Ten Tibetan Americans are participating in the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT)’s Tibetan Youth Leadership Program (TYLP) being held in Washington, D.C. from June 3 to 7, 2014. The participants this year are from Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
“We are excited in having these young Tibetans here in Washington, D.C. We hope the program will be able to challenge them intellectually every single day,” said Mr. Matteo Mecacci, President, ICT.
This program aims to nurture youth leaders who could become the leaders of the Tibetan community in the United States and internationally. Through workshops, discussions, and hands-on activities, participants will be taught the art of leadership.
Participants will hear from speakers on issues ranging from US policy formulation process, empowerment of Tibetans, US-China relations, American policy towards Tibet, etc. and also learn the skills and tools, including media and communication skills (with field visits to Voice of America and Radio Free Asia).
They will visit Capitol Hill as well as the State Department and learn about the formulation and implementation of the policies. On the final evening, the Capital Area Tibetan Association School will host an interaction between the participants and local young Tibetans as well as a dinner reception.
Beyond individual leadership training, the program will provide these enthusiastic young Tibetans the opportunity to establish relationships with, and learn skills geared to meet the need to carry the Tibet movement forward.
The program was first started in Washington, D.C. in 2001, it has been held annually till 2006, including in Brussels in 2003 and Amsterdam in 2005. In 2013, ICT convened the seventh and eighth leadership program in June in Washington DC and in November in Brussels.