Project Proposal

KTC's Aims and Objectives:

1. Bridge the information gap between Tibetans inside and outside Tibet on important cultural issues.
2. Encourage discussion and debate on current issues related to Tibet and Tibetans.
3. Create awareness among Tibetans the policies and activities of foreign countries related to Tibet especially that of European Union and The United States.
4. Educate Tibetans in exile, particularly the youth, about the present conditions of Tibet .
5. Provide an accessible forum for young Tibetan writers to express their opinions.
6. Expand knowledge among the Tibetan people about the democratic exile government, human rights and health and environmental issues.
7. Create awareness amongst Tibetans about diverse cultural heritage in the world.
8. Create electronic media and paper publications in support of the above (1-7).

Bod-Kyi-Bang-Chen (The Tibet Express)

Media, often referred to as the fourth estate in a democratic society, plays a crucial role within the Tibetan community in exile. The members of KTC believe that the existing media does not effectively represent the realities and opinions of the masses. Therefore, the purpose of Bod-Kyi-Bang-Chen is to provide factual and analytical information to the general Tibetan public on political, environmental, social and economic issues.

Bod-Kyi-Bang-Chen is a Tibetan language newspaper published every Wednesday. It was first published on 18 April 2003 as a fortnightly newspaper and then it turned into the ten-day newspaper and recently on its fourth founding anniversary, it turned into the weekly newspaper. With a circulation of greater than 5,000 copies, the Tibet Express is being distributed to 45 Tibetan settlements in India, Nepal, Bhutan, and to Tibetans living in 17 countries around the world, including the United States and Europe and we heard that the Tibet Express also reach Tibet and China.

KTC is in the process of incorporating all the important parts of the newspaper in its trilingual website: Tibetan, English and Chinese.

Trilingual website: www.khawakarpo.org

The principal goal with the website is to provide a wide spectrum of crucial information on Tibet and Tibetan issues in three languages (Tibetan, English and Chinese). The website will include all the important parts of the newspaper, photo gallery, message forum and information about KTC.

Translations

Translating important articles and documents has been a key aspect of the Tibetan media. KTC will translate into Tibetan relevant information on Tibet written in English, Chinese or other languages. Mr. Kelsang Gyaltsen, board member of KTC has translated the Chinese book ‘A Chinese writer spoke on Tibet 's real issue' written by Wungli Shung and Woeser into Tibetan language. Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre has published it in 2005.

Gang-Chu and Them-key, biannual journals

In order to foster young Tibetan creative writers and to promote aesthetic and artistic expression, KTC will produce two journals, Gangchu (Snow Water) and Themkey (The Ladder), which will include essays, fiction and nonfiction write-ups, personal thoughts, opinions and more. The journals will be biannual and can be used as a resource for information on pertinent Tibetan issues.

Logyu, an annual series on history

"History depicts the growth or decline of a nation, and in it is the soul of a culture"
-His Holiness The XIV Dalai Lama

The annual series on history will focus on our powerful nation during the reign of the three Dharma Kings (374-906 AD). It will include revisions of the inconsistencies in literature about Tibetan history, and life stories about brave Tibetan men and women in the 20th century.

Exhibitions

In support of its objectives, KTC regularly organizes exhibitions that inform the public about important issues including: human rights, environment, the democratic Tibetan government-in-exile and exiled Tibetan communities and the policies of China regarding Tibet and its people.

KTC Discussion Forums and Workshops

In order to facilitate a free and fair exchange of ideas, KTC organizes discussion forums in which experts from different fields, e.g. representatives from the Tibetan parliament and legal and political scholars and commentators, are invited to address issues and to illuminate the public.

On 18 April 2005, KTC organized a discussion forum on ways of improving Tibetan media. During this event, held at the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamsala , India , eight representatives of the Tibetan Assembly, five Tibetan scholars, various members of the Tibetan media and other relevant individuals were in attendance. More than 55 people gathered and participated in the discussion.

On 23 April 2006, KTC organized a second round of discussions on the role of the media. 35 members of Tibetan radio, newspaper, magazine and local television news attended and joined the discussion.

On April 18-20, 2007, with generous help of NED, KTC organized a three day workshop on the role of media and ways to improve it. Around 6 well-qualified and experienced personalities were invited as resource persons. They helped the participants to know and understand many things related to journalism and journalist. For instance, they gave light on the activities of media and responsibilities of the society, ethics and freedom of journalists, photo journalism, responsibility of media on Tibetan issue, ethical aspects of journalism, status and freedom of Medias in China . Several number of Tibetan journalists participated in the workshop were much benefited by this workshop. KTC organized a three day workshop on the role of media and ways to improve it. We continue our planning to organize more workshops, discussion forums on human rights, democracy and media in future.