Fall

2012

www.tcccgc.org

Children play/pray at the prayer wheels outside the Tibetan Canadian Cultural Centre

Where The Center Stands Today: An Update from the President

On Saturday, September 15th TCCC president Mr. Kunsang Tanzin called a special meeting for community leaders and TCCC ambassadors. Mr. Tanzin updated everyone on the current financial situation and efforts underway by the Board of Directors to raise much -needed funds for the centre. The president emphasized moving forward and shared his vision for a functional centre without the burden of debt. A key aspect of this vision involves creating a financial plan to sustain the centre in the face of mounting debt. To date, the centre owes Maystar General Contractors Inc approximately $400,000 and has a $2 million mortgage with the bank. The centre expects a significant HST refund, which will pay off a bulk of amount owing Maystar. The mortgage repayment strategy is more complicated and depends in large part on contributing members. The centre pays the bank approx. $20,000 monthly. In order to continue making timely payments, the centre has launched an aggressive membership drive. Currently, there are around 500 registered members who pay their membership fee on a monthly bases. The fee is $10 per month. Mr. Tanzin reasons that if the centre is successful in getting 2000 members, the membership fees alone will cover the monthly payments to the bank. There were some interesting changes to membership benefits- going forward, members will receive a 50% discount on tickets for the three major events: Trungkhar, Losar and the Dec. 10 Nobel Prize ceremony. The meeting concluded with the distribution of membership forms to community groups.

YOUTH FOCUS: TENZIN NGAWANG SHALUNG

Many community members are aware of TCCC's membership drive. The push to increase the number of members is a critical component of fundraising for the centre. As this newsletter goes to print, there are currently around 500 registered members. Ngawang Shalung, a fourth year Life Science student at University of Toronto, is one of the youngest members to register. An avid volunteer at St.Michaels hospital, Ngawang intends to double major in human biology and animal physiology. At St. Michaels hospital, he collaborates with numerous programs to raise awareness regarding youth safety and injury prevention. When asked why he chose to support the TCCC, he replied, It felt right and made sense after seeing my parents hopes and investments towards TCCC. Ngawang also donates monthly to the Canadian Cancer Society after losing a close relative to hepatocellular (liver) cancer. His interests include listening to music and competitive sportscontd p.4

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

GTPN Mix n Mingle Made in Tibet Concert Tibetans Language and Performing Arts Schedule Upcoming Events

NEWSLETTER TEAM
Tenzin Hobum, Chimi Kuyee, Ngatso, Tenzin Nawang T, Youdon T Want to join the team? Email us: tccc.newsletter@gmail.com 1

TCCC MEMBERSHIP DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE

As most of you are aware, the TCCC membership drive has been going on for the past few months. This membership drive is critical as it provides sustainable revenue to assist with TCCC monthly operating costs, including the mortgage payments. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our fellow Board members and the volunteers who have been helping us recruit new members. This is great time to provide a quick update and analysis of our membership base so far. As of October 2, 2012, TCCC has 512 members. Although we admit the number is relatively low, we will continue to push more to increase our membership base. A great starting point towards increasing our membership base would be to analyze the demographics of our current members. Figure 1 shows the percentage of male and female in our membership base. As shown, 44% are female and 56% are male.

Figure 3: Map Ontario Level As we zoom further into the map, focusing on Toronto, we see an interesting distribution of our membership base in figure 4. This distribution shows the different pockets of Tibetan Canadian communities within the Greater Toronto Area. It should come as no surprise that the majority of the members live in Parkdale and Etobicoke. The next big community is along the St. Clair Avenue West and Weston Road area. From there, we move towards downtown Toronto i.e. the Wellesley St. area. Finally, we can see there are some members north of Highway 401 from Brampton to Richmond Hill. We hope you found this exercise as interesting as we did. The Board has access to more data granularity and will use it to make the membership drive more effective. We will continue to further collect our data and analyze to create programs to serve our members and community. At the same time, we would like to urge our community members to take the same responsibility and help us by approaching your friends, families, colleagues and neighbors. Although various groups and associations (Kyiduks and Tsokpas) have supported the TCCC, it would still not be enough with your assistance. We are confident that you will take the initiative to ask within your social circles to get more members.

Figure 2 shows the age demographic of the current TCCC members. Here, we would like to point out that of the total 512 members, only 424 members had correctly entered their birth date information. The remaining 88 members had either put incorrect dates or left it blank. We will be contacting these members to get the correct dates (their address and phone numbers were correctly entered).

Next, we take a quick look at the locations of our membership base. Figure 3 shows that we have the majority of the members based in Toronto. This is not surprising as the community centre is located in Toronto. However, we do notice there are couple members scattered in Belleville, Ottawa, Peterborough and Brampton.

For your convenience, we have distributed over thousand new temporary membership forms and cards to various organizations. You can sign up right at the spot and get your temporary card to take advantage of all the discounts we provide. You can also walk in to TCCC office and get it enrolled anytime during the office hours. - Jigdel Kuyee & Dorjee Namgyal (VP Fundraising)

TCCC EVENTS

Visitors view the sacred relics of the Shakyamuni Buddha and other Buddhist masters

The TCCC hosted the Maitreya Project Hearth Shrine Relic Tour September 14-16. More than 4000 visitors from the GTA visited the centre to view the relics over the course of three days. The relics, which were found among the cremation ashes of Buddhist masters, are said to embody the compassion and wisdom of the master and are deliberately produced by the master at his death. Relics like these are usually enshrined in temples, where theyre off- limits to the public. But revered Buddhist leader Lama Zopa Rinpoche decided to put his collection on tour. The relic exhibition was well attended and also covered by local media outlets like OMNI TV (Mandarin). Please visit www.maitreyaproject.org to learn more.

Amit Paul and Tenzin Dolma perform at the TCCC Fundraising concert

The TCCC Fundraising Concert featuring former Indian Idols Prashant Tamang and Amit Paul, with a special appearance by Tenzin Dolma was a huge success with over 1200 attendees. Over 200 community members celebrated the 52nd Tibetan Democracy Day on Saturday, September 1st at the Centre. After the morning ceremonial function, there was an update by TCCC President regarding the membership drive.
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 TIBETAN LANGUAGE AND PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM 2012-2013

Date/Time: Sundays, September 2012 June 2013 from 10:30am 4:00 pm Venue: Tibetan Canadian Cultural Centre, 40 Titan Rd, Etobicoke, M8Z 2J8 Age Group: Ages 6 and up The Tibetan Language Program was introduced with the objective of helping Tibetan youth in the GTA to speak Tibetan fluently, to read, write and comprehend Tibetan texts at the appropriate grade level. Knowledge about Tibetan history, religion, and cultural practices is also emphasized.

The Performing Arts Program allows students to learn, practice and perform some of Tibets unique traditional arts including opera, dance, instruments and songs.
Genla reviews Lhadons work in Grade 1 Tibetan Class

DHOKHAM CHUSHI GANGDRUK SOCIETY OF CANADA SCHOLARSHIP

DCG Canada will select one candidate of Tibetan descent to receive a scholarship award of CDN $1000. Previous recipients will not qualify again. The purpose of this program is to recognize outstanding students in the community. Applicants must be enrolled full time in a university in Ontario and must demonstrate proof of Tibetan heritage. The application deadline is Dec. 10, 2012. Completed application forms along with supporting documents must be sent to: Dhokham Chushi Gangdruk Society-Canada, 77 Cadillac Avenue, Toronto, ON M3H1S5. Winners will be announced on December 25, 2012 at DCG Christmas fundraising day.
TIME

PROGRAM SCHEDULE CLASS/ACTIVITY

10:30am-11am 11:00am-11:50am 11:50am-12:05pm 12:05pm-1:00pm 1:00pm-1:30pm 1:30pm-4:00pm

Morning Prayers Language Class Recess Reading/Writing Lunch Break Performing Arts Class

DALAI LAMA TRUST SCHOLARSHIP FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS CENTRAL EUROPEAN UNIVERSITYS
Founded by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2009, the Dalai Lama Trust was established to support the advancement of Tibetan people. The Scholarship program of the trust is intended to further the human capital development of Tibetans by supporting the pursuit of excellence among Tibetan students in a specialized academic field. Every year, a few exceptional candidates of Tibetan descent will be selected to receive scholarship awards of up to US$10,000. Past awardees of the program are required to reapply each year. demonstrate proof of Tibetan Heritage. For last years applicants, the application form was due May 31st and awards were announced by mid July. The Dalai Lama Trust has selected 15 exceptional Tibetan students to receive scholarship award for the year 2012-2013. View details of the selected candidates, including their field of study from the Dalai Lama Trust website at www.dalailamatrust.org. You can also sign up to receive regular updated from the Trust.

TIBET SCHOLARSHIP
CEUs scholarship for Tibetan students applies for study toward any MA or MS degree at CEU. The Tibet Scholarship Program will fund up to two scholars of Tibetan origin for graduate studies at Central European University in a one-year or two-year MA or MS degree program. The scholarship includes: Tuition waiver Housing in the CEU Residence Center Stipend for living expenses Selection criteria will include: Prior academic achievement Potential for academic success in graduate studies Potential for service to the Tibetan Community English language proficiency Clearly defined academic and career goals Preference for candidates with a good knowledge of spoken and written Tibetan Tibetan women are especially encouraged to apply. For further details about eligible degree programs and the application process, please visit http://www.ceu.hu/academics/degrees . 4

In order to apply, applicants must be enrolled full time in/accepted in a graduate degree, post-graduate or Phd. program in a university in Europe, North America or Australia and must

YOUTH FOCUS: TENZIN NGAWANG SHALUNG Contd from p.1 Like many other Tibetan youth, Ngawangs greatest source of motivation to strive for excellence is his parents and considers Arnold Schwarzenegger his role model because he succeeded in everything thing he wanted to do: from an actor to a politician. His advice to fellow Tibetan Canadian youth is to focus on their education because its our only weapon towards our non-violent path to freedom. -Tenzin Hobum Kuyee

COMMUNITY EVENTS
photography and business entrepreneurs! Team building exercises allowed professionals and students to connect. They were rewarded with fabulous prizes from our corporate donors, Kiehls, RBC, LCBO, Fidelity and the Food Network. GTPN Toronto aspires to connect professionals with potential job leads and provide mentorship opportunities to students or those newly arrived to the city. With a long term goal towards establishing a strong Tibetan professionals network within our diaspora we hope our annual networking event and workshop series brings us closer to this goal. A big thank you to all our wonderful members that made the evening a success. Please connect with us at gtpn4toronto@gmail.com, and be sure to join our GTPN Toronto FB page for job postings and information on upcoming events.
-Tsering Zongdho Photo credit: Lodoe Laura Photography,

GTPN MIX N MINGLE

A note from GTPN Toronto: We would like to thank all who attended our annual mix and mingle in the heart of Yorkville! We hope you left feeling empowered and motivated to build a stronger Tibetan professionals network! Special thanks go to Mr. Kunsang Tanzin la, President of CTAO, who gave an inspirational talk on the importance of being a successful Tibetan professional and contributing member of society, whether locally or globally. Keychu Homecare Solutions, Inc. CEO, Jigdel Kuyee shared his wonderful new business initiative that will fill a much needed gap in Canada by Tibetan healthcare workers! Attendees included professionals from the financial sector, real estate, healthcare, insurance, advertising, marketing,

MADE IN TIBET CONCERT

Once more! screamed the crowd as Swiss-raised Karma Norbu, famously known as Shapaley, performed at Torontos Ukrainian Hall on Saturday, September 1st. Definitely a crowd pleaser, the evenings headliner delivered an incredibly memorable hip-hop performance with the utmost style and charisma. Shapaley started off rather nervously with Made in Tibet, an inspiring song about Tibetan pride, by paying a special tribute to the self- immolators. Last year, he caught the public eye with his single Shapaley, which received over 40,000 views on YouTube. I chose to write about shapaleywhen I thought about it; it started to really connect to Tibetan traditions. Its a lot more than just a song about food, he laughs. When asked why he began writing for Tibet, he replied, My parents have done a lot for me and our culture has gone through a lot, so the least we can do is still keep it alive. Pay attention to Tibet. Third-year medical school keeps Karma-la very busy; consequently rapping is a side gig. Influenced by artists like Jay-Z and J. Cole he says, I chose rap because you can tell the truth, you can be straight- forward. SFT Canada hosted the summers most anticipated show with live performances by rapper, song-writer Shapaley, SFTs very own Tendor and aspiring local artists Sonam Chokey, Tenzin Choekyi and Tsering Choesang. Performances spanned various genres: Tenzin Choekyis R&B cover of Pemsis Rewa, Tsering Choesangs (Tsling) head-bobbing beat boxing, Sonam Chokeys classical take on Bhoemi Lhasok by Tsewang Lhamo, Tendors acoustic guitar sounds, and the SFT teams group sing-a-long. The merging of contemporary arts with old traditions and customs was most definitely worth the $20 cover charge for the night. Despite being miles away, Karma-las impeccable Lhasa dialect manages to preach the importance of upholding Tibetan language, traditions, and religion especially since our people have migrated to different parts of the world. Everyone has good intentions and wants to do something do the best you can. A big round of applause is well deserved by the SFT committee for ending the summer on such a fist-pumping note. Songs for Tibet leaves us with bittersweet memories, hopes, and faiths. It was a jovial night with our thoughts forever embedded in our homeland. -Ngatso
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India as an expression of solidarity with the courageous acts of Tibetans inside Tibet, and has since traveled to North America, Europe and Australia. Over 1000 signatures were also collected for the petition urging the United Nations to address the issue of Tibet, to send an independent international fact-finding delegation to Tibet and to ensure that the basic aspirations of the Tibetans inside Tibet are fulfilled. Long time supporters the Hon. Consiglio Di Nino and Peggy Nash, Member of Parliament for Parkdale-High Park (pictured let) were also present at the ceremony welcoming the torch relay to Toronto.

FLAME OF TRUTH TORCH RELAY - TORONTO

Over 200 Tibetans and supporters participated in welcoming the Flame of Truth torch relay to Toronto on Sep. 8th. The relay, initiated by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, began in

MP Nash called upon the international community and the UN to act on the critical situation inside Tibet. She also demanded an end to the persistent violation of human rights in Tibet and the total disregard for Tibetan peoples personal life and freedom.

UPCOMING EVENTS October 13 TCCC Day October 20 Gold Medal Ceremony, Fundraiser Rummage Sale October 27 TCV Alumni Charity Concert November 3 SFT Halloween Party November 10 Private Event November 24 TCPC Talent Show December 8 Nobel Peace Prize Day December 9 Gelug Group December 25 Pokhara Tibetan Group December 31 CTAO New Years Eve Party

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Meme credit: Tenzin Rigzin

Meme credit: Karma Tsedon

COMMENTS/ SUGGESTIONS? Wed love to hear from you! Write to us at tccc.newsletter@gmail.com.

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