Tibetans in Exile

Conflict Transformation Program with Tibetan Refugees in India

Since the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1949, thousands of Tibetans have sought refuge in India. Today there are over 120,000 refugees living in over 45 settlements throughout India. The Tibetan government-in exile- headed by the Dalai Lama is located in the North Indian town of Dharamsala.

Between 2003-2005 Karuna Center developed the Project with Tibetans-in-Exile: Leadership Training in Conflict Transformation in partnership with the Tibetan Centre for Conflict Resolution (TCCR), an NGO in Dharamsala, India, endorsed by the Tibetan Government in Exile, to address issues within the Tibetan refugee community and with their Indian neighbors.

The program consisted of three intensive training seminars. In our first seminar we worked with the TCCR staff to creatively integrate Tibetan Buddhist approaches to conflict resolution with models from the West. In the second and third seminars we helped the TCCR staff train young Tibetans recruited from refugee settlements throughout India to help resolve conflicts in their own communities. We are committed to continuing our work with TCCR on an as needed basis.