Dharamshala, 10th October 2023: Andrea Venzon and Colombe Cahen-Salvador, founders of Atlas – a global political party – visited the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile earlier today. They were accompanied by Dukten Kyi, the head of the Tibet Advocacy Section of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR), CTA.
Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel and Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang with Andrea Venzon and Colombe Cahen-Salvado, founders of Atlas.
They met with Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel and Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang and had extensive discussions on democracy and other issues of common interest.
Andrea Venzon introduced the Speakers to Atlas, a global political party aiming to unite people worldwide to create a freer, better, and more equitable planet. With 24,000 supporters in over 134 countries, the Atlas, after years of grassroots activism, announced becoming a global political party on 15th September 2023.
The founders of the Atlas were briefed on the evolution of Tibetan democracy, specifically mentioning that women’s reservation in the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile was introduced way back in 1964, just after four years of its establishment, by the Deputy Speaker.
Upon asking questions on the electoral process of the Central Tibetan Administration, the Deputy Speaker explained the procedure of election in the Tibetan diaspora which is held on the same day across the globe. The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile’s bi-annual parliamentary sessions, periodical visits to the Tibetan settlements, Tibet advocacy campaigns, working of the parliament’s standing committee, revival of International Network of Parliamentarians on Tibet (INPaT), World Parliamentarians Conventions on Tibet (WPCTs), and other TPiE undertaking among others were also briefed to the visiting guests.
They asked questions on the Speaker’s open letter to G20 leaders on calling their attention to the plight of Tibetans, to which the Deputy Speaker clarified that it has not been acknowledged by any leaders so far and added that Tibet is a case study for the rest of the world and Tibetans are the first victims to their deception.
They were further briefed on the coercing of Tibetan children into colonial boarding schools in Tibet under Chinese occupation depriving them of their right to learn and practice their distinct Tibetan heritage, language, and religion.
Highlighting the rapid melting glaciers and other ecological threats of global warming, the Deputy Speaker delved into the significance of Tibetan plateau and its rivers to the global climate.
The founders of the Atlas were then presented with Tibet related publications and information sheets to have a better understanding of the Sino-Tibetan conflict before taking on a tour of the parliament hall.
-Report filed by Tibetan Parliamentary Secretariat