Monsoon Update

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Monsoon Greetings!

The monsoon came this year as if Mother Nature felt the enormity of the filth that humans have piled in this region of the Himalayan foothills. From mountain tops to valleys she remains busy washing off, shredding and composting all the trash that humans have made. Today as I stepped outside the smells of fresh greens filled the air to give a youthful medicinal energy to all the earthlings, bringing health, happiness and joie de vivre to everyone for at least this year. But next year and the years to come are TEAM's concern. Will Nature send her support to clean our mess every time? Is this annual ablution enough to cleanse the growing toxicity of human creations? Since the answer is clear to most of us, we request everyone to renew his/her commitment to help Nature in healing our planet by leading a nature friendly life. Help is more needed now than ever!

With that beginning, I would like to share that TEAM has vouched to do our bit in promoting as much awareness on Waste Management in as many Tibetan schools and monastic communities as we can. Plans have been made to work with the Department of Home of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile in giving workshops on Waste Management to five Tibetan settlements in South India. We have also started to work with school teachers and students of the McLoed Day-School, Sambhata Gangkyi School, Pedon Model School, Chauntra TCV School and Suja TCV School on waste management. TEAM's Waste Poster, one thousand copies distributed, received much appreciation from individuals, school administrations and institutions for its simplicity and clarity in sending the message across.

Besides busying ourselves with waste issues we are also working hard with the Biodiversity Awareness project. Currently we are working on the Tibetan translation of the UN's Biodiversity Convention and designing wildlife posters.

This monsoon TEAM also welcomed and acknowledged the work of the Tibetan Vegetarian Society by serving vegetarian lunch, solely cooked by TEAM's four dedicated staff, for their 300 volunteers.

TEAM's Staff Update:

Yangchen Dolma La has left TEAM office to join her dream goal of writing for the Tibetan Review. She now works there as the assistant editor to the magazine. Yangchen is still our TEAM member and we are very happy that with TEAM's blood she is following her dream goal.

Tenzin Gyaltsen La, our volunteer, has been accepted as a translator at the Library of the Tibetan Works and Archives. With a decent salary, he is enjoying the job of his dream.

TEAM welcomes one year commitment from Ven. Yungdrung Nyima to research and write about the ancient wisdom culture of Tibet and how it helped protect the Tibetan plateau's environment.

TEAM also has a latest member, Tenzin Thekchok, born 18 July 2006. I am his mother and it scares me that I have to bring up my son in a World ruled by politicians who don't have the least concern for the well-being of our Mother Earth. But it cheers me that we have TEAM members who are doing their bit to serve Mother Earth and who bear what Dr. Joanna Macy calls "pain of our World" and I hope Tenzin receives your blessings and teachings.

Sincerely, Tsering Yangkey Executive Director Tesi Environmental Awareness Movement
Dharamsala