Nomination

1. India (Shariemar) - I believe it's important to promote and improve education and women's rights. Women should be respected and treated as equal as men.
2. Sudan (Jalimar) - It is very true that the UN has ignored this unstable country and there is no equality. The biggest issue is NO FREEDOM! Everyone wants and deserves freedom; no one likes to be treated as an animal. take Action!
3. Haiti (Ian)- Haiti has suffer terrible catastrophic problems. Many people have been left without shelter, food, family and hope. The Haitians are in need of help to get back up!
4. Bangladesh (Geordaliz)- Cruelty and violence takes over this country and we should help them as brothers and sisters of this country.
5. Jamaica (Giselle)- Human Rights are universal. They're for everyone despise the cultural differences, gender, and sexuality. Support Gay Rights!
6. China (Natalia S.) - People's votes are important and everyone's voice should be heard. Corruption must stop to have a healthier way of life
7. Mexico (Angelica O.)- This country needs political and financial aid. Economy is very unstable and the job rates are extremely low. These people look for asylum in other countries mainly because of this
8. Afghanistan (Wilson)- Violence and instability have conquered this country for too long, we need democracy!
9. Cuba (Giovanni)- Cuba Libre! they need a democracy, not a dictatorship! People suffer poverty and low wages because economy is unstable
10. United Kingdom (Franklin/Daniel)- It's time to forget about racist and accept others as equals!

The Freedom Proposal for Tibet

        Tibet is know for a country that endures civil disobedience and protest peacefully. The country of Tibet has suffers constant injustices by the Chinese government. Tibetans are being arrested for practicing their beliefs, culture,traditions are being destroyed. The Human Rights proclaim at least one ounce of democracy... of equality. Many practice their beliefs freely and respect other's faiths. Then, what right gives the Chinese government to attack someone's believes. Buddhism enchants spirituality, good, peace, love accepted, brotherhood, love for our motherland. This practice is world-wide respected for its distinct ideologies, especially for its influence in PEACE. Everyone wants peace, everyone wants equality. If the Chinese government was as truly powerful and good as it proclaims; why does it attack its brothers and sisters. They all want to be independent and free.We should all unite as one power country to right for Tibet!  
     Tibet needs full autonomy, that frees it from Chinese control over Tibetan culture. Our country needs financial aid and better education. Also more refugee political asylum in foreign countries and an open trade. This may come as benefit for Tibet and other country's economy. By establishing a federal house founds we can provide temporal asylum and fundraising may aid if we come together as one country. I exalt you all to think in the situation of Tibet. Stop and think what would you do if you were denied to practice your believes, to be slaves, to change your nationality, to be exiled from your own country for following your faith. We have to stop looking to the side and ignore the issues that are occurring today. We can not let a country of such historical importance both political and religious alone. Help is needed and the best way to start is by working together and tolerance with the majority of revolutionary ideas.
     Tibet is in need of a better education. EDUCATION SHOULD BE FREE  AND EQUAL. We have to prevent Chinese government from exterminating the Tibetan old books, language, cultural aspects, and religious relics in school. The new generation have the right to learn about their true culture and traditions. Although Tibet has a lot of Chinese influence we can not forget the Mongols and the British and French. The Mongols history is very unique because they were known to be ferocious and powerful. The Tibetans and the Mongols made a deal in which Tibet taught them spiritual practices and they provided protect. It saves to say that the Mongols are a perfect example that demonstrates that even the strongest need spirituality and faith. 
      Lets help and support Tibet! It is a country we owe great admiration and respect for its determination and faith. History can be made if we correct the problems of the past and help the present. Simultaneously, we better the future for many Tibetans in aid of freedom  and peace. What would you do to rescue your faith?

Current Human Rights in Tibet

      Tibet has suffered painful human right violations throughout years involving, violations of religious freedom and the implementation of the Chinese government with policies aimed at inferior religious practices and serve the political needs of the state. The Chinese policies trespass on the freedom of many Tibetans to put into practice or even express certain aspects of their religious beliefs in peace.

 They are established using of pressure, threats, intimidation, restrain, violent repression, and jail time. The biggest worry has been the campaign of "patriotic education," aimed at undermining and eliminating the Dalai Lama's influence in Tibet. Chinese authorities has certain monasteries and temples under secular government management in order to implement greater government control of Tibetan religion. A frightening and  well-known case of the injustice that is going on is the case of  Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. The child was recognized by the Dalai Lama formally as the incarnation of the Panchen Lama.  The Panchen Lama is in charge to search for the next Dalai Lama. Gedhun, has been subjected to virtual house arrest for the last five years because most Tibetans have accepted him as the incarnation of the Panchen Lama and rejected the child whom the Chinese government named as Panchen Lama. Neither he nor his family have freedom of movement. 

      This brings me great sorrow because I believe that religion is hope for a better tomorrow to many people. The faith of the Tibetan people is strong and still standing and have never given up. Luckily, Tibet is receiving help from foreign countries like the United States, Paris, England, and others. The US especially is pressuring the Chinese government for the Tibet crises. They criticized the Chinese government for continuing to "severe cultural and religious repression" during the human rights annual reports. Countries are coming together to try to make the Chinese government stop religious arrest and stop oppression. No country should suffer this injustice and I have faith that one day Tibet will be free. 

For more info:

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/02/200922518325590925.html
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2064955,00.html

History Can Not Be Escaped

          
      For at least 1500 years Tibet has have a complex relationship with China. Mr.Champson Liu, an editor at the People's Daily, quotes that "Tibet had been an independent nation, before it was annexed by China in 1951. The time Tibet was formally annexed into China was in 1727, when China's Yongzheng Emperor of the last Qing Dynasty established the post of Minister for Tibetan Affairs in Lhasa for formal rule. Other historians argue the formal annexation could be traced back to 1306, when Tibet was first ruled from Beijing. Actually, either way, the name "Dalai Lama" was originally given by the Emperor through a court decree.'' In 1911,Tibet declared independence when the Qing Dynasty was overthrown. The Communists came to power, Mao decided to reclaim Tibet and sent troops in, imperializing the peaceful country of Tibet. 

          It is believed that the first interactions between China and Tibet was when the Tibetan King Songtsan Gampo married princesses Whencheng of the Tang Empire. He also married the Napoleon princess; both of his wives were Buddhist and it is believed that they were responsible for the burst of Buddhism in Tibet. This events occurred during 670 A.D.  During the king's reign he took some lands like the Yarlung River Valley. Qinghai, Gansu, and Xinjiang were aso conquered by his descendants between 663 and 692 A.D. The control over the borders were unstable. Then the Chinese retook their lands and the Tibetan King formed allies with the Arabs and Turks ...enemies of China. During the eighth century imperial forces under General Gao Xianzhi conquered much of Central Asia. Then their luck turned into a nightmare when they were defeated by the Arabs and Turks in the Battle of Talas River in 751.  China's power decrease and Tibet regained power. Tibet and China signed a peace treaty   establishing the borders between the two states. Tibet lost power after splitting into several small, fractious kingdoms.

      The Tibetans became friends with the Mongol leader Genghis Khan, both conquering many lands during the 13th century. This resulted with the Tibetans paying a tribute to the Mongols after they conquered China but allowed a greater Autonomy than the others. Eventually, Tibet was considered the 13th province and they gained a high degree of influence over the Mongols at court. In order to stay "at peace" or 'in deal" the Tibetans taught spiritual practices to the Mongols and then these individuals would protect them or fight for them against their enemies. When the Mongols' empire fell in 1368 to the Han Chinese Ming, Tibet gained independence and refused to pay tribute to the New Emperor. In 1474, the superior of the Tibetan Buddhist monastery, Gendun Drup died. Tibetans believe that two years later the reincarnation of the abbot was present and the boy was raised to be the next spiritual leader. After their deaths they were assigned the names of the First and Second Lamas and the sects of the "Yellow Hats" or the Gelug became dominant over the region. 

       The Chinese Cultural revolution swept away the Qing Daynasty in 1911, and the Tibetans promptly expelled all Chinese from Lhasa. The Dalai Lama returned home to Tibet in 1912. During the Dragon's Attack druing1949-1959, China's People's Liberation Army invades Tibet and killed more than 10,000. The Dalai Lama tried to negotiate with China frequently but they never led to anything. When the 15-year-old Dalai Lama is forced into full leadership of Tibet, the  Tibetan Delegation was forced to sign the 17-Point Agreement, promising "Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet." During 1959, The Dalai Lama went to China to speak with  Mao Zedong. Mao told him, "Religion is poison. ... Tibet and Mongolia have both been poisoned by it." Also during this year, the Chinese retaliate against the Tibetan resistance, killing more than 87,000. On March 17, 1959, The Dalai Lama escapes His sacred homeland, seeking political asylum in India. The Chinese declare martial law as thousands of Tibetan refugees begin pouring into India.


       During Mao Zedong's "Great Leap Forward," Tibetans suffered through the Tibetan Cultural Revolution experiencing some of the worst human rights abuses. The slogan "Smash the Four Olds:" old ideas, old culture, old customs and old habits. Before the Chinese, there were 6,000 Tibetan monasteries in Tibet. After the Cultural Revolution, there were six. Today, hundreds of thousands of Monks, Nuns and civilians are imprisoned or killed for wearing traditional hairstyles and clothing, engaging in traditional song or dance, or voicing their religious beliefs. Rituals such as prostrations, mantras, prayer wheels, circumambulation, throwing tsampa and burning juniper or incense are strictly prohibited. Anything representing the cultural identity of the Tibetan people is eradicated.

Fall in Love with Culture

The Tibetan people have created and developed a brilliant culture that is distinct. This culture has been influenced constantly by other cultures, especially Chinese and Indian. The Tibetan people have gone through many hard times and changes; it suffers a constant fight with China to become a stable Autonomy and still stands with an aura of peace and pride. 

Religion:Years of Buddhism brought from India, spread from central Tibet, Amdo and Kham, to Himalayan Nepal and Bhutan in the south, to Mongolia in the north — and into Russia. Throughout the lands, great monasteries and renowned teachers rose up — one of whom so impressed the Mongol Altan Khan that he called him Dalai Lama or “Ocean of Wisdom.” By the dawn of the 20th century, millions of people across a swath of Asia rivaling the sizes of India and China looked to Lhasa and the Dalai Lamas for spiritual leadership.  Tibetan culture has managed to survive a half century and more of repression in its homelands. Indeed, Tibetan Buddhism lives on in the mountains and valleys of Nepal, in the famously known Himalayan regions ranging from Ladakh and Mustang to Sikkim and Tawang; and in the kingdom of Bhutan, which has entered the 21st century with its millennium-old Buddhist culture vibrant and alive.


Art:

The Thangka painting is a traditional of the Buddha, Buddhist,deity or mandala.  It is built with a delicate frame in rich color and silk. The importance of this way is that it is an extremely religious object. The belief is that it serves  as a mediator that help others gain qualities like wisdom and compassion.

Foods: The most important crop in Tibet is barley, and tsampa.This is either rolled into noodles or made into steamed dumplings or momos. Meat dishes are likely to be yak, goat, or mutton, often dried, or cooked into a spicy stew with potatoes. Mustard seed is cultivated in Tibet, and therefore features heavily in its cuisine. Yak yogurt, butter and cheese are frequently eaten, and well-prepared yoghurt is considered something of a prestige item. Butter tea is very popular to drink.

In the winter, beef and mutton are cut into long stripes to be air-dried in the circular ground caves or bins walled with stones or dungs. Dried beef and mutton keep better and longer, as the bacteria in them are killed during the drying process in deep winter. Dried meat also packs well. In the next year, the dried meat will be Bar-B-Qed or be eaten raw. Big chucks of fresh meat are boiled in a pot. Salt, ginger, spices are added. The meat is served when it changes colour. People take the meat by hands and cut them with the carried knives. The breasts and spareribs are for the guests. The tails of white sheep are for the guests of honor. If a young man is treated with a tail of white sheep in his girl friend's house, it implies that he can hope.

There are four different sausages in Tibet: blood, meat, flour and liver.. Milk is drunk fresh or made yogurt, or is separated by churning into butter and curds. The Tibetan butter is home-made and can be further processed and refined into butter known elsewhere. Butter is used for food with `tsamba', tea etc., or for the fuel of lamp. Language: Tibetan is spoken in Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and in parts of northern India (including Sikkim). It is classified by linguists as the Tibeto-Burman subgroup of the Sino-Tibetan languages.  Tibetan is written in a very conservative syllabary script based on the writing system of the ancient Sanskrit language of India. Currently it's used in its present form since the 9th century. Basically it was developed as a means of translating sacred Buddhist texts that were being brought into Tibet from India. The writing system derived from the pronunciation of the language as it was in about the 7th century, and varies in many ways from colloquial Tibetan as it spoken today.

Today, the Chinese invasion of Tibet and their attempt to destroy the influence of the Buddhist monasteries led many meditation masters and scholars to escape to the West, bringing as many of their precious dharma texts and sacred art works as they could carry. These works are now preserved at many Tibetan Buddhist centers in various Western countries, and copies are also available for study in many major libraries. The language in which these texts are written is known as Classical Tibetan. Of the thousands of volumes of these texts, it is said that less than one percent have been translated into any Western languages.

Music and Dance:

Tibet has its own traditional secular and religious music. Traditional Tibetan instruments used in religious music include bamboo flutes, human thighbone flutes, conch shells, cymbals, hand drums, bells, oboe-like flageolets, conch shell trumpets, and drums made of two skull halves placed back to back, four-meter-long tonqin horns, dama drums, like those used in rituals at Potala Palace in Lhasa, biwan (a two-stringed fiddle made of ox horn popular in Kham areas) and the Zhannian six-string zither.

Some ceremonies and festivals feature Tibetan horns, encrusted with silver, gold, coral and turquoise ornaments. Some monks play long Swiss-style horns, known as dungchen, that can reach a length of 20 feet and collapse like telescopes for easy carrying. The notes produced by the horns are long, slow, low and deep and have compared to the sound of mooing cows. They are sometimes accompanied by drums that make a dull, resonant almost ringing sound.
Traveling minstrels still make a living playing on the streets of Tibetan cities and traveling from town to town. These minstrels often works in groups of two or three, singing songs and ballads about kings and heros to the accompaniment of a Tibetan four-string guitar. Other secular instruments include the dranyan (a six string lute), piwang (two-string fiddle) and gyumang (a Chinese-style zither). Some music features trilling flute solos.

Dancing:

Dance has traditionally been something that monks performed at monasteries. There are two main types of monastic dance: gar and cham. Gar is an esoteric, meditative style of dance usually performed by individuals or small groups privately at a monastery as an act of initiation. It often involves using stylized hand movements and gestures. Cham is style of dance usually performed at festivals or large public ceremony with many dancers performing one or more dances.

 

Cultural Traditions:

 Hada: is a common practice among the Tibetan people to express their best wishes on many occasions, like wedding ceremonies, festivals, visiting the elders and the betters, and entertaining guests. The white hada, a long narrow scarf made of silk, embodies purity and good fortune.

Proposing a Toast and Tea:  when you come to a Tibetan family, the host will propose a toast, usually barley wine. You should sip three times and then drink up. Entertaining guests with tea is a daily etiquette. The guest must not drink until the host presents the tea to you.

Greetings: don’t forget to add "LA" after saying hello to the Tibetan people to show respect. Make way to others. Try not to make any sounds while eating and drinking.

Sky burial: a common form in Tibet. There are many prohibitions. Strangers are not allowed to attend the ceremony. Visitors should respect this custom and keep away from such occasions.

 Lamaism: the Tibetan Buddhism was introduced to Tibet from the mainland and India in the seventh century. The Tibetan Buddhism consists of four major sects, the Ge-lug-pa (Yellow) Sect, the Nying-ma-pa(Red)Sec, the Saturday-kya-pa(Variegated) Sect, and the Ka-gyu-pa(White) Sect.

Pilgrimage: the ordinary Tibetan it amounts to a means of accumulating merit or good luck. The lay practitioner might go on pilgrimage in the hope of winning a better rebirth, cure an illness, end a spate of bad luck or simply because a vow to take a pilgrimage if a bodhisattva granted a wish. In Tibet there are countless sacred destinations, ranging from lakes and mountains to monasteries and caves that once served as meditation retreats for important yogini. Specific pilgrimages are often prescribed for specific ills; certain mountains for example expiate certain sins. A circumambulation of Mt. Kailash offers the possibility of liberation within three lifetimes, while a circuit of Lake Manasarovar can result in spontaneous Buddha hood.

Main Holidays and Festivities:

1. Tibetan New Year (February or March)

It is the greatest festival in Tibet. In ancient times when the peach tree was in blossom, it was considered as the starting of a new year. Since the systematization of the Tibetan calendar in 1027 AD, the first day of the first month became fixed as the New Year. On the New Year's day, families unite “auspicious dipper" is offered and the auspicious words "Tashi Delek" are greeted.

2. Butter Oil Lantern Festival (February or March)

It's held on the 15th of the first lunar month. Huge yak-butter sculptures are placed around Lhasa's Barkhor circuit.

3.  Saga Dawa Festival (May or June)

It is the holiest in Tibet, memorable occasions coincide on this day, Buddha's birth and Buddha's enlightenment. Almost every person within Lhasa joins in circumambulations round the city to spend their late afternoon on picnic at " Dzongyab Lukhang" park at the foot of Potala.

4. Gyantse Horse Race & Archery (May or June)

Horse race and archery are generally popular in Tibet, Gyantse enjoys prestige of being the earliest in history by starting in 1408. Contests in early times included horse racing, archery and shooting followed by a few days' entertainment or picnicking. Presently, ball games, track and field events, folk songs and dances, barter trade are in addition to the above.


5. Changtang Chachen Horse Race Festival (August)



There are many horse racing festivals in Tibet, the one in Nagqu of Northern Tibet is the greatest. August is the golden season on Northern Tibet's vast grassland. Herdsmen, on their horsebacks, in colourful dresses, carrying tents and local products, pour into Nagqu. Soon they form a city of tents. Various exciting programs are held, such as horse racing, yak racing, archery, horsemanship and commodity fair.


6. Shoton Festival (August)

It is one of the major festivals in Tibet, also known as the Tibetan Opera Festival. The founder of the Gelugpa (Yellow Sect of Buddhism), Tsongkhapa set the rule that Buddhists can cultivate themselves only indoor in summer, to avoid killing other creatures carelessly because creatures are most active in summer. This rule must be carried out till the seventh lunar month then Buddhists go outdoor, accept yoghurt served by local people, and have fun. Since the middle of 17th century, the Fifth Dalai Lama added opera performance to this festival. Famous Tibetan opera troupes perform in Norbulingka (Dalai Lama's summer palace).


7. 

Bathing Festival (September)

It is believed when the sacred planet Venus appears in the sky, the water in the river becomes purest and cures diseases. During its appearance for one week, usually the end of the seventh and beginning of the eighth lunar months, all the people in Tibet go into the river to wash away the grime of the previous year.


8. Kungbu Traditional Festival (November or December) 
Long ago, when Tibet was in danger of large scale invasion, the Kongpo people sent out an army to defend their homeland. It was in September and the soldiers worried that they might miss the New Year, highland barley wine and other good things. So people had the Tibetan New Year on 1st October ahead of time. To memorize those brave soldiers Kongpo people present three sacrifices and stay up at night from then on. And now it has become the Kongpo Festival for entertainment like Kongpo dancing, horse race, archery and shooting.


9. Harvest Festival (September) 

Farmers in Lhasa, Gyantse and Shangnan celebrate their bumer harvest in this time. During that time, people enjoy with horse racing games, custom fashion show, songs and dance Archery and picnic.







ETIQUETTE In TIBET:

In monasteries

1. When entering a temple, remove your hat. 
2. Do NOT need to remove your shoes, even though monks have done so. 
3. Sit or stand in the rear, or walk clockwise around the room-- unless it's a Bon monastery, in which case walk counterclockwise. 
4. Refrain from loud or irreverent conversation.
5.  Do not photograph anything inside without permission (photography outside is okay).
6.  Don't touch the murals, butter sculpture, or other things you see displayed. 
7. Do not sit with the soles of your feet facing the altar or any other sacred object or person. 

*It would be a nice gesture to add some money to the little piles of cash you see around, but it's not required.

    8. If you have purchased butter or oil as an offering, spoon it into the lamps yourself.
     9. You may follow the lead of other pilgrims in bowing to various shrines, but if your heart isn't in it then it's quite acceptable not to.


In homes
Like other Asians, Tibetans warmly and amply extend hospitality to visitors.
It is the norm for them to try to overfeed you, even if they have to bankrupt themselves to do it.

1.  One effective but polite way to refuse is to press your palms together and bow, as if praying to your hosts for their forgiveness. They will keep on refilling your tea-bowl all day, and if you stop drinking and let the tea grow cold they will dump it and refill it with fresh tea. 
2. You should not refuse tea, although you may wish to ask for clear tea (jah-no) or hot water (chuki) in preference to butter-tea.
3.  It will not offend them if you pull out a cloth and wipe down the bowl before using it, or if you use your own bowl. They may place a lot of beverages in front of you: soda, beer, etc. You can safely ignore these if you don't want them.
4. When offered dried yak, you should take a sharp knife and shave thin slices. These are really quite delicious. 
5.  When eating tsampa, try to get a large bowl and underfill it--this will minimize embarrassing spillover during kneeding.
6. Many families keep separate washbasins for face and feet; it would be a major faux pas to mix them up. *If the family has to fetch water from a far distance, be modest in your consumption. 
7. Don't put trash in the fire.
8.  You may wish to go out and bathe in a nearby stream; however Tibetans do not normally do this except during the peak of summer. They expect--and will be quite happy--to heat some water on the stove for you to wash with.
9. If you stay in, or visit, a Tibetan home, the family will usually refuse cash payment of any kind, but they would love to have a souvenir of your stay.
10.  If you have picked up a khata (ceremonial silk scarf) somewhere along your journey, it's nice to present it to your hosts.  

The Home of Peace and Religion: Tibet

Location and geography: The Autonomous region of Tibet is located in the southwestern border area of China as the main part of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. It's bounded on the west by the Kashmir Zone, and borders on some countries and areas in South and Southeast Asia, namely Myanmar (Burma), India, Bhutan, Sikkim and Nepal. The capital is Lhasa.

 Population: 2.62 million currently in a land with a 1,228,400 million kilometers.The Tibetan nationality accounts for over 90% of the population, but that of the Han nationality and other ethnic groups is very small. Affected by nature, geographic conditions and climate, 80% of the population in Tibet is distributed mainly over the valley along the middle reaches of the Brahmaputra River valley and the deep valleys along three rivers (Lantsang River, Lujang River and Yangtse River) which are located in the eastern part of Tibet. There are few people in the northern part of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau because of its harsh climate. The southeastern part of Tibet is covered by primeval forests; there population density is low, transportation is inadequate and other conditions unfavorable. In 2000, the population density of Tibet was only 2.1 persons per square kilometer.

Government:The Dali Lama claims to represent the government of Tibet from its headquarters in Dharamsala, India. Many of the movement to free Tibet refer to the CTA as the Tibetan Government in Exile, ensuring their beliefs that the CTA is the true and rightful government of Tibet. No nation recognizes the CTA as a formal government, and it continues to negotiate with China to achieve an autonomous status, allowing thousands of exiled Tibetans to return home. The Tibetan Government in Exile began in 1949, when China invaded Tibet and the Dali Lama fled to India to in  attempts to free Tibet from Chinese Administration. China refuses, despite international controversy over the issue, and China has expressed irritation with nations which support the Tibetan Government in Exile or meet with its officials. China argues that it has a historical mandate to control Tibet, although many Tibetans argue that Tibet was once an independent kingdom, and that this status should be restored. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is currently advocating for autonomous status.


Politics: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, is  Tibet's head of state and spiritual leader. He is a firm believer in non-violence, tried for eight years to coexist peacefully with the Chinese. But China's systematic subjugation of Tibet's territory and its people led to a cycle of repression and struggle. In March 10 1959, Tibetan resistance culminated in a national uprising against the Chinese. The People's Liberation Army crushed the uprising, killing more than 87,000 Tibetans in central Tibet alone. The Dalai Lama, members of his government and some 80,000 Tibetans escaped from and were granted political asylum in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Today there are over 120,000 Tibetans in exile including more than 5,000 living outside of the Indian sub-continent. Large numbers of Tibetans continue to arrive from Tibet to escape Chinese persecution.
In exile, the Tibetan Government has been reorganised according to modern democratic principles. It administers all matters pertaining to Tibetans in exile, including the re-establishment, preservation and development of Tibetan culture and education, and leads the struggle for the restoration of Tibet's freedom. The Tibetan people, both inside and outside Tibet, consider their Government in Exile based in Dharamsala, North India, to be the sole legitimate government of Tibet.


Education:

Tibet's people have a relatively lower educational level than that of other provinces or regions, with a large number of illiterates and semi-illiterates. In 2000, The illiterate rate was 32.50% which was the highest in China. The weakness in the educational infrastructure and the lack of advanced and intermediate professionals and staff are major problems in Tibet. In 2000, the enrollment rate of school-age children was 85.80% and which was the lowest in China. A recent census results described that  Tibet has four universities with an approximate of 5,475 enrolled students and 813 teachers, about 110 secondary schools with 61,817 students and 5,048 teachers, and 842 primary schools with 313,807 pupils and 13,181 teachers.

Language:  The Tibetans regard their language as the root of their ancient culture whereas the Chinese authorities view it as the symbol of nationalist sentiment.  Some officials think Tibetan language as a ripe target for both the current campaign against the pro-independence movement and the campaign throughout Tibet to eradicate traditional beliefs. The Communist Party leaders in the “TAR” circulated a document arguing that separatism was partly caused by schools teaching too much religion and using the Tibetan language.The written Tibetan language is drastically deteriorating.  Business and government reports, especially at a higher level, are primarily written in Chinese. Almost all computer software in Tibet is formatted to write in Chinese.  Even well-educated Tibetans are losing the ability to write in their own language.By the end of July 2002, the Chinese authorities closed down Tsangsul School. This Tibetan-run school was first founded through the joint effort of three Tibetan individuals to promote and preserve Tibetan language. The primary reason for the school’s closure was its popularity for giving emphasis to Tibetan culture. The school followed the curriculum similar to the other middle level school with an emphasis on Tibetan. At the time of its closure the school had 500 students, of whom 60 students—all orphans—received free education while the others, who generally were unable to pay the regular exorbitant fees asked by other schools, paid a nominal fee of 20 yuan per semester, significantly less than the cost of a Chinese government-run school.

Religion: Tibetans commonly have three religious traditions: the divine dharma or Buddhism; Bon dharma; and the dharma of human beings, or folk religion. Buddhism includes doctrines and practices that are thought to be distinctively Buddhist. They believe that the divine dharma- the principle or law that orders the universe- is separate and distinct from the other two, although Tibetan Buddhism clearly incorporated elements of both of these traditions. Bon is commonly considered to be the indigenous religious tradition of Tibet. It is a system of shamanistic and animistic practices performed by priests called shen (gshen) or bonpo (bon po). Although this is widely assumed by Buddhists, historical evidence indicates that the Bon tradition only developed as a self-conscious religious system under the influence of Buddhism. The Tibetan folk religion composes  indigenous beliefs and practices, many of which are commonly viewed as being distinct from the mainstream of Buddhist practice. These are primarily concerned with propitiation of the spirits and demons of Tibet, which are believed to inhabit all areas of the country Folk religious practices rely heavily on magic and ritual and are generally intended to bring mundane benefits, such as protection from harm, good crops, healthy livestock, health, wealth, etc. Their importance to ordinary people should not be underestimated, since in the consciousness of most Tibetans the world is full of multitudes of powers and spirits, and the welfare of humans requires that they be propitiated and sometimes subdued. Every part of the natural environment is believed to be alive with various types of sentient forces, who live in mountains, trees, rivers and likes, rocks, fields, the sky, and the earth. Every region has its own native supernatural beings, and people living in these areas are strongly aware of their presence. In order to stay in their good graces, Tibetans give them offerings, perform rituals to propitiate them, and sometimes refrain from going to particular places so as to avoid the more dangerous forces.

Economy: Tibetan economy has developed in recent years. In 2000, the GDP was 11.746 billion Yuan, the total gross output value of industry and farming, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery was 6.95 billion Yuan, and the per capita GDP 4,559 Yuan. The total value of imports and exports in Tibet in 2000 reached 130.29 million US dollars. At present, farming and animal husbandry are the major industries in Tibet. The gross output of farming, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery accounted for 73.67% of the total gross output value of industry and farming, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery in 2000. Still productivity is very low, and manual farming and animal husbandry are still the primary pattern. Although in some areas near cities, a few machines are used for agricultural purposes, manpower and animal power are still applied in plowing the land. So agricultural production is neither high nor stable. In Tibet, the industry sector is quite small in size and diversity; it is characterized by extensive management at low efficiency. Based on the statistics,about 1.2418 million people worked as employees, accounting for 47.40% of the total population in Tibet. The total wage bill of staff and workers was 2,320.07 million Yuan, and the per capita yearly wage was 14,976 Yuan. The annual per capita net income of rural residents was 1,331 Yuan. The annual per capita disposable income of urban residents was 6,448 Yuan. Per capita consumption of all residents on average was 1,823 Yuan, for rural residents 1,144 Yuan, and urban residents 4,737 Yuan. In health facilities, for every 10,000 persons there were 17.62 hospital beds and 20.94 doctors.

 

 Suffrage:

What is the Green Book?

"The Green Book has over the years in effect has become the passport of the exiled Tibetans to claim their rights from the Tibetan Government in Exile. Also in future it will become a base to claim Tibetan citizenship. Today, it is used for school admission, school or university scholarship, and employment within the exiled community. Payment of the voluntary contribution is a condition to gain voting rights in parliamentary elections."

Today, Tibetans who live outside India, Nepal and Bhutan above the age of 18 pays contributes US$96 annually. Unemployed and students pay US$46 and those financial difficulties make a nominal contribution. There are also individuals who contribute more than US$96 and individuals that run successful businesses in India and Nepal make a more substantial contribution from their annual profit. The total amount raised annually is used towards the partial funding of the Tibetan Government in Exile.

The Green Book has over the years in effect has become the passport of the exiled Tibetans to claim their rights from the Tibetan Government in Exile. Also in future it will become a base to claim Tibetan citizenship. Today, it is used for school admission, school or university scholarship, and employment within the exiled community. Payment of the voluntary contribution is a condition to gain voting rights in parliamentary elections.

Tibetans inside Tibet do not have Green Books. If a Tibetan were to return and be found with one, it would undoubtedly be a basis for persecution since the Green Book is the most official document issued by the Tibetan Government in exile.

>some information was obtained my the NGM issues July 2006, December 2008

SCOOP!!!!!!!!!!

 The most current controversy in Tibet and all over the world is that the Dali Lama wants to step down as a political leader in Tibetan Exile government. He quotes: "As early as the 1960s, I have repeatedly stressed that Tibetans need a leader, elected freely by the Tibetan people, to whom I can devolve power," the Dalai Lama said in a prepared speech on the anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan uprising against Chinese control. "Now, we have clearly reached the time to put this into effect." His Holiness still stands as a SPIRITUAL leader.Analysts and supporters have described the decision of the Dalai Lama, whose office traditionally combines spiritual and temporal roles, as historic.