Blaine Johnson showed me this website: Tong-Len Charitable Trust a while ago when I was doing some initial research for my project in order to apply for an ORCA grant. I recently went back and looked at the site again and was re-encouraged and excited about my project.
This is an organization formed by a group of Tibetan refugees who "wanted to give something back to the local Indian community who have welcomed and supported them during their time in exile." This is exactly the kind of thing I am interested in for my film: charity being rewarded with more charity. I looked up the word "Tonglen" and found out that it means "giving and recieving", a very appropriate name for this organization.
The organization is not limited to giving any specific help back to the Indian population. They have built and kept up schools, started medical and health programs, and even built showers for communitites. Some of their many accomplishments can be seen here.
This will be a great organization to explore and follow with my film, and can maybe serve as a climax or resolution to the film. The organization headquarters are located in Dharamsala, but a lot of their service occurs in outter villages. I hope I am able to at least document some of their closer efforts to give back to the Indian population. (I'm not quite sure about how far we are allowed to travel within/around/outside of Dharamsala... Jay?)
I'm so excited to see a Media Arts student in a FS program! Represent! Your idea sounds really neat, I assume you've spoken with Nephi Henry?
ReplyDeleteIf you consult the travel list on BYU it will tell you what areas in India you are not allowed to go. As far as just visiting different villages during the day with this organization I am sure you will be okay, as long as you are rooted to Dharamsala.
ReplyDeleteI am really excited to see what your project turns into. Film is such an interesting medium. Tricky, but powerful. I think following one particular organization could also give you something specific to follow in the field. However, how much time are you wanting to send with them? What other sources are you banking on to get the information about relations between Tibetans and Indians?