Tibetan Youth Leadership

Participants of the 2015 Tibetan Youth Leadership Program with US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, Sarah Sewall, at the State Department.


Eleven young Tibetans and Tibetan Americans are participating in the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT)’s Tibetan Youth Leadership Program (TYLP), which will be held in Washington, D.C. from July 4 to 10, 2015. The selected participants are coming from seven states: Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, and Utah.

TYLP aims to nurture young leaders who could become leaders of the Tibetan-American community in the United States and internationally. Participants will hear from speakers on issues ranging from US policy formulation process, empowerment of Tibetans, US-China relations, American policy towards Tibet, and more. They will also learn the skills and tools in communicating their messages, including field visits to Voice of America and Radio Free Asia.

They will visit Capitol Hill and meet with Members of Congress and their staff and know about the legislative process. They will also meet with officials at the State Department and learn about the implementation of US policies.

The program will also provide them with the opportunity to establish relationships with, and learn from, other Tibetan-Americans professionals working in the Federal Government as well as in the private sector in Washington, D.C. They will also have an interaction with local young Tibetan Americans, organized by the Tibetan Culture School of the Capital Area Tibetan Association.

The program was first started in Washington, D.C. in 2001, and subsequently has also been held in Brussels and Amsterdam.

This year’s participants are:

  1. Choenyi Dhondup, Massachusetts
  2. Phurbu Dolma, New York
  3. Tenzin Dophen, New York
  4. Passang Gonrong, Illinois
  5. Tenzin Nordon, Minnesota
  6. Namkha Y. Norsang, Massachusetts
  7. Tenzin Norzin, New York
  8. Tenzin Phakdon, Arizona
  9. Zhaxi Qucuo, New York
  10. Tenzing Ravzam, New York
  11. Tsering Yangzom, Utah