Dharamshala, June 5 – “We as Tibetan Buddhists must not use products derived from animals as this will lead to extinction of the rare species. We must educate our people about the dangers posed by the destruction of environment,” said Tsering Yangkey, Executive Director of TEAM (Tesi Environmental Awareness Movement), a non-governmental organisation which was inaugurated here today on the World Environment Day.
The chief guest at the inaugural function held at the Department of Information and International Relation’s hall was MS. Ngawang Lhamo, a Standing Committee member of the ATPD. Also present on the occasion was Thupten Lungrik, minister for Education and Health of the Tibetan exile government, and Ven. Yungdrung Gyalsten, a Standing Committee member of the ATPD.
Three books were also released at the function. Environmental Toolkit, A Basic Understanding of the impacts of Fertilizers and Pesticides and a Tibetan Translation of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species are for free distribution.
Tsering Yangkey feels that there is a growing danger of Tibetans being fully consumed by the greed driven globalising world due to complete lack of information about its negative impacts.
TEAM aims to connect the ecological aspect of the Tibetan spirituality with modern ecological concepts and return as many Tibetans into stewards of mother nature by teaching school-going children the foundations of ecological awareness and reminding adults of their ecological ethnic roots.
TEAM has a branch office in Bylakupee and is based in Dharamshala. The seed money to start this first independent Tibetan organisation for environment was provided by the office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
