(TibetanReview.net, Sep15, 2018) – A third round since last year of what is called the Five-Fifty Forum of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has kicked off at Dharamshala, India, on Sep 13 with the participation of Tibetan representatives as well as outside experts. The forum takes place under the theme of the CTA’s Five-Fifty Vision, which was launched in 2017. The vision “aims to maximize efforts to resolve the Tibet issue in five years based on the Middle Way Approach while ensuring CTA’s resilience to sustain the Tibetan freedom struggle and preserve Tibetan culture for the next fifty years if needed.”
The current four-day meeting appears to focus on the “Fifty” aspect of the vision, with the participants being expected to offer opinions and suggestions on: Sustaining Tibetan culture, economic development of Tibetan community in India, improving the quality of education in Tibetan schools, and creating a healthy Tibetan community.
Apart from the CTA leadership, those participating in the current forum, dubbed as the Five-Fifty Forum: Towards a Resilient Tibetan Community, have been stated to include over 200 experts on leadership, resource mobilisation, health and education as well as CTA donors. They will discuss critical development and resiliency challenges and opportunities in the Tibetan community and explore innovative solutions, reported the CTA on its Tibet.net website Sep 13.
Tibet.net said the ongoing forum was a follow-on to the political gathering convened in Oct 2017 and the youth gathering in Aug 2018, with the focus being on the development and long-term resiliency objectives of the Five-Fifty Vision.
Those from outside the CTA taking part in the forum are stated to include USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia, Ann Marie Yastishock; Director of the Amnye Machen Institute, Tashi Tsering Josayma; and Sociologist from Jawaharlal Nehru University Dr Renuka Singh.
