Initiatives

Education for the next generation of Tibetans

To help meet a long-term goal of increasing the number of teachers and educational resources available to under-served Tibetan communities, the Conservancy has helped support the work of ground-breaking educational programs like the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative, which offers groups of Tibetan monks and nuns specially-developed courses, designed and led by scientists and science educators, giving these young scholars a chance to see how modern science looks at the world — in the field, the lab and the classroom — learning directly about the methods, tools and ways of teaching modern scientific inquiry.

Himalayan Outreach

To help indigenous Himalayan Buddhists build a more secure future for their children, their families, and their centuries-old traditional Buddhist cultures, the Conservancy has worked with local partners to reach out and identify the needs of under-served and disadvantaged communities in remote mountain areas.

A living culture, from the Land of Snows

Working with the Smithsonian Institution, the Conservancy for Tibetan Art & Culture organized the largest exhibition of Tibetan culture ever held in the West — with over 1,000,000 visitors attending “Tibetan Culture Beyond the Land of Snows,” the centerpiece of the Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival, held in the millennium year of 2000 on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

Teachings and Public Talks

The offering of dharma-centered events, such as public teachings by recognized spiritual leaders, for the benefit of lay and monastic audiences, is a vital and enduring element of Tibetan culture. Such teachings often include readings of traditional Buddhist texts, along with commentary and explanations, to ensure that both the meaning, and the actual words of the text, are passed down accurately.

Building Bridges

In addition to developing and delivering cultural programs, the Conservancy has also worked to help organize and support both academic symposia and  pioneering conferences with monastic leaders and scholars — to foster dialogue, bridge traditions and build a better understanding of a culture that crosses many borders.

Helping Refugees

Since the first waves of refugees fled the invasion of Tibet in the middle of the last century, many have responded as “Friends of Tibet” — helping Tibetan refugees, in many different ways, to preserve their vital cultural traditions, sustain their exile communities, and raise a new generation of Tibetans, in a modern world, far removed from their distant homeland.