Himalayan Society to Assist Dongpa Region School Project
In the remote Dongpa Shen (County) under Shigatse Prefecture
of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China has a local
community boarding school building built some years ago.
There are about five hundred children ranging from the age
of 6 to 14 years old in need of schooling. These children
live in poverty and their parents have not seen a school in
their lives in this desolate nomadic region. Therefore,
there is an urgent need for essential school and boarding
supplies and a means to transport them to the region. The
Himalayan Society is beginning our efforts to provide
support to the Dongpa region community.
Please continue to check our website for further details and
to learn how to contribute to these efforts.
Tibetan Language
CD Now Available!
Now available
the Himalayan Society is offering a Basic Tibetan language CD.
Learn the most important phrases for conversing in Tibetan.
Each of the 38 phrases is repeated 3 times in English and Tibetan for easy learning.
A limited number of these CD’s are available for $10. E-mail us today to place your order!
Interfaith Expression of Support for Tibet, Raleigh, NC
The
Himalayan Society was pleased to participate in the Peace and Reconciliation Vigil for Tibet which
took place Sunday, June 15, 2008.at 3:00pm at Temple Beth Or
in Raleigh, NC.
Ven.
Geshe Gelek Chodak, Resident Teacher of Kadampa Center,
Raleigh www.kadampa_center.org and
the Himalayan Society planned this interfaith expression of
support for a non-violent resolution to the current
situation in Tibet based on the theme of His Holiness the
XIV Dalai Lama's statement that the "right of peoples to
preserve their cultural identify can never be considered an
internal affair of any state".
Speakers
from various religious faiths included Jewish, Christian,
Hindu, and Muslim, who discussed why the issue in Tibet
affects all people who share the desire for peace, religious
and cultural freedom.
The Human Rights Torch
Relay, Durham, North Carolina
On
Sunday May 11, 2008 Mr. Sherab Lama and Dr. Alex Semilof of
The Society for the Preservation and Sharing of Himalayan
Heritage (The Himalayan Society) based in Raleigh, North
Carolina as well as Venerable Geshe Gelek Chodak, Resident
Teach of the Kadampa Center in Raleigh, North Carolina
www.kadampa-center.org spoke at The Human Rights Torch
Relay in Durham, North Carolina. The event brought together
international human rights activists, state and religious
leaders, and musicians to raise awareness of the Chinese
communist regime's human rights crimes prior to the 2008
Beijing Olympics. The Human Rights Torch Relay will
eventually span 6 continents and an estimated 40 countries
and 150 cities in order to raise the message that the
Olympics and human rights violations cannot coexist. The
event included an official 5K Run, VIP speakers, local
bands, a Fun Walk and Free-throws for Freedom contest.
Below
is a transcript of Dr. Semilof’s address delivered on May
11:
Thank
you for allowing me to speak with all of you, my name is Dr.
Alex Semilof and I am the co-director of the The Society for
the Preservation and Sharing of Himalayan Heritage.
I find
it somewhat ironic and telling that there have been people
here in the U.S. protesting against rallies for human rights
and free speech; protesting against the very freedom that
allows them to be heard.
If we
were in China or Tibet this rally would be met with physical
brutality from government security forces, perhaps not that
much unlike the behavior we have seen throughout the world
shown towards monks, university speakers, or students and
their families for simply speaking their minds. We have the
right, as do all of you, to free speech without the threat
of violence, and we will use it.
Let me
be clear, The Himalayan Society is not anti China, not
anti-Olympics or anti anything else, we do, however, support
freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right for
cultural preservation not only in Tibet and China but in all
countries around the world.
Our
organization treasures Chinese culture and believes there
are rich cultural traditions that must be respected and
preserved. Tibetan culture, which shares imperfections with
virtually every other culture of the world, is very much
based on non-violence and the principles of universal
compassion. Sadly, Tibet’s political and religious leader,
His Holiness The Dalai Lama (HHDL), a Nobel Laureate, has
been exiled from his country for over 50 years for
attempting to uphold these values.
We
realize that not everyone in attendance today is Buddhist,
nor may they share the same opinion of HHDL, yet we are
saddened that there are those, perhaps some here today, that
either do not realize or they condone the fact that a
picture of HHDL is illegal to display in Tibet. Do we all
not share the opinion that such a picture should be legal to
possess?
Ladies
and gentleman, ours is not a fight or a disagreement of any
kind. We share the desire for a free China; a China that
respects religious and cultural freedom. In our quest for
human rights, we must be nonviolent with those who do not
share our beliefs, and compassionate with ourselves, as true
peace can only be found within.
Raleigh N.C.
Peace and Reconciliation Vigil for Tibet
Thank
you to everyone who joined The Himalayan Society at the
North Carolina State Capital on March 29. The Himalayan Society
supports a peaceful resolution to the current situation in
Tibet and the preservation of traditional Tibetan culture.
Be
sure to check here for upcoming events and news.
In addition to
the special cultural exchange programs offered by The Himalayan Society other
programs are available as part of our ongoing educational and cultural
exchange efforts.
