Previous Projects
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22 April 2007: Tesi Environmental Awareness Movement (TEAM) celebrated Earth Day with the communities of the Mevon Tsuglag Peton School, Dharamsala. The celebration began with planting of trees by the students and offering a special prayer of gratitude for Mother Earth for her unconditional love in nurturing all beings.
Observed as a day of remembrance and service, TEAM members spoke to the students and staff introducing them to environmental issues, ranging from waste management to endangered species to global warming and about the values of traditional wisdoms in protecting our Mother Earth.
A series of workshops were conducted on how to create treasures from wastes and how to make compost from kitchen wastes. TEAM also donated to the school 10 sets of specially designed trash cans for the separate storage of biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes. -
11 February, 2007: TEAM today released its endangered species posters to observe the Unrepresented Nations and People's Organisation (UNPO) International Action Day on Environment. These posters are a part of TEAM's ongoing environmental education efforts directed at Tibetans in and outside Tibet on biodiversity conservation.
Tibet once a wildlife paradise has now become a biodiversity hotspot with many rare, endemic and endangered plants and animals continue on the roller coaster towards extinction. The growing loss of habitat and food due to grassland degradation, deforestation and increase population are the main reasons for the dwindling number of wildlife just in the last five decades. Unfortunately, the use of endangered species products is also becoming more common these days as Tibet has become a lucrative market of endangered species parts.
However, since His Holiness the Dalai Lama made an impassioned appeal to his people, there have been spontaneous eruptions of environmental activism among Tibetans marked by voluntary burning of thousands of animal pelts. The recent fur burning events throughout Tibet gave some hopes to the bloody and tragic plight of the endangered wildlife. -
4 March 2007: Two-week awareness building campaign on Waste Management in Dharamsala for the duration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teaching was a huge success. As part of the campaign, TEAM released two booklets and two posters, conducted daily cleanup drive in the temple areas, and made constant patrolling to ensure that people do not urinate, defecate or throw trash in the temple vicinity. TEAM also placed 200 re-usable trash bags in the temple area and managed their proper disposals during the teaching.
Throughout the teaching period, TEAM engaged the public in discussions on waste reduction, recycling, zero-waste concepts and taught them how to make treasures from wastes. TEAM also distributed information brochures on plastics, styrofoams and other environmental issues to the public.
- TEAM at Kalachakra — January 2006
- Translation into Tibetan of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
- Publication of a guidebook for agriculture extension officers: A Basic Understanding of the Impacts of Pesticides and Fertilizers
- Publication of Environmental Toolkit for students to raise the basic level of the environmental awareness
- Publication of Tesi Wisdom Series Brochures : Energy Saving Tips, Save Water, Do not Burn Plastics, Say No to Styrofoam Cups, A Melancholy Call of Wildlife, His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Biodiversity Conservation
- A successful implementation of the TEAM's month long project Environmental Actions in Amaravati during the 30th Kalachakra Initiation in Amaravati, India. TEAM provided environmental leadership workshop for 30 students with hands-on practical trainings such as clean-up and public outreach work during the Kalachakra. TEAM worked very hard to raise environmental awareness among as many pilgrims as possible, especially those from Tibet, around the insensibility of wearing dresses and ornaments made of endangered animals.
- We also provided seed funds, workshops and lectures to school children, college students, farmers, and monastic communities.
- Publication of large posters showing use of endangered species' skins by Tibetans and the impacts of loss of biodiversity.
- Publication of posters with the concept of trash management depicting lifespan of common household wastes.