Guidelines For International Development Projects And Sustainable Investment In Tibet
German Translation
Italian Translation
INTRODUCTION
"The right to development is an inalienable human right by virtue of
which every human person and all peoples are entitled to participate
in, contribute to, and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political
development, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be
fully realised. The human right to development also implies the full
realisation of the right of peoples to self-determination, which
includesŠ the exercise of their inalienable right to full sovereignty
over all their natural wealth and resources."
- Article 1, UN Declaration on the Right to Development (4 December 1986)
These Guidelines were compiled by the Tibetan Government-in-Exile
(TGIE) to foster sustainable development in Tibet* that will enhance
the capacity of the Tibetan people to fully participate in the
development of their land and to control the use of their natural
resources. These Guidelines seek to encourage active international
engagement that will improve the Tibetan people's quality of life and
to address the existing imbalances in the development of Tibet.
Through responsible development and investment, the international
community has the ability to make a major, positive impact on the lives
of the Tibetan people. Throughout Tibet today, resources for promoting
local businesses, education, and healthcare are extremely limited.
The socio-economic situation in Tibet is on par with some areas of sub-Saharan Africa.
While the specific needs of the Tibetan people in Tibet may vary from
region to region, all Tibetan communities are disadvantaged. We
therefore encourage the involvement of the international community in
sustainable development and investment in all regions inhabited by
Tibetans.
Despite living in economically and socially depressed conditions,
Tibetans have attempted to build schools, monasteries, initiate
development projects and develop their own enterprises (such as
textile, carpet, handicraft manufacturing, dairy and grain processing).
But it has been difficult for the majority of Tibetan communities to
benefit from and expand these projects because they have received
little or no assistance from the Chinese government, and they have very
limited access to capital. Furthermore, infrastructure is very poor and
prohibits development.
By providing the resources necessary for the Tibetans to be actively
involved in their own development, and to become business and civic
leaders in their communities. International organisations and
individuals can play a critical role in empowering the Tibetan people
to become self-sufficient and to protect Tibet's unique way of life.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Ever since 1949, even though the Chinese government initially made some
efforts to improve the standard of living of the Tibetan people,
China's development strategy was largely geared towards imposing the
People's Liberation Army-led administrative superstructure, and later,
towards assimilating Tibet into the People's Republic of China.
From 1950 until 1979, economic and structural measures such as
co-operatives and communes were introduced in Tibet. These measures
disregarded Tibetan culture and traditions: nomads were forced to be
sedentary farmers; pasturelands became arable lands; winter wheat
replaced native barley (Tibet's staple foodcrop); and huge state taxes
were imposed to achieve unreasonable regional production targets. All
these measures resulted in declining productivity, the degradation of
grassland, and foodgrain shortages unknown in the history of Tibet.
The then Chinese Communist Party General Secretary, Hu Yaobang,
recognised this decline in conditions of the Tibetan people at the
First Work Forum on Tibet in 1980. As a result, the Household
Responsibility System (HRS) was introduced, reversing the policies of
the previous 30 years. By the end of 1982, decollectivisation was
implemented and more social and religious freedom was granted in Tibet.
Living conditions began to improve as the revenue and taxation systems
were decentralised.
However, the positive impact of the HRS was short-lived because the
emphasis was placed on Tibet's integration with China rather than on
local self-sufficiency. Tibet was providing China's rich coastal region
with energy, minerals and timber. In return, Tibet was receiving
Chinese "skilled" settlers who brought "technical, managerial and
business skills" to the region and helped open Tibet's market for
Chinese manufactured goods. This massive influx of Chinese settlers
further marginalised the Tibetan people, economically and socially.
In 1984 the Chinese government initiated 43 development projects,
following up with 62 additional projects in 1994. These projects aimed
to "develop the Tibetan economy and society" in Central Tibet. However,
these initiatives did not result in the development of any significant
Tibetan-run projects. Instead they have mainly benefited Chinese urban
dwellers and strengthened China's control over Tibet. For example, the
projects initiated in 1984 alone brought 60,000 Chinese into Tibet,
causing 30,000 Tibetans from 18 work units to lose their jobs. Rural
areas in Tibet still have no access to electricity, education,
healthcare and safe drinking water facilities.
LONGTERM GOALS FOR TIBET'S DEVELOPMENT
The priority of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile is for the Tibetan
people to be able to achieve their full economic and cultural
potential. Thus, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has sought to enter into
negotiations with the Chinese government in order to achieve a
settlement, which would grant Tibetans genuine autonomy within the
framework of the People's Republic of China.
As a political solution to Tibet is being pursued, international aid
and development agencies, as well as investors, can and should be
involved in raising the standard of living for the Tibetan people and
in assisting Tibetans to become self-sufficient.
Basic principles
To enhance the capabilities of Tibetans to meet the needs of
the present generation without compromising the needs of the future.
To transform the whole of Tibet into a zone of peace with a democratic society.
To create a future economic system based on a non-violent and equitable society.
To restore and conserve Tibet's extensive, fragile resource base and the environment.
To reverse the process of marginalisation of Tibetans in Tibet and empower Tibetans to take control of developing Tibet.
To support not only the economic well-being of Tibetans, but also their social, cultural, spiritual and environmental welfare.
AID AND INVESTMENT GUIDELINES
All development projects should be implemented only after
conducting a thorough need-assessment of the Tibetan people through
field visits and interviews.
All development initiatives should be preceded by cultural, social and environmental impact assessments.
Development projects should foster self-sufficiency and self-reliance of Tibetans.
Projects should promote accountability of the development
agencies to the Tibetan people and active participation of Tibetans in
all project stages. Projects should respect Tibetan culture, traditions and the
vast Tibetan knowledge and wisdom about their landscape and survival
techniques.
Agencies should have a local presence at all stages of the project to ensure that the intended target group benefits.
Tibetan should be used as the working language of projects.
It will be important for the development project staff to know the
Tibetan language.
Prioritised Areas for Aids and Investment
Given the vast needs of the Tibetan people, we would like to highlight
the following priorities for international development and investment
programmes in Tibet:
1. Education:
Provide increased opportunities for primary, secondary
and tertiary education in rural areas, including the building of
schools;
Provide adequate teaching materials in Tibetan to promote spoken and written Tibetan language;
Develop learning centres for Tibetan language, culture and traditions to ensure the survival of Tibet's unique way of life;
Provide professional training and skill development for Tibetans, preferably in the Tibetan language;
Provide pre-service and in-service teacher training;
Develop adult-literacy programmes;
Provide opportunities for Tibetan language media, including television, radio and print.
2. Culture and Traditions
Restore and protect Tibet's sacred places, historical monuments, and institutes of learning;
Develop Tibetan cultural and traditional schools of learning;
Preserve Tibetan relics and manuscripts; and
Promote Tibet's unique arts and crafts, such as thangka painting, wood carving, metal crafts, handicrafts, music and dances.
3. Healthcare
Establish primary healthcare centres in villages;
Train doctors and health workers;
Provide essential medicines and vaccination to the rural areas;
Train village health workers in primary care and first aid;
Ensure safe drinking water and decent rural sanitation;
Develop community healthcare action programmes and
publications to prevent diseases, especially infectious diseases such
as tuberculosis; and Preserve and promote Tibetan medical knowledge.
4. Environment and Biodiversity
Train Tibetans in sustainable management of natural resources;
Protect and rehabilitate vulnerable ecosystems;
Prevent water, air and land pollution;
Pursue reforestation programmes and cultivation of medicinal plants;
Protect rare species of animals and plants;
Promote environmental education and awareness;
Develop eco-friendly tourism; and
Promote culturally sensitive ecological research and information sharing.
5. Agriculture:
Encourage sustainable crop farming;
Ensure basic food needs and alleviate Tibetan poverty;
Promote ownership of land by Tibetans;
Create water conservation and irrigation programmes;
Promote agro-forestry and soil conservation techniques;
Promote use of appropriate technology in agriculture;
Encourage use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind; and
Promote agro-based local enterprises.
6. Pastoral Nomadism
Prevent grassland and pasture degradation;
Protect and improve winter grazing-land;
Provide emergency relief and humanitarian aids;
Create veterinary and animal disease prevention facilities;
Support skill training in livestock breeding and improvement;
Provide training in agricultural management;
Give training in modern dairy processing and preserving techniques;
Provide small-scale hydropower for rural Tibetan communities;
Strengthen the traditional economy and livelihood of rural Tibetans; and
Facilitate marketing of traditional products.
7. Employment Enhancement
Promote rural-based vocational skills, education and training;
Introduce self-help and small development enterprises;
Support projects which provide business management and entrepreneurial training to achieve self-reliance;
Develop Tibetan-run charitable organisations which can more effectively articulate the needs of their local communities;
Provide access to information, training, funding sources and project facilities for Tibetans;
Provide loans and credit facilities for Tibetan-run businesses;
Promote youth entrepreneurship; and
Promote cooperation among Tibetan communities.
8. Business Development:
Encourage business and development projects run and managed by Tibetans;
Spur sustainable economic growth in Tibet;
Provide equity, credit and forms of guarantee for Tibetans in order to encourage business initiatives;
Provide information about business projects and economic sectors in the Tibetan language;
Provide details on privatisation issues, such as how to start an independent business;
Offer business plan development assistance;
Provide assistance in locating soft funding for technical,
environmental, community development and training work related to
projects.
CONCLUSION
With international development assistance and investment, the Tibetan
people have the potential to become economically self-sufficient and to
preserve their unique way of life. While their needs are great,
coordinated international involvement can have a major impact on
Tibetans' standard of living.
We strongly believe that the Tibetan people must be intricately
involved in their own development. They must be consulted at all
project stages and be allocated key roles in the design, implementation
and supervision of projects.
We encourage international development agencies to coordinate and
cooperate with each other by sharing information and resources.
Furthermore, we encourage those who are interested in helping Tibetans
inside Tibet to seek the views of the Tibetan people, particularly His
Holiness the Dalai Lama and the TGIE. For obvious reasons, any formal
involvement of the Tibetan leadership in exile may not be acceptable.
However, it is critical that the views of the Tibetan people, and the
exile leadership, be taken into full consideration. This will ensure
that the Tibetans are the primary beneficiaries of development and
investment in Tibet and that they will have the ultimate say in their
own development.
Lastly, we encourage agencies and individuals interested in helping
Tibetans in Tibet to keep the TGIE apprised of their activities,
progress and difficulties.
A Final Note of Caution
We request that all individuals and agencies working in Tibet make efforts to ensure that their participation in Tibet does not:
a) Deplete natural resources with little or no benefit to the Tibetan people.
b) Facilitate the erosion of Tibetan culture and traditions.
c) Facilitate the migration and settlement of non-Tibetans into Tibet.
d) Negatively affect the sustainability of Tibet's ecosystems.
e) Transfer ownership of Tibetan land and natural resources to non-Tibetans.
f) Operate projects without the participation of affected Tibetans.
g) Facilitate large-scale, capital intensive, and commercial projects.
For further information and for discussion of specific project proposals contact:
Environment & Development Desk
Department of Information & International Relations
Central Tibetan Administration
Dharamsala-176215 H.P. India
Tel: +91-1892-22510/22457/24662
Fax: +91-1892-24957
E-mail: ecodesk@diir.gov.tibet.net
www.tibet.com
