A Program to Promote and Preserve Tibetan Cultural Awareness for Tibetan Refugees

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- Support to the People and Culture of Tibet (Mother project)
- Adoption of Tibetan Monks in the Gaden Jangtse Monastery
- The Nando Peretti School for Children: Construction of a School and an Hostel for Children
- Support to the Gaden Jangtse Tibetan Medical Institute
- Tuberculosis Prevention and Community Health-Dental Care in Gaden Jangtse Medical Buddha Clinic
- Urgent Surgical Procedure for The Tibetan Monk Tamding Tsering
- Purchase of a Solar Water Heating System for the Gaden Jangtse Monastery
- Supporting the Three Years “Oceans Of Knowledge” Project for the Protection and Promotion of Tibetan Culture
- Support For Tibetan Monks Of Gaden Jangste Monastery Resident In Italy
- Library Furniture and Equipment at the Dalai Lama Institute for Higher Education in Bangalore - India
Project location: SWITZERLAND, Geneva
Project start date: October 2008 -
Project end date: June 2009
Project number: 2008-10
Beneficiary: The Tibet Bureau
Among its various activities, the Tibet Bureu is committed to promote and preserve the importance of Tibet's rich culture in Switzerland, where 3500-4000 Tibetan refugees are estimated to live. The Nando Peretti Foundation shares the conviction of the Tibet Bureau that it is of paramount importance for the new generations of Tibetans born in Switzerland to learn, practise and maintain their ancient culture. In this light, in 2008 the NPF awarded a grant to support the Tibet bureau's "Programme to promote and preserve Tibetan Cultural Awareness for the Tibetan Refugees in Switzerland"
Final Report
The Nando Peretti Foundation grant helped the Tibet Bureau with two key important projects: 1) "Das Tibetische Folklore Ensemble der Tibeter Gemeinschaft Schweiz & Liechtenstein"; and 2) the visit of Gyuto Monks to Switzerland.
Das Tibetische Folklore Ensemble der Tibeter Gemeinschaft Schweiz & Liechtenstein
The cultural folk dance group of the Tibetan Community in Switzerland and Liechtenstein was created in September 1982, incorporating the pre-existing Swiss group of Tibetan dance. The goal of this new group was that of preserving and propagating the traditional Tibetan rich folk tradition of singing and dancing among the second and third generation Tibetans - mostly those born in Switzerland. The members of the group are the key traditional song and dance performers animating all the most important Tibetan religious and cultural events in Switzerland. The grant gave them the financial support to purchase new costumes and instruments.
During the project implementation period, about 10 new members joined the group. Most of them were younger members. This group has performed about three times in front of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
(For more details of the group visit: http://www.tibetswiss-folklore.com/ )
Visit of Gyuto Monks to Switzerland
To increase the Swiss-born Tibetans' awareness of their centuries-old Buddhist tradition, in late 2008 the Tibet Bureau invited a group of Tibetan Gyuto Monks to Switzerland. The interaction with Tibetan monks was intended to raise awareness and lead the young generations of Tibetans to travel to India in order to gain a greater understanding of their own culture. During their three weeks stay in the country, they visited over 30 Tibetan homes conducting religious prayers and duties. Also, they created a sand mandala ceremony - a typical Tibetan Buddhist tradition involving the creation and destruction of mandalas made from colored sand - and showed Tibetan children how to make butter sculptures.