Key activities, Women's empowerment

TWA’s Week long 5th Annual Buddhist Nun’s Empowerment Program, 2013 successfully concluded

group picPhotos of the seven-day training can be viewed at:

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Selakui, April 24, 2013: This year’s Nuns Empowerment Program, the 5th in series organized by Tibetan Women’s Association, concluded successfully, held at the Tibetan SOS Vocational Training Centre, Selakui, Dehradun.

The week-long ‘5th Annual Nun’s Empowerment Program,’ held from April 17th – 23rd 2013, was attended by 26 nuns from 10 nunneries based in India; Ladakh (Ladakh Nun’s Association),Drikung Samtenling and Sakya Rinchen Choekhorling (Dehra Dun), Tilokpur (Karma Drupgyu Dhargyeling ), Orissa (Namkha Khungzong) Garoh (Jamyang Choeling and Shugseb Ugen Dzong), Solan (Redna Menriling), Sidhpur (Dolmaling) and Dharamsala based Gaden Choeling.

The training saw various Tibetan resource persons leading sessions on vital concepts to empower and educate the nuns.

nun speaking.. group presentationMs. Tenzin Dhardon Sharling, member of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile led two day training on ‘Building Effective Communication Skills on the learning curve’ and ‘Innovation and Self-reliance’, Ms. Tenzin Tseyang, Trainer/ Coordinator, Women’s Empowerment Desk, CTA led a day long training on ‘Women Empowerment’,  Mr. Lhakpa Dhondup, Director/ Principal of the Tibetan SOS Vocational Training centre led an evening session on ‘Nutrition and Diet’, Mr. Duke Tsering, Principal, TCV Model school Selakui led a session on ‘Mind and Life’ and showed how the two concepts complement and relate to one another. The sessions were all interactive filled with mind games, group discussions and presentations, role plays and breathers.

As part of the practical training, the nuns worked on a social educational project proposal through the week and had the project implemented in teams at various Tibetan institutes based around Dehradun.

nun on tourA day was specifically reserved for an education tour, the nuns visited the prestigious ‘Doon School’ where the school administration very graciously arranged a half day long school visit for the nuns to explore and discover  the various educational conveniences enjoyed by the students in the school. After lunch, the group visited the ‘Forest Research Institute’, Dehradun; one of the ancient architects built by the British Empire; now serves as a museum and research centre.

20th April, 2013, Saturday the 10th day of the third month in Tibetan calendar (Pan-Chu), was an auspicious day. On that day, a mass prayer was led by the 26 nuns of different sects and nunneries, attended by the school students and staffs.

Nun Phuntsok Lamdon, Dolmaling nunnery said, “I am attending such program for the first time in my life, I am amazed to see the transformation from the level of shyness to a sense of self-belief and standing in authority as the week progressed.”

The nuns expressed that this program assisted them in realizing their skills and reinforced their beliefs and self-confidence and their ability. TWA hopes to see the nuns pursue leadership roles in greater numbers and at higher levels. We look forward to another enriching and empowering program to be held in 2014.

nuns on work, within groupTWA’s General Secretary, Nyima Lhamo states that “with the help of these programs, we hope to maximize their influence and to discover what they are truly capable of in their lives. The nuns who attended the course began to find out that they have talent and the ability which can be harnessed not only for the furthering of their own potential, but for the benefit of wider society.”

Coordinated by TWA’s Empowerment through Action Desk, ETADesk, the project has been graciously funded by the Science Meets Dharma, an institute which aims to provide monks and nuns in Tibetan monasteries in India with access to scientific education since its inception in 2009.

 

TWA’s ‘Empowerment Through Action Desk’ provides a central point of contact for resources for Tibetan women in exile, while effectively coordinating empowerment programs in culturally-appropriate and gender-sensitive ways. TWA imparts leadership and empowerment actions, which include the Advanced Tibetan Women’s Leadership Training, the Annual Young Tibetan Women’s Leadership Program, the All-India Gender Sensitization Training, Combating Domestic Violence, Legal rights and Empowerment Trainings for Women and the Annual Tibetan Nun’s Leadership Training.

 

Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA) is the second largest Tibetan Non- Governmental Organization (NGO) based in exile in India, and the only Women’s NGO in Tibetan history. We are a 16,000-member organization with 56 chapters on four continents: Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia. TWA’s slogan is ‘Advocacy for Home, Action in Exile.’

 

Press contact:

09882502821 – Nyima Lhamo, General Secretary, TWA

09756606452- Tenzin Choedon, Drikung Samtenling, Dehradun (participant)

09418111946 – Tenzin Lhakey, Gaden Choeling (participant)

09418525852 – Yeshi Lhamo, Tilokpur (participant)

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