has been a setback, from January to now. Q: Which governments are interested in supporting? A: Germany is one. And, of course, the Indian government is the largest benefactor. If it was not for the government of India, we wouldn't exist.Q: What more can India do? A: What more can India do? On humanitarian grounds, there is no other country that has done as much. Of course culturally, linguistically, we feel part of India in that sense. The Tibetan script, Devanagari, came from India. The Nalanda system of Buddhism came from India. All these historical connections are there, and perhaps for all these reasons India has been kind. We never had a war, in that sense, having been neighbours for centuries. Politically, of course, we would like the Indian government to take a more visible stand, but we also understand there are so many things on the table between India and China. If there has to be a resolution (on the issues between India and China), it is better to resolve the Sino-Tibet dispute first. That can contribute more trust between China and India. If you look at the larger geopolitical scenario also, if there is better trust between India and China after the resolution of the Tibet conflict, then would China need to maintain such a relationship with Pakistan to contain India?Q: You mentioned back-channel diplomacy with the Chinese in a presser. Do you see common grounds? A: There is no common ground. It's just to convey messages. Like this time, to say don't do anything during the 90th birthday that will spoil the mood of the Chinese government. During the earthquake, I asked them whether there's anything we can do from outside. At least some messaging here and there, but we are not very keen right now to push this, because you don't have a leadership that is willing to listen. Q: What do you see is happening in the political circles in China? A: There are symptoms of a bigger malaise in the political circles now, and I think his (Xi Jinping's) friends are shrinking as he's removing the very people he appointed. That also questions his choice of people. If you look at the last one and a half years, there have been a lot of signs of things not being well in the political circles. Q: I have heard that the office of the Dalai Lama and CTA see some of the most cyberattacks. A: We have an organisation in Canada that helps us with internet security, and several people work pro bono. According to them, we are one of the most attacked websites, or whatever platform, from the Chinese side. We have no issues because we have nothing to hide. We have always said we are transparent. Q: Is there infiltration? A: That has always been there. They themselves admit they have sleepers. They have people listening. They are on social media; they listen to what the community is saying as we have a very vibrant social media community
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
We have to formalise our ties with governments: Sikyong Penpa Tsering on Tibet's political future, global outreach
The political head of the Tibetan government in-exile is called the Sikyong. This democratically elected position was established in 2011 when the Dalai Lama relinquished his political responsibilities. The current Sikyong, Penpa Tsering, was born in a Tibetan settlement in Bylakuppe in Karnataka and now works out of the Central Tibetan Administration ( CTA ) office in McLeodganj, Himachal Pradesh . In a conversation with Nirmal John, Tsering, a fan of South Indian cuisine, especially parotta and fish curry, details his plans to counter the many problems facing the Tibetan community. Edited excerpts Q: It is nearly 15 years since the decoupling of the political and spiritual parts of the Tibetan administration. How has it worked out so far? A: His Holiness (the Dalai Lama) knows he will live up to a certain point. So, he has prepared the Tibetans to take care of themselves. It took a long time. Our people had no idea of what democracy meant and the organs of democracy needed. We started slowly. In 1991, he made our parliament a fully legislative body. In 2001 we had a direct election of the head of government. Then in 2011, he devolved all his political responsibilities. I feel we have grown over the years. I spent a lot of time visiting every single community, bringing in more efficiency, building databases. I am also committed to making sure His Holiness is not unduly bothered by small issues happening within the community. Q: His statement on Wednesday emphasised tradition in the process of finding the next Dalai Lama. One impact of that would be the long wait for what would be a small kid to grow up. In the interim, the office of the Sikyong will become even more critical. A: That's a question we are always asked—if there is a reincarnation in future, wouldn't things be difficult in the interim period? Of course, it'll be. But as the leadership of the Tibetan community, we are trying. Now His Holiness is there, so we get some respect from governments, parliamentarians, foreign officers and all that. We have to now start institutionalising our relationship with governments and others so that the same dignity, the same recognition that we are given right now when His Holiness is present, may continue when he is not there. I don't want to praise our own administration, but I think we have done pretty well in the last four years, reaching out to the international community, keeping our people together. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like "한포진" 퍼지면 늦습니다 꼭 관리하세요. (+후기 포함) 올바른 치 Undo Q: One of the problems you are facing is young people moving out, thereby diluting the community's fightback. A: Young people moving out is a problem. We have started a big project called BBCC—building back compact communities. Since people moving out causes problems for the sustainability of compact communities here, we are trying to provide housing to those who don't have it. Many people who came from Tibet over the last 30-40 years don't have housing. The idea is to address the immediate need of housing, and then the long-term sustainability of the community. Many have become citizens of other countries. They speak the language, they understand the system. Now, if they understand what's happening in China, what's happening in Tibet, then as Tibetans for Tibet, they could be the best advocates for Tibet. But the downside is that the next generation will be born in a totally different environment. We are just beginning to explore having compact communities globally, starting with a project in Minnesota. I'm speaking with 100 young Tibetan students flown in from around the world at the International Youth Forum here. If we do this for 10 years, we'll have more than 1,000 young Tibetans, who will be the next generation of Tibetan leadership. Q: How has US President Donald Trump's USAID cuts affected your budget? A: The total US funding is around $14 million. $2 million is for PRM—population, refugees, migration—and for health issues, which is directly under the State Department , so it was not cut. Of the remaining $12 million, $5 million is for two specific projects—$3 million to build the capacity of institutions and individuals at CTA, which is a five-year project and we are on year four, so we need to mobilise to finish this. Another project is the digitisation of all Tibetan scriptures. $7 million is for education, health, rehabilitation—it is connected with so many departments here. That has been restored. For the other two specific projects we have reached out to other governments; they are interested in supporting. Our sources are not just countries, there are organisations and individuals too. But for the last seven months it has been a setback, from January to now. Live Events Q: Which governments are interested in supporting? A: Germany is one. And, of course, the Indian government is the largest benefactor. If it was not for the government of India , we wouldn't exist. Q: What more can India do? A: What more can India do? On humanitarian grounds, there is no other country that has done as much. Of course culturally, linguistically, we feel part of India in that sense. The Tibetan script, Devanagari, came from India. The Nalanda system of Buddhism came from India. All these historical connections are there, and perhaps for all these reasons India has been kind. We never had a war, in that sense, having been neighbours for centuries. Politically, of course, we would like the Indian government to take a more visible stand, but we also understand there are so many things on the table between India and China. If there has to be a resolution (on the issues between India and China), it is better to resolve the Sino-Tibet dispute first. That can contribute more trust between China and India. If you look at the larger geopolitical scenario also, if there is better trust between India and China after the resolution of the Tibet conflict, then would China need to maintain such a relationship with Pakistan to contain India? Q: You mentioned back-channel diplomacy with the Chinese in a presser. Do you see common grounds? A: There is no common ground. It's just to convey messages. Like this time, to say don't do anything during the 90th birthday that will spoil the mood of the Chinese government. During the earthquake, I asked them whether there's anything we can do from outside. At least some messaging here and there, but we are not very keen right now to push this, because you don't have a leadership that is willing to listen. Q: What do you see is happening in the political circles in China? A: There are symptoms of a bigger malaise in the political circles now, and I think his (Xi Jinping's) friends are shrinking as he's removing the very people he appointed. That also questions his choice of people. If you look at the last one and a half years, there have been a lot of signs of things not being well in the political circles. Q: I have heard that the office of the Dalai Lama and CTA see some of the most cyberattacks. A: We have an organisation in Canada that helps us with internet security, and several people work pro bono. According to them, we are one of the most attacked websites, or whatever platform, from the Chinese side. We have no issues because we have nothing to hide. We have always said we are transparent. Q: Is there infiltration? A: That has always been there. They themselves admit they have sleepers. They have people listening. They are on social media; they listen to what the community is saying as we have a very vibrant social media community
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BBCC fall enrollment deadline incoming
May 22—MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College's last day for new students to sign up for new student enrollment sessions is June 10. For those still deciding on what they would like to study, Big Bend has recently expanded their programs with the addition of new bachelor's degrees. "Big Bend has a long history of building and sustaining collaborative relationships with local employers and developing educational programs that prepare students for local employment," said Dr. Bryce Humpherys, Vice President of Learning and Student Success. "The BAS degrees the college is offering are a continuation of the college's efforts to provide higher education programming that addresses local employment demands." Anne Ghinazzi, the director of Title V and Other Grants at BBCC was the one to kick start the push for the new bachelor's programs being the Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Management and the Bachelor of Applied Science in Behavioral Health. These BAS degrees were created in response to the needs of students as well as the needs of companies that needed more educated workers in the area. "The bachelor's degree was a way for us to provide that next level of education and have it be available locally, so students aren't needing to leave their jobs or the community," said Ghinazzi. The BAS program builds on any associate degree and supports students who have completed workforce programs like welding, automotive technology, medical assistant, and early childhood education, she said. This also gives the opportunity for those who have already completed an associate's degree with the college to return if they would like to earn their bachelor's. The BAS-Management program was launched in the Fall of 2021 and has allowed for working students, students with limited financial resources and those coming from workforce education programs to get their bachelor's degree without the need for transfers. This program has had local employers assisting with ensuring that students receive on-the-job training and can apply what they learn in the classroom to the workplace. "We really were intentional about making sure that the program was going to provide students with the workforce skills that they would need to go into local management positions," said Ghinazzi. The bachelor's in behavioral health is set to launch this Fall and is currently enrolling for its first cohort of students. This program will directly address the behavioral health workforce shortage in North Central Washington and improve the availability of local services. "That degree is going to be offered in partnership with Wenatchee Valley College," said Ghinazzi. "We'll be admitting a full cohort of 30 students and those students will be split evenly between the two colleges for our inaugural cohorts this fall." BBCC programs of major industries in the area, such as health, agriculture, and manufacturing, will benefit from the addition of the BAS degrees and have seen increasing support from local organizations. Those currently undecided on classes can earn an associate in these programs to create a bridge toward the bachelor's programs. Students wanting to enroll in BBCC's nursing and other health care programs will have to focus on completing their prerequisites first, said Katherine Christian, director of Allied Health Programs at Big Bend. BBCC provides detailed degree maps on its website for choosing what classes to enroll in based on degree. "We're just getting ready to see our next incoming group," said Christian. "Our current cohort will be finishing up this summer, and those people will be working in doctors' offices and clinics around the Basin." Graduates from the nursing program at BBCC have a high success rate in finding employment in their first year out of college and have consistently received positive feedback from employers, she said. BBCC's agricultural programs have seen steady growth in the past couple years and have become a sustainable program, said Dr. Aaron Mahoney, head of Agriculture and Chemistry programs at Big Bend. He said most students in the program were individuals who had prior agricultural experience when he first started teaching but have recently seen an increase in interest from people who have never had any experience wanting to get into the industry. "That's been really interesting because it's a fun and unique experience to be able to pivot that type of education for our program," said Dr. Mahoney. Mahoney said because of this around 20 labs have been created across the six courses that he teaches in the program. BBCC recently added a greenhouse learning center where they can work on year-round crop production and crop research education as well as a raised bed project that will allow for the use of irrigation, soil fertility and pest and disease management. The Manufacturing and Process Technology program is also relatively new to the school and has been building steady enrollment, said Justin Henley, head of the Manufacturing & Process Technology department. This program was created from combining the curriculum and skills learned from the industrial systems, electrical, mechatronics, automation and maintenance programs. They have also been increasing their relationships with industry partners and companies in the community to get them involved and receive direct input for the students "For those students that are looking to get into electrical apprenticeships like with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, previously they were coming in and doing a two-year degree," he said. "Now we have the majority of that focused in that first year so that students can get certificates of accomplishment in the areas of electrical and electronics and be able to put that on their application to get into those union apprenticeships without having to do a two-year degree."
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Aircraft firefighting spring session starts May 1
Apr. 30—MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College will be hosting firefighters from throughout the Pacific Northwest at the spring session of the Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Program beginning May 1. College officials said that means people will be seeing smoke, sometimes a big black plume of it, from the area west of the Grant County International Airport. Tiffany Fondren, BBCC communications coordinator, said the program combines classroom instruction with training exercises. "Firefighting agencies will contract with the program to certify and re-certify," Fondren said. The facility has onsite simulators that allow firefighters to experience conditions that are as close to a genuine emergency as possible, she said. The passenger jet shell can be configured to reflect the chaos that would follow a crash and filled with smoke to make it even more challenging. Fuselage sections with doors can be set up to give firefighters experience getting damaged doors open. A fuselage section can be set aflame to mimic an engine fire. "It's basically very realistic, even though it's a controlled experience," Fondren said. Firefighters will be training through May 29, she said, and in previous springs, people have seen the smoke and thought it was a fire at the GCIA or a wildfire in the area. During May, however, it's likely it will actually be firefighting crews in training, she said.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Packed house for Cellarbration 2025
Mar. 19—MOSES LAKE — Keynote speaker Aldo Farias said the money donated during the Cellarbration for Education dinner benefiting the Big Bend Community College Foundation was more than a donation. Farias is a senior in BBCC's four-year applied science degree program, and the scholarships he receives through the foundation make a crucial difference, he said. In fact, scholarship supporters may not know how crucial, something he said he learned when talking with one. He thanked her for the help she had given to him. "I remember the way she responded to me; it really stuck with me. Because what seemed like just money to them was really the difference between struggling and succeeding for students like myself," he said. "I hope that you all realize the impact that your contributions have on students like me and the rest of here at Big Bend. It may just be money for you, but it's possibilities for us." The alternative for students like him, Farias said, would be student loans and the struggle to pay them back. "Scholarships give us the hope, the drive and the opportunity to continue with our educational journeys," he said. Foundation director LeAnne Parton said tall he money raised goes back to the students in the form of scholarships. "Every dollar is an investment in our students and their future," Parton said. A final total was not available at press time. The Cellarbration crowd filled the ATEC building, with foundation board members and volunteers pouring the wine. People chatted and perused the silent auction items prior to dinner. Former foundation director Doug Sly remembered the first Cellarbration back in the day. The first event raised about $20,000, he said, which impressed and pleased the foundation board and college officials. "And now look at it," Sly said. Kathryn Christian is the chair of the Samaritan Healthcare Commission, and an instructor in BBCC's nursing program. The scholarships are crucial in helping students to succeed, she said. The evening featured a slide show of scholarship beneficiaries, and Christian said she saw some familiar faces. "I've got students up on that (slide show) screen," Christian said. Moses Lake School District Superintendent Carol Lewis said BBCC has been a good partner with MLSD in furthering education opportunities for students. "It's a really important cause to support," Lewis said. Big Bend President Sara Thompson Tweedy cited some of BBCC's successes, including a strong financial position, expanding degree programs and a graduation rate that's well above the aggregate for the state's community and technical colleges. "I believe the reason Big Bend is as successful as we are is because everyone here believes in the mission, and the mission is pretty simple — let's take care of our students," she said. All the money raised through Cellarbration goes to furthering that mission, Tweedy said. "Every dollar is used to get them here, keep them here and get them out of here with a diploma," she said. Farias is a native of Royal City, the son of immigrants who worked hard to support their children, he said. He wants to make them proud, he said, and with the help of the foundation scholarships he will graduate with a bachelor's degree. "My parents are the most hard-working, selfless and kind people, and I want to honor them in everything I do," Farias said. "So your scholarships are helping me pursue my education and alleviating the stress that comes with college. I and all the scholarship recipients here at Big Bend truly appreciate the contributions you've been able to provide."
