Charter for Engagement

THIS WE KNOW          

We live in uncertain times.  As the new millennium unfolds, we find ourselves caught in the tired politics of the past while our Tibetan sisters and brothers on the plateau bear the burden of marginalization and dispossession.  Yet in this moment of political exhaustion, something new is stirring.  Guided by a social vision that places unyielding faith in the promise and decency of humanity, a collective desire to seek new pathways toward meaningful and transformative change is now awakening.  The change we seek requires a new political and moral imagination—one that trusts in humanity’s potential to embrace a politics of love over a politics of fear.

THIS WE BELIEVE          

In these uncertain times, there is an urgent need to redefine the collective task that lies ahead.  Any meaningful change for Tibet will require a collective response from the heart—one that transcends differences of language, culture, region, ethnicity, religion, history and education.  The challenges of our times can only be solved by working in solidarity and partnership across political, cultural and linguistic divides.  Where there is mistrust and resentment, we must work to bring confidence and understanding.  Where there is despair and desperation, we must work to inspire hope and empowerment.  Where there is cynicism and hostility, we must build faith in the possibility of creating a shared stake in transformative change.  And as we seek to breach the gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of our times, we must find the courage to cross uncharted terrain as we re-envision our broken world as one animated by an abiding human love.

THIS WE RESOLVE         

• Engagement. As Tibet approaches a new threshold, we commit ourselves to engaging directly with the challenges facing Tibetans on the plateau—challenges such as that of language and cultural loss, economic marginalization, resource distribution, land management and the delivery of quality education, healthcare and other social services.

• Solidarity. We commit ourselves to this direct engagement as an act of love and solidarity with Tibetans in Tibet.  We know the wrongs of the past, but we choose to look to the future—the future of those who make their lives on the Tibetan plateau and the future their children will inherit.

• Nonviolence. Our commitment to engagement is firmly rooted in the principle of nonviolence.  Knowing that all life is interdependent and that we are caught in a web of mutuality, we are determined to become the change we seek by finding pathways to social change that value and respect every human life.

• Building New Capacity. As we seek to engage directly in helping build the future of Tibet, our priority should be to invest in Tibetans themselves.  By creating new opportunities for building capacity, knowledge and experience, we will empower a new generation of Tibetans to develop the skills and competence necessary to steward their communities into the future.

• Building a New Consensus. In embracing the principle of engagement, we commit ourselves to forging a new consensus on the future of Tibet.  We will gather and form a new global community around this consensus—one that includes citizens of China as well as that of the world—and through these partnerships, synergies and new bonds of trust, we will find our best hope for meaningful, transformative change for Tibet.