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The situation of the Tibetans is not worse or better than that of much of populations taken refuge in the world, but if we are humanistic and enthusiast peace, to help the people Tibetan is a requirement towards our convictions. Because here is people, private of his country, threatened in its culture and its religion, which, for more than 40 years, has asserted its rights without having recourse to violence. It is urgent to act as of now… if we do not help pacifism where it struggles, what good is it to proclaim our hopes of peace?
HITORY OF THE PROJECT: History of Tendrel-ActionTibet
The history of Tendrel it is the history of a family of refugees Tibetans. As much of their compatriots, Janpa, his Dhondup wife, and them 3 wire, fled Tibet occupied by the Chinese to exile itself in India. Also followed Rinchen, the sister of Dhondup and her two sons. Economically it was a fiasco for the family which was stripped of all. The wire of Dhondup and Rinchen became monks, only manner for them of surviving, but the true vocation was not there.
It is while thinking of the manner of helping this family that was created Tendrel-ActionTibet association. For my part, I did not adhere to this idea a “sponsorshipâ€, which places the person “helped†in position of dependence. Many associations propose today to sponsor a child financially, an adult or a family, which meets a need urgent and necessary, but the term “sponsorship†is associated the idea of protection, which induces the idea of a relation between more extremely and weaker, which does not correspond to our step. Generally there is no reflexion on the nature of the bond created by this action, which induces on the ground a certain number of misunderstandings. “Sponsored†become the assisted dependent ones on the “godfathersâ€, whom they solicit on each occasion. In the cases of abuse, sponsorship becomes a begging of luxury! To give money constitutes for a great number of godfathers, to give good conscience taking into consideration problem which arises for us and for which we feel impotent. But it is necessary to reflect within the meaning of this act, and especially consequences on the fate of “sponsoredâ€. The assistantship introduces also the irresponsibility of the recipients of aid which they receive passively. However, responsabiliser the other, it is him to return its dignity.
I thus decided to apply the “Chinese†proverb which says: Rather than to give fish to that which is hungry, it is preferable to learn how to him to fish. The idea was thus to substitute, with passive sponsorship, an active sponsorship by the assistance with the economic project. The object of sponsorship becomes then the project itself and either only one person. What has like benefit to define it in time, space, and to generate an activity on behalf of “sponsored†- the project eliminates the assistantship while making visible the capacities and the potential from those who become actors there. - By the appropriation of the project, the “receiver†grows rich and becomes able to be “donor†in his turn.
Tendrel-ActionTibet was thus created to allow the blooming of projects leading to the complete financial autonomy of the supported people, and by this action, we propose to bring a response to the phenomenon of emigration of the young Tibetans towards illusory “Eldorado†(the USA, Europe…) To help the Tibetans to live on their land of welcome, in India or in Nepal, it is to avoid a new exile to them!Since 2002, association endeavours to generate economic activities with the profit of the taken refuge Tibetans, in two fields: ethical tourism and equitable trade. Now, Janpa the father of the initial family, is a dressmaker with the workshop of seam of Pagoda, Rinchen the aunt, is employed of service to the tourist residence of Namlang, Nyima, wire of Janpa, studies the painting of thanka, his/her young brother, Jigmé Kunga, is on the way to become the manager of the project of éco-village of Bir, and Tashi Woeser, wire elder of Rinchen works with the workshop of painting of Pagoda. But beyond this family, the idea was to show that one could help by avoiding the trap of the assistantship, while making it possible to the people to acquire with dignity their means of living. Gandhi (after a fast): bread obtained without work is stolen bread, since I started again to take food, I must work Tout while allowing, consequently occasion, to increase the circle of the recipients of the action, by generating a “virtuous circleâ€, the finalized projects contributing to their turn of new projects. (flow chart 1) 18 direct jobs were created for the benefit of the refugees in the workshops of Pagoda, in Nepal, and in the tourist sector of Namlang in Nepal and in India. Moreover, these activities generate the entry of foreign currencies and the repercussions on the local, Indian or Nepalese economy, since they call upon the service of various craftsmen (carpenters, electricians…), and buy to the local tradesmen, fabrics and raw materials
The name of our association
According to LAMA Puntso “In Tendrel, there are two syllables,†ten-drel “, which want to say: base (base) and bond. In fact a positive tendrel wants to say to start from a base, a situation (ten) and to create a bond (drel) to go towards a more open situation, more positive…†the word Tibetan tendrel is a translation of a Sanskrit term, generally translated by “favourable coincidence†That corresponds to the teaching of the Buddha on the cause and the effect, in which it shows how any situation is born from the meeting of several factors. Therefore, tendrel is to establish bonds.Our logo, the node without beginning nor end
For the Tibetans, the infinite node (without beginning nor end) is the traditional sign of “tendrelâ€. The unit includes/understands a form closed on itself and without interstice which expresses at the same time the rest and the movement. Since all the phenomena are dependent between them, to place the infinite node over one present or a greetings card is supposed to establish a favourable bond between the donor and the member elect. That which receives this symbol should remember that all the future effects have their roots in the action of the present.Definition of the ethical framework of association
Is Tendrel-ActionTibet association thus small an ONG which develops economic activity with the profit of the Tibetans taken refuge What good an ONG? According to us there are two kinds: - ONG with strictly humane goal in the medical fields - ONG bringing of the technical skills to put them at the service of a population, an area, a country… Tendrel-ActionTibet is placed in this second category. To in no case an ONG should not replace the State - the assistantship can be applied to the level of the country - rather than to create a school, an orphanage, or a hospital, it is preferable to provide the technical aid necessary to the realization of this project by the local population which must be applicant. Within our ethical framework, the populations concerned are implied in the project. I wrote besides in the first version of the project: '' I wish to reverse the movement which consists in plating the models and concepts of our Western culture on a completely different culture. My experiment on the ground enabled me to note that best motivations is not enough to clarify our prejudices. Myself, by saying that, am not safe from an erroneous sight. To change glance supposes that as a preliminary we spend time to go to the meeting of the others, to include/understand the motivations which animate them, their social structure, to be impregnated with their culture and their psychology. '' The hell is paved good intentions “is a proverb which appears me to be of topicality in this field. The mission of TAT is defined very simply compared to these criteria enumerated above: to bring a technical aid to stripped populations, within the framework of the creation of an economic activity. Within this framework, the concept of service is important, it is the reason of our partnership with†Craftsmen without Borders “, an organization which makes it possible to put in contact of ONG or small local companies in the†countries of the south ', with craftsmen who come to offer their competences. We thus left on the idea to allow the emergence of microphone-projects within the population taken refuge Tibetan, and to contribute to the installation of these projects. This is why TAT was committed to promote and be encouraging the economic development of the communities of refugees Tibetans in India and in Nepal by contributing to the emergence of economic microphone-projects within the population Tibetan itself. But this project evolved/moved in contact with the ground: Essentially, a project necessarily changes during its evolution, this in order to adapt to the circumstances which will model it, a little as the sea which comes rosser and to polish the rocks. It should be also noted that to found this association, I had requested a certain number of people who, for the majority, did not follow thereafter.Organization and implementation
The projects implemented for the benefit of the populations taken refuge Tibetans, are in the following spheres of activities: - Ethical and interdependent Tourism: Nam Lang, receptive tourism - equitable Trade: Pagoda workshops - Vocational training - These projects can be: O Projects of formation and training in the following fields: craft industry - social - medical - commercial…. O Projects of creation of a paid job O Of the projects of creation of companies or trade, in fields like: ethical tourism - equitable trade - biological agriculture… in the condition which the project is carrying employment and generates its own resources. To in no case, the project does not comprise an action which generates assistantship.The projects do not relate to fields which are competence of the states - ex: dispensaries, schools, orphanages… they are resolutely centered on the people. Each project requires a '' godfather “, or†tutor “, which can surround themselves by a team. The godfather must find the means and the financings necessary to the project, with the assistance of his team and of association. He is voluntary at 100%, the role of the godfather is to accompany the actors by the project, to take care of his realization, to coordinate the human and financial means. The†godfathers 'of project enjoy a total autonomy in the condition of complying with the ethical rules of association. For this purpose, CA of TAT plays the ethical part of Committee, and gives its downstream after having examined the project according to criteria defined in the Charter. The jobs created within the framework of the emergence of the projects, are it only with the profit of the populations taken refuge Tibetans. No member of association can create his job within a project.Tendrel-ActionTibet in France
The role of association is to support the actions on the ground, upstream and downstream from the project (see flow charts 1 and 2). Association counts approximately 200 members and sympathizers, divided on all the French territory. In certain areas of the members organized themselves in buildings group who work actively with the development of the activities of association, by organizing various demonstrations to promote the products of Namlang and Pagoda. In addition, a prospection is carried out to find trade partners in order to diffuse these same products.
