DHARAMSHALA, July 24: Young Tibetans from all over Europe will be coming together in Antwerp, Belgium for the Third Tibetan Youth Parliament to be held from August 30 to September 1, under the slogan, “We are United.” The Youth Parliament, a unique forum designed to actively engage young people in the modeling of their future society, brings young Tibetans living in Europe together “to not only overcome linguistic and geographical barriers, but also to be active for Tibet.” The meeting encourages the youth to think independently, lead socio-political initiatives, and empowers them to organise Europe-wide events for Tibet. First time organisers, the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress of Belgium, in a release said that it was thrilled and keenly looking forward to host the third edition of the meeting. The first and second Youth Parliaments were hosted by the Switzerland based Tibetan Youth Association of Europe. “We are really excited that we have the opportunity to organise the third European Tibetan Youth Parliament,” Kunga Dhoundup, member of the Organising Committee and board member of RTYC, Belgium said. “It is a challenging task but we think it is important for this platform to be continued and we hope to be welcoming many young Tibetans to Belgium.” Organisers said the Third European Tibetan Youth Parliament will be held under the slogan, “We are United” and will discuss key issues concerning Tibet and life in diaspora. “Questions on the preservation of Tibetan culture in Europe and the meaning of unity will be among the main topics on the agenda,” organisers said. The first European Tibetan Youth Parliament, “We are Tibet,” was held in Zurich in 2010 and was later hailed as the initial step towards building a new platform for young Tibetans in Europe. The meeting was also addressed by Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The second European Tibetan Youth Parliament, “We Take Action,” was held in Einsiedeln, Switzerland in 2012. Organisers said the objectives of the third European Tibetan Youth Parliament are to promote and strengthen closer cooperation among the Tibetan youth in Europe, promote new initiatives regarding the situation inside Tibet, to ensure continuity, and make a strong political statement.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 15:09:44 +0000