Mix of images and cuisine bring distant culture to students
By Philip Pauli
DU hosted a slideshow by Tamdin Wangdu of the Tibetan Village Project, reflecting upon his organization’s work in Tibet, last week.
The event, organized by DU senior Marta Martins, both raised awareness of Tibet, as well as showed opportunities to help the Tibetan community.
The Tibetan Village Project is a nonprofit, sustainable development organization that is committed to improving educational opportunities, health care, and community development in rural Tibet, as well as working to maintain the country’s rich cultural heritage.
“This is a very important goal,” said Wangdu. Given the current political situation in China and Tibet; “we Tibetans run the risk of losing our culture,” Wangdu said.
The Tibetan people are in the unusual position of desiring independence from the People’s Republic of China, while the Dalai Llama wants to work on a compromise involving self-rule. The Chinese government does not appear willing to accept this, and as a result, the Tibetan people are in a social and political struggle.
Wangdu noted that people in the West need to become educated about the issues involving Tibet and its relationship with China.
The university, for the past several years, has been working toward raising awareness of Tibet with programs such as Project Dharamsala. Martins, the slideshow’s organizer, went on the Dharamasala international service learning trip last December. As a result, Martins said he is passionate about the Tibetan cause, and wants every DU student to know how important Tibet is to the world.
“Through organizations like the Tibetan Village Project, we have a chance to help the Tibetan people in a really great way,” Martins said.
The university will host His Holiness the Dalai Lama in May, during Peace Jam. Other avenues for learning more about Tibet include the Tibetan Village Project’s website at tibetanvillageproject.org as well as the International Service Learning Program’s website at www.du.edu/isl. Wangdu welcomes any questions students might have about Tibet or the TVP, and his e-mail is available via the Project’s website.
