WALK the TALK: the garnered crux of Tibetan Women's Leadership Training, 2008.
A famous adage by John F Kennedy reads "Leadership and Learning are indispensable to each other." The central executive members of Tibetan Women's Association embarked with a serious intent and a strong conviction to walk the talk; empowering the young Tibetan women with leadership skills through an intensive five-day training that seeks to instill leadership skills in the twenty six young Tibetan women participants hailing from different zones in India; Dharamsala, Chandigarh (north India), Delhi (central India), Baroda (West India), Chennai, Bangaluru (South India). The three trainers from TWA, Tsering Yangzom Oshoe (General Secretary), Tenzin Palkyi (Research and Media officer) and T.Dhardon Sharling (Research and Media officer) co-ordinated the training and handled the day one and day five part of the training whilst the TWA commissioned MMM Training solutions, a professional training center gave an intensive training on leadership. Pramila Mathews, (Owner and Founder of MMM Training Solutions) who is also the training Consultant and Executive Coach, has her MBA from Weatherhead School of Management of Case Western Reserve, Ohio, USA and close to 20 years of work experience in Organizational Development, Change Management, Counseling Psychology, Training & Development and Executive Coaching conducted the core-three-day training along with her co-trainers Manasa Ramaraju and Gautam Kumar.
It was a defining moment for Tibetan women's association to see the program unfold and unravel on the opening ceremony when three accomplished and esteemed guests of honor (Mr. R.D Mathur, Kalong Tempa Tsering lak and ATPD member Mrs. Youdon Aukatsang lak) graced the occasion with their presence and gave a heightened outlook on the concept of leadership and emphasized on building leadership skills in an every day environment. The highlight of the opening ceremony was Mr. R.D Mathur who is the Founder Trustees of MRA - Initiatives of Change Trust in India and also a member of the Governing Council of the IC Centre for Governance, which is actively working to improve the Governance of India. Mr. Mathur was also involved in the Reconstruction of Europe after the last World war. Later, shortly after the war, he was invited to help in the reconciliation of Japan with the rest of Asia. He was also stationed for sometime in Myanmar at the invitation of Former Prime Minister UNU of Burma and from there made several visits to the nations of Indo-China at the time of the Viet-Nam war. A week after His Holiness the Dalai Lama reached in India after his escape from Tibet, Mr.Mathur had the honour of meeting him and since then he has been privileged to have a continuing friendship with His Holiness and has taken initiatives to highlight the cause of the Tibetan people.
Padmashree award winner and India's veteran journalist Ms. Barkha Dutt almost got roped in as the chief guest but for an untimely call for her presence at Jammu and Kashmir to report-live, the 2008 J& K elections for NDTV 24*7 the news channel for which she works as the Group Editor and Managing Director. India's super cop turned social activists agreed to be the chief guest but her imperative presence required at a last minute serial shoot (Aap ki Kachari, on Star-Plus) made the prospect go in vain. But both the powerful women achievers and stalwarts passed on their best wishes and showed immense support for the Tibetan cause and particularly for TWA's pertinent efforts in empowering Tibetan women.
The five-day training was of 30% theory and 70% practice. The activities helped unearth the hidden and innate leadership skills in the participants and accordingly tackle them to the optimum level. The participants strongly reflected on the percepts of 'striving for excellence' in every small way, the essence of maintaining integrity, visualizing one's future, striving to achieve one's goal and working towards one's legacy. The first day of the program paved way for a good beginning. The full day training built on the importance of knowing, recognizing and building leadership skills. The next three-day training focused on the topics; motivation, personal effectiveness, communications skills, time management, stress management, team management, goal setting, visualization and leaving a legacy. The final day involved the participants in a daylong practical evaluation where the groups were engaged in a replicated Sino-Tibetan dialogue. The entire dialogue session was videotaped and later screened for the participants in a bid to garner authentic and discerning feedback. The training did make a credible difference in the outlook and lives of the participants and this we believe will go a long way in making them effective leaders of tomorrow.
The training venue Tibetan Youth Hostel located at Rohini, West Delhi welcomed us with mush gusto and the altruistic help from the many corners of TYH administration was indeed an inspiration. The large and well-furnished auditorium that was once blessed with a public audience of His Holiness the Dalai Lama seemingly became a hive of activities for the five days of the training. The sheer positive response of the participants and their compliance with the code-of-conduct of the training and essentially their perfect grasping of the topics covered during the training did generate an overwhelming and a gratifying experience for the three TWA trainers.
Given the finite time frame of only 5-days to coincide with the Christmas and New Year vacation for the colleges in India, the genuine intent of the organizers and the paramount importance that the training personated did bear an effective and a positive brunt on the participants. The oral and written feedback from the participants does add as the last straw to justify the successful standing of this year's leadership training and significantly in catapulting the effectiveness of the training as highly appreciable, laudable and commendable. The strong media interest in this unique training was palpable by their ubiquitous presence at the training venue for the all five days of the training program. .
The fourth annual Tibetan Women's Leadership Program funded by Global Fund For Women stands to testify the consistent and perennial efforts of TWA towards achieving women's empowerment in the Tibetan society in exile. It did succeed in being a potent milestone in inspiring the young Tibetan women to tread the right path of leadership for now and for an enduring period. With due respect to John F Kennedy and in taking the liberty to differ with his views, the crux of the five-day annual Tibetan Women’s Leadership Training came down heavily on the realization that 'Leadership is not only learning but learning to put it into action.' The participants as well as the TWA trainers pledged with a strong conviction to practice what we preach and to essentially 'WALK the TALK.'
TWA is immensely thankful to Global Fund for Women for supporting our empowerment actions. TWA will continue with its efforts to being a bastion of support and encouragement for the young Tibetan women who are the potential leaders of tomorrow.