Archive of past updates posted to the front page.

Community Events: Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival

"An incredible mix of local and international world class climbers, skiers, paddlers and outdoor activists will come together at this year's Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF), February 20-28, 2009. The showcase promises to thrill audiences with live stories and films of adventure from all over the world. With presentations from disabled outdoor activists, big wall explorers, rock climbers, backcountry skiers, mountain bikers and wild river paddlers, this year's festival will leave the crowd speechless. The 12th annual VIMFF will showcase the talents of those that dare to push the limits of climbing and exploration with those that wish to preserve our precious mountain environment."

Festival program

TRAS will have a table at the Centennial Theatre screenings.

Winter 2008 Newsletter

TRAS publishes a newsletter three times each year. Our Winter 2008 newsletter was recently mailed out. You can also read it online, in PDF format.

A couple of corrections which sharp-eyed readers have pointed out:

• Page 7: Alan Twigg's email address is bookworld@telus.net, not bcbookworld@telus.net.

• Page 8: the CTC film screening is on MONDAY, Dec 15, not Saturday.

Posted 6 December 2008

InterNation Craft Market at Heritage Hall

Please join us this weekend at the InterNation Craft Market at Heritage Hall. Vendors will be selling products from around the world. TRAS's table will feature: Nepali dhaka scarves and tablecloths, Kullu Valley shawls, Himalayan angora toques and gloves, an assortment of cotton and wool bags from Dekyiling Tibetan Centre, chairmats from the Tibetan Women's Centre in Dehra Dun, Indian scarves, notecards featuring children's drawings from the Tibetan Children's Village, photocards by Marion Tipple, and traditional organic Tibetan incense.

We hope to see you there!

Date: Saturday and Sunday, November 1 and 2, 2008

Time: 10 am - 5 pm

Where: Heritage Hall, 3102 Main St. (at 15th), Vancouver

Posted 29 October 2008

Spiti Valley Community Health Project Presentation

Date: Sunday, October 5, 2008

Time: 6-8 pm

Where: Langara College, 100 West 49th Ave., Vancouver (at Ontario St.)

Room: B201 (in Academic Complex Building B, see campus map)

Entry: By donation. All proceeds will support the children in Munsel Ling School in Spiti, North India.

The UBC medical students who travelled to the remote Himalayan valley of Spiti in North India this summer will be presenting a summary of their community health project in collaboration with Munsel-ling School. This is a continuation of the project that was started in 2007.

TRAS handicrafts from partners in India and Nepal for sale.

Parking: Parking at Langara is free on weekends. There's an outdoor parking lot off Ontario St in southeast corner of campus. Turn south off 49th Ave onto Ontario. Access to Building B from parking lot. See map.

There's also an underground parkade in the southwest corner of campus. See map.

Bus: Bus #49, bus stop on 49th Ave opposite main entrance to College.

Co-sponsored by the Trans Himalayan Aid Society (TRAS) www.tras.ca and Langara College Continuing Studies www.langara.bc.ca/cs/

Posted 22 September 2008

Community Events: Touched by Tibet

The Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour St.) and the Canada Tibet Committee are showing three films on Tibet from July 18 to 30: Blindsight, The Unwinking Gaze, and 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama. For more information and showtimes, see the Vancity Theatre's website.

Posted 21 July 2008

Community Events: TCS Birthday celebration for H.H the Dalai Lama

From: Ngawang Garie, Tibetan Cultural Society of BC

Tashi Delek Everyone,

Please join us for a pot-luck get together to celebrate the auspicious occasion of H.H the Dalai Lama's 73rd birthday on July 05, 2008. Please bring a dish to share with everyone.

Where:

Danish Community Hall,
17672-57 Avenue (Cloverdale, Surrey)

Time:

5:30pm to 11:00pm
5:30pm: Khata offering
6:00pm: Long life prayers for H.H.
6:30pm: Pot-luck Dinner

If you have any questions, please contact Ngawang Garie at ngarie@shaw.ca or 604-582-1128.

Posted June 21, 2008

2008 Annual General Meeting

Please join us for a quick business meeting and a fun social evening on Wednesday, June 11th at 7:30 PM, Langara College, 100 W. 49th Ave. (at Ontario) in Vancouver - Room A122b. Meet the TRAS board and other members, enjoy some light refreshments and check out our handicraft table and informative displays. We welcome both members and non-members, so please feel to bring a friend or colleague. We hope to see you there!

Posted 9 June 2008

Trekking for TRAS

In October 2008, Ken Kissock of Second Wind Personal Training and Trekking will be leading a 10 day walking tour of the spectacular Mt. Everest region of Nepal. The Khumbu is the home of the Sherpa people, Mt. Everest and four of ten of the highest mountains in the world. This will be a fundraiser for TRAS: each member will be responsible for raising $3000 towards TRAS projects in Nepal.

If you would like more information, please see this page, or contact Ken Kissock (ken@second-wind.com, 604-984-7773, www.second-wind.com) or Everest Trekking, before the end of April.

posted April 3, 2008

Himalayan Evening

ARGYLE SECONDARY'S 4th ANNUAL HIMALYAN EVENING

On Friday, March 7, 2008, The Himalayan Connection at Argyle Secondary School presents "A Himalayan Evening." Beginning at 6 p.m., students participating in the club will serve a delicious vegetarian Nepalese dinner in the library. Following dinner, guests will be treated to the thought provoking documentary "The Magic Mountain", produced by Canadian film maker and mountaineer, Patrick Morrow. Throughout the evening, an exhibit of student artwork from Buddha Memorial Academy will be on view, Tibetan and Nepalese crafts will be available, and raffle tickets will be on sale to raise money for our continued sponsorship of programs at the Nepalese school. Don't miss this great opportunity to enjoy some authentic Nepalese cuisine, learn about Argyle Secondary students' work with Buddha Academy in Kathmandu, and see an award winning documentary!

Tickets are $15 and go on sale at Argyle Secondary School Feb. 15. Tickets or tables may also be reserved by emailing Brian Sheffield or calling 604-990-3571.

posted Feb. 5, 2008

2008 Nepali Film Festival

Lecture on Tibet's Water Resources

Lecture: Sacred Lakes and Headwaters of Asia's River Systems: Protecting Tibet's Water Resources

By Tashi Tsering, Ph.D. Student, UBC

Date: Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Time: 7:30pm (doors 7pm)
Location: Room A122b (Note new room #!), Langara College, 100 West 49th Ave., Vancouver (at Ontario St.)
Entry: By donation (proceeds go to TRAS projects)

The Tibetan Plateau serves as the source of many major rivers of Asia. The Indus, Satluj, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Salween, Yangtze, Mekong and the Yellow rivers all flow from Tibet into different corners of Asia. While climate change is melting the glaciers that feed these rivers, at a faster pace, the ecological integrity of these rivers is also increasingly compromised through human-induced changes such as dams, water diversion channels, and abstraction for agriculture and urban supply. Development of Tibet's water resources becomes more problematic when water bodies have religious and cultural significance for the local people.

In this talk, intended for a general audience, Tashi will share stories from his experiences working in collaboration with various Tibetan, Chinese and international groups for the protection of Tibet's water resources.

Bio:Tashi Tsering is a UBC Green College Fellow and a Ph.D. student in UBC's Resources Management and Environmental Studies Program and the Contemporary Tibetan Studies Program. He is the editor of Trin-Gyi-Pho-Nya: Tibet's Environment and Development Digest and serves on the steering committee of two environmental NGOs in South Asia, Tesi Environmental Awareness Movement and Brahmaputra-Barak Watch.

Before joining UBC, Tashi was the Director of the Environment and Development Program of Tibet Justice Center, a Berkeley-based non-profit organization that does legal advocacy for Tibetans. As a Tibet Justice Center representative, Tashi was a key architect responsible for the landmark international environmental resolution (IUCN 2000) for the protection of Tibet's transboundary rivers, negotiated face-to-face with China's representatives. Tashi is the recipient of two Rowell Fund for Tibet awards for environmental research and two awards from Global Green Grants for environmental advocacy.

Co-sponsored by the Trans Himalayan Aid Society (TRAS) www.tras.ca and Langara College Continuing Studies www.langara.bc.ca/cs/.

posted Dec. 3, 2007

Community Events

Presentation on the 2007 Ladakh project: a team of Vancouver healthcare therapists worked with HEALTH-Inc this summer on their program for children with disabilities in remote villages.

December 6th: 5.30-7.30pm @ BC Children's Hospital in the Chan Auditorium.

A fundraising event (by donation) for HEALTH Inc: Chat with Cynthia Hunt, founder of HEALTH Inc, view paintings of Ladakh by Eric Mabboux, the artist who accompanied the team to Ladakh, and enjoy some wine and cheese.

December 8th: 7-9pm @ Basic Inquiry Studio (1011 Main St. @ Milross Ave.)

posted Dec. 5, 2007

Multi-Nation Christmas Market

November 24-25, Van Dusen Gardens

This year, do your holiday shopping at the Multi-Nation Christmas Market. TRAS will be selling Tibetan, Nepali and Indian handicrafts from our partners in the Himalayas. The Market will include an array of vendors and international food. Tell your family and friends about this colourful event.

Dates and Times
Saturday November 24: 10am - 5pm
Sunday November 25: 10am - 4pm

Location:
Van Dusen Botanical Gardens
Floral Hall
5251 Oak St.
Vancouver, BC

If you are available to volunteer a couple of hours at the TRAS table, please contact the TRAS office: 224-5133, tras@portal.ca Thanks.

Fall 2007 Newsletter

TRAS publishes a newsletter three or four times a year. Our Fall 2007 newsletter was recently printed and mailed!

Fall 2007 newsletter

posted Nov. 6, 2007

Spiti Valley Health Project Slide Show

UBC MEDICAL STUDENTS INVITE YOU TO: An Informative Evening with the Spiti Valley Health Project!

Date: Thursday, October 4, 2007

Time: Doors open at 7pm. Show starts at 7:30pm!

Where: Langara College, 100 West 49th Ave., Vancouver (at Ontario St.)

Room: B201 (in Academic Complex Building B, see campus map)

Entry: By donation. All proceeds will support the children in Munsel Ling School in Spiti, North India.

UBC medical and dental students present a slide show of their fascinating summer at the Munsel Ling School in the remote Himalayan Spiti Valley in North India. The students partnered with the Vancouver-based Trans Himalayan Aid Society (TRAS) and Munsel Ling School to set up a community health project.

The presentation will give you a glimpse into life in the Spiti Valley, the people, the culture and the breathtaking scenery. The UBC students will guide you through their 3-month adventure complete with their struggles and successes as they carried out various medically related projects to improve the health of the school's children.

TRAS handicrafts from partners in India and Nepal for sale.

Parking: Pay outdoor parking lot off Ontario St in southeast corner of campus. Turn south off 49th Ave onto Ontario. Access to Building B from parking lot. See map.

Underground Parkade in southwest corner of campus. See map.

Bus: Bus #049, bus stop on 49th Ave opposite main entrance to College.

Co-sponsored by the Trans Himalayan Aid Society (TRAS) www.tras.ca and Langara College Continuing Studies www.langara.bc.ca/cs/

Community Events

Sutherland Secondary School Garage and Book Sale!

The Sutherland Secondary School Student Council is starting its year's fundraising with this great event! Bargains and treasures galore! Proceeds will go to the TRAS vocational training project at Buddha Academy in Kathmandu and to the Nepal Library Fund. Saturday, October 13, 2007, 10am - 2pm. Sutherland School small gym, 1860 Sutherland Ave., North Vancouver.

The Compassionate Eye: A Celebration of Seva's Sight Programs in Tibet and Nepal

Presentation by Seva Canada Society. Thursday November 8th at 7:30 p.m. at the Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street, Vancouver. Info: 604.713.6622, www.seva.ca.

Himalayan Festival in Vancouver

Details to be announced. Watch this website www.tras.ca for more information as it becomes available. TRAS will have a handicraft table of lovely gifts from India and Nepal

posted Sept. 27, 2007

45th TRAS Annual General Meeting

You are cordially invited to the 45th Annual General Meeting of the Trans Himalayan Aid Society on:

Wednesday June 13, 2007
Arrive 6:45pm
Meeting Starts at 7:00pm
Theatre A 136b (opposite cafeteria, downstairs)
Langara College
100 W. 49th Ave
Vancouver, BC

(N.B. Because of construction on Cambie street, please give yourselves ample time to reach the College. Pay parking in College parking lots. Nearest parking lot to the theatre is 49th and Ontario St. Enter lot from Ontario.)

Please join us for a brief business meeting and slide show of TRAS's work in the Himalayas, followed by a program of beautiful classical Indian dancing by one of our TRAS members. Meet directors and members over refreshments and purchase lovely handicrafts from TRAS partners in India and Nepal.

Door Prizes to be won!
1st prize: $100 gift certificate for Banyen Books
2nd prize: $60 full massage or reflexology given by Samaya Ryane
3rd prize: $25 gift certificate for Naam Restaurant
Our thanks to these sponsors!!

We look forward to seeing you on June 13!

Posted May 24, 2007

Spring 2007 Newsletter

TRAS publishes a newsletter three or four times a year. Our Spring 2007 newsletter was printed and mailed in March.

Spring 2007 newsletter

posted May 31, 2007

Community Events: Seva Fundraiser

A Shot in the Dark Golf Tournament

Seva's 2nd Annual "A Shot in the Dark" Golf Tournament will take place on Friday July 20th at the Musqueam Golf and Learning Academy in the Southlands of Vancouver at 3904 West 51st Avenue. Seva's golf tournament is unique in Vancouver, perhaps even in BC, because it's played in the dark with illuminated golf balls and greens' markers. The event gets under way at 6:30 p.m. with putting and target competitions and dinner. The players, 4 per hole on 18-holes, tee off at 10:00 p.m. and each foursome plays nine holes. Dessert, coffee and prize giving will round out the evening.

The cost per person is $180 and you will receive a tax receipt for $100. By participating you will be giving sight to two people through cataract surgery. For more information or to register, please call 604-713-6622 or e-mail admin@seva.ca.

Seva Canada has been working for 25 years to prevent blindness and restore sight. Seva is Sanskrit for "service". Through our partners, Seva is creating sustainable, high-volume, low-cost, and locally managed eye care systems that will continue to serve local populations long after Seva's involvement is complete.

See www.seva.ca for more information.

posted May 31, 2007

180 Days in Nepal Photo Exhibition

180 Days in Nepal aka Lily-Muna's Journey, An Exhibition of Photographs by Daniel Henshaw. Please join us for the Opening Reception and Fundraiser. Sunday, May 27, 3pm - 7pm. Cafe Kathmandu, 2779 Commercial Drive (near 12th Ave.) The photographs will remain on display in Cafe Kathmandu until August, so don't miss the chance to see the exhibition and enjoy some authentic Nepali cuisine. For more info, email nepal180@yahoo.ca, or call 604-254-5829. Donations for CWC, a children's home in Kathmandu, will be gratefully accepted.

Posted May 24, 2007

2007 Nepali Film Festival

The 2nd annual 2007 Nepali Film Festival held on Sunday April 1 2007 at Langara College was a great success.

Thank you to everyone who attended. In particular, a huge thank you goes to Langara College Continuing Studies for providing the venue, the Nepal Cultural Society of BC for refreshments, Dr. Ramjee Parajulee for a very informative question/answer session, the Market organizations and vendors for creating a colourful Himalayan Market, our amazing volunteers, and, of course, the filmmakers for their excellent films.

The proceeds from the film festival will be directed towards Nagarik Aawaz's Displaced Youth Volunteer Program vocational training project and Buddha Academy's vocational training program.

Audience Choice Film Award: The winner of the 2007 Audience Choice Film Award is Daughters of Everest, directed by Sapana Sakya and Ramyata Limbu. Congratulations!

Here's what audience members said about Daughters of Everest:

"Hearing about the individual women's lives and dreams and seeing them train, I felt like cheering!"
"An amazingly inspirational story."
"Nice demonstration of the strength of women, their passion, determination and vision for Nepali society."
"Nice personal story, good portrayal of women struggling to succeed."
"Great photography, narration and positive message of hope and opportunity."

Audience comments on the other films:

We Corner People directed by Kesang Tsetan

"I loved the joy on the children's faces shown throughout the film as they watched this new, exciting project come to fruition. And the shot at the end where the children ran across the bridge was absolutely priceless. I also got a real sense of what life must be like for other people living in our time on earth. So different from our experience here in North America."

On the Road with the Red God: Machhendranath directed by Kesang Tsetan

"Astonishing!"
"A fascinating film. We had lots of fun watching it. The conflict presented in the film was really interesting to see. When you think about god, you think that people should be giving, loving and peaceful, and at the same time there can be conflict. I like that the film shows that because it's not pretentious and it's not trying to gloss over the gritty realities. The pilgrimmage seems to be as much for people as for religion because so many people came out and were involved and having fun."

Trailblazing directed by Lisa Hoffe.

"A positive movie about creating job opportunities for women in a male-oriented society."
"An excellent educational film on overcoming discrimination and bullying. It all seems so clear when seen through a different cultural lens. It is also very refreshing to hear the challenges of being a female guide from so many determined young Nepalese women."

A Stove, a Blouse and a Gun directed by Subina Shrestha

"A fascinating and informative documentary about why women joined the Maoist movement. The film gave me some understanding of why people in rural areas would, out of frustration, desperation and desire for justice and improved living conditions, be motivated to fight for change. The women's stories are eye-opening."

Would you like to watch the films? With permission from the filmmakers, TRAS is loaning films to individuals for personal viewing in exchange for a donation to TRAS projects in Nepal. If you would like to watch the films and make a donation, please contact the TRAS office. If you would like to organize and hold a mini film festival in your home or community to fundraise for TRAS Nepal projects, please let us know. We'd be happy to help you set this up! (tras@portal.ca, 604-224-5133).

Posted April 26, 2007

Fundraisers for Buddha Academy

Himalayan Evening at Argyle Secondary School in North Vancouver, Monday April 23

The students at Argyle Secondary are cooking up an authentic Nepalese dinner as a fund raiser for their sister school in Katmandu. This year, in addition to our traditional meal, we have a documentary film by Vancouver film maker Lisa Hoffe on the challenges faced by Nepalese women in the trekking industry. We also have Tibetan and Nepalese crafts from Nancy Sherpa, Didi Zasep and from the Trans Himalayan Aid Society. All proceeds from the dinner will be forwarded to the Buddha Academy in Katmandu. Please join us for some great food and to support a very worthy project. The event takes place at Argyle Secondary School on Monday April 23 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm with dinner served at 6:30. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students. Book early and reserve a table by emailing Argyle Secondary School teacher Brian Sheffield.

Shake Your Buddha dance organized by Langara Rotaract club, Thursday April 26

The Langara Rotaract Club will be hosting the "Shake your Buddha" fundraiser for the Buddha Acadamy Children's Home in Kathmandu. The fundraiser will be an exciting evening of live music and dance held at the ANZA club (3 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver), featuring performances from five local bands. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door. For more information, visit the club's website at www.langararotaract.com.

Posted April 9, 2007

UBC Students' Global Health Initiative

UBC Reports article. A group of medical students at UBC, with the help of faculty advisors Andrew McNab and Videsh Kapoor (a TRAS director), have organized a Global Health Initiative to run skill-building workshops for students working in public health overseas. GHI is doing a pilot project at Munsel-ling School in Spiti, as well as Honduras and Uganda.

Posted April 17, 2007

Community Events

The following community events may be of interest to our members:

Tibetan National Uprising Day, Saturday March 10

There will be a rally in Vancouver on March 10, commemorating the 48th anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan people's uprising against the Chinese occupation. The rally will begin at 1 pm at Robson Square (Art Gallery, Robson Street side), and will be followed by a march to the Chinese consulate at 3380 Granville Street (just south of 16th Ave.). Organized by the Canada Tibet Committee and Students for a Free Tibet.

Matthieu Ricard, Buddhist Monk, Free Talks in Vancouver. March 9-11

Internationally renowned Buddhist monk, author, and researcher Matthieu Ricard, Ph.D. (Biochemistry) comes to Vancouver for the first time on March 9-11, 2007 to give four free talks on how changing your thought processes can help make you happier.

This event is made possible by: The Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Foundation, UBC College for Interdisciplinary Studies, UBC Institute of Asian Research, and UBC Department of Asian Studies.

Art & Cultural Tour to Tibet with Vancouver-based Thanka Painter Kalsang Dawa, June 7-21, 2007.

Join Kalsang on a guided art and culture tour to Tibet. Info: www.kalsangdawa.com.

Posted 27 February 2007

Three Worlds of Music

Three Worlds of Music: Renaissance, Classical and Jazz
A Benefit Concert for the Trans Himalayan Aid Society (TRAS)

Grant Tomlinson, Renaissance Lute
Jan Rooks, Classical Piano
Alan Matheson, Jazz Trumpet and Piano

Wednesday February 7, 7:30pm
The Sanctuary, Unitarian Church
949 W. 49th Ave, Vancouver (at Oak St.)

Three Vancouver musicians, Alan Matheson, Jan Rooks and Grant Tomlinson, present a wide-ranging evening of music. Alan Matheson (trumpet and piano) will play some of his own jazz compositions, as well as standards by Ellington, Beiderbecke, Rodgers and Hart, and music by Torelli. Jan Rooks, classical pianist, will play solo piano music by Shostakovich, Chopin and others. Grant Tomlinson, master lute-builder, will play French and Italian lute music from the early 16th century. Please join us for an evening of listening pleasure!

Tickets: $10 at the door ($8 students, low income, seniors) Ticket sales start at 7pm; doors open 7:15.

Musicians' Bios:

ALAN MATHESON is a Canadian trumpeter, pianist, composer and arranger. He studied with Vincent Cichowicz at Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois) and graduated with a degree in performance. Alan currently teaches trumpet and jazz piano at the University of British Columbia and teaches in the jazz studies programs at Vancouver Community College and Capilano College in North Vancouver. He is the leader of his own big band, nonet and septet and has played with a wide variety of local groups including the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and the CBC Vancouver Orchestra.

Alan has also directed the CBC Jazz Orchestra in broadcast tributes to Duke Ellington and Paul Whiteman. As musical director of the Festival Vancouver Big Band, Alan has conducted for Clark Terry, Phil Woods and Bud Shank. He has also performed with Mel Torme, Cleo Laine, Louis Bellson and Doc Cheatham. Alan has played at the Vancouver, Montreal and Paris jazz festivals and toured Sweden and Finland with Goran Larsen's "Helsinki City Jazz Orchestra". His compositions and arrangements have been played by Bud Shank, Clark Terry, percussionist Salvador Ferreras and french-hornist Martin Hackleman and, most recently, by the Houston Brass Sextet. Alan's main musical influences are Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Bix Beiderbecke, Clark Terry and Woody Shaw.

After graduating from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, JAN ROOKS enjoyed a busy music career in the 1980s in Toronto. She taught at the Royal Conservatory of Music, collaborated on music publications, gave workshops and performed solo and chamber music recitals.

Now a pediatric nurse at BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver, Jan balances her nursing practice with further pursuit of her passion for solo piano music and accompanying a variety of instrumentalists. In 2006, she gave recitals with Swiss flautist Carol Collaud, with violist Macey Cadesky in the Queen Charlotte Islands as well as Vancouver, and presented two solo performances of music by Shostakovich and Bach.

GRANT TOMLINSON was introduced to the lute and its repertoire by Vancouver lutenist, lutemaker and lute historian Ray Nurse. Under his direction, Grant learned the skills required to both build and play lutes. In 1978/79, Grant toured European museums for a full year: examining, meticulously documenting, and photographing most of the important historical lutes that survive. In 1986 he was awarded a Canada Council grant which enabled him to apprentice with renowned lutemaker Stephen Gottlieb in London, England. Since his return to Vancouver in 1988, he has worked fulltime as a lutemaker, producing instruments of the highest quality for both professional and amateur players worldwide.

Throughout his career as a lutemaker, Grant has pursued his passion for playing the instrument, focusing on French and Italian music from the early 16th century. He has studied with a number of the world's finest Renaissance lutenists, including Paul O'Dette, Jacob Heringman and Anthony Bailes.

Posted 18 January 2007

Lecture by Dr. Tsering Shakya

"Development and Changes in Contemporary Tibet"
A Talk by Dr. Tsering Shakya
Wednesday January 24, 2007, 7:30pm
Lecture Room A122B, Langara College, 100 W. 49th Ave, Vancouver

Dr. Tsering Shakya is the Canadian Research Chair in Religion and Contemporary Society in Asia at the Institute for Asian Research at the University of British Columbia. He is a world renowned and widely published scholar, on both historic and contemporary Tibet. Dr. Shakya's talk will focus on social and economic development issues in Tibet today.

Tickets: $10 at the door ($8 students, low income, seniors)
Ticket sales start at 7pm. All proceeds go to TRAS.

Co-sponsored by Langara College Continuing Studies

Posted 10 January 2007

Winter 2006 Newsletter

TRAS publishes a newsletter three times a year. Our Winter 2006 newsletter was printed and mailed in December; our next newsletter will appear in March 2007.

Winter 2006 newsletter

Posted 19 November 2006

New Address (Again!)

After only a few months at 2412 Columbia, the TRAS office has moved again. This should be our permanent address.

Our new mailing address is:

Trans-Himalayan Aid Society
720 - 999 West Broadway Vancouver, B.C.
Canada
V5Z 1K5

Mail sent to either of our old addresses (5885 University Blvd., 2412 Columbia) will be forwarded to us for the next three months.

Our phone number is the same: (604) 224-5133. Our e-mail address, tras@portal.ca, is also the same.

Posted 20 December 2006

Farewell to Debbi; welcome to Heather

Debbi Salmonsen, who's done a superb job of running the TRAS office for the last year, has moved on to a new position as a fundraiser with the Deafblind Services Society of BC. Good luck, Debbi, and thanks for all of your hard work and dedication--you'll be sorely missed!

Heather O'Hagan will be taking over from Debbi as the TRAS office manager. Heather has a great deal of experience with non-profits, having worked as Executive Director at both the Crafts Association of BC (for four years) and the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Garden (for six years).

To reduce the cost of running the office, we've decided to have a volunteer handle administration of the sponsorship program, which is quite time-consuming. Heather will be working the equivalent of two days a week instead of three. Dr. Marion Tipple will continue to be the director in charge of sponsorship, but Russil Wvong will take over the administration tasks that Debbi handled.

If you have any sponsorship issues or questions, you can send e-mail to sponsorship@tras.ca (both Marion and Russil will receive it), or call Russil at home, (604) 871-0161.

Posted 24 November 2006

Fall 2006 Newsletter

TRAS publishes a newsletter three times a year. Our Fall 2006 newsletter was printed and mailed in October; our next newsletter will appear in December 2006.

Fall 2006 newsletter

Posted 19 November 2006

Spiti Slideshow, November 22

A multimedia presentation and fundraiser by photographer and TRAS Director Marion Tipple

Date/Time: Wednesday November 22nd 2006, 7:30pm
Location: Theatre A122B, Langara College, 100 West 49th Ave.

Tickets: $10 ($8 students/low income/seniors).
All proceeds to Spiti Munsel-ling School Health Care Centre.

Spiti Valley is a remote elevated valley in north India, surrounded on all sides by the Himalayan mountains. It lies along India's northern border with Tibet in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The climate is extreme, and the landscape awe-inspiring but harsh. The people, Tibetan by race, eke out a living from the stony land.

Spiti Munsel-ling School provides a high standard of education to children of the scattered villages and also teaches traditional Tibetan culture and beliefs. Of the 400 students, about half live at the school. Health services are limited.

Spiti Munsel-ling School Health Care Centre: All proceeds from the slide show will go to pay for the building of a school health care centre so that school children can receive desperately need health care and regular checkups.

Co-sponsored by Langara College Continuing Studies.

Posted 10 November 2006

Himalayan Festival, October 28-29

Posted 27 October 2006

Dalai Lama visiting Vancouver

The Dalai Lama will be visiting Vancouver from September 8 to 10. He will participate in public dialogues on Friday September 8 and Saturday September 9, and give a public talk at GM Place on Saturday September 9. Tickets to these events are available online.

Posted 11 August 2006

Children needing sponsors

Dechen Chokee	Ngawang Tsedup
Tenzin Shakya	Kesang Wangmo

Posted 04 August 2006

Buddha Academy

Buddha Memorial Children's Home, one of our major partners in Nepal, has officially changed its name to Buddha Academy Boarding School.

Posted 28 July 2006

New Address

After more than ten years at the Lutheran Campus Centre at UBC, the TRAS office has moved.

Our new mailing address is:

Trans-Himalayan Aid Society
2412 Columbia St.
Vancouver, B.C.
Canada
V5Y 3E6

Mail sent to our old address will be forwarded to us for the next three months.

The building is at the corner of W. 8 Ave. and Columbia St. (between Main and Cambie). Map.

Our phone number is the same: (604) 224-5133.

Posted 21 July 2006

Annual General Meeting, May 23

Our 2006 Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday May 23, starting at 7 pm, at the Lutheran Campus Centre at UBC (5885 University Boulevard). Dr. Marion Tipple will be giving a slideshow on the remote Spiti Valley in northern India, and there will be handicrafts for sale and refreshments. Both TRAS members and the public are invited to attend!

Posted 22 May 2006

Nepal Projects

The descriptions of our projects with Buddha Memorial Children's Home and Nagarik Aawaz in Kathmandu and the Annapurna Conservation Area Project have been updated, and photos have been added.

Posted 15 May 2006

Spiti Slideshow, May 9; Spiti Expedition, August 7-30

Trek Escapes is organizing a special 24 day “Expedition with a Mission” to the remote Spiti Valley of Northern India, which will be accompanied by Dr. Marion Tipple, past president of TRAS and current sponsorship director.

The expedition will travel overland from Delhi to Spiti, through the spectacular Himalayan scenery of Himachal Pradesh, visiting Shimla, the old British Hill Station, ancient monasteries, nunneries and remote communities. The mission is to visit and help the Munsel Ling Tibetan Children’s School which TRAS has been supporting since it was inaugurated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1996, and where TRAS has an active child sponsorship program. A portion of the trip cost will be donated to a TRAS project at the school. From Spiti, the expedition continues through the rugged mountains of Lahoul into Ladakh with opportunities to explore the countryside on day hikes. Return is by air from Leh to Delhi. Detailed itinerary.

Cost: From Vancouver all inclusive: $6350. Land only: $4050.

For more information, please contact Jane Patrick at Trek Escapes, janep@trekescapes.ca.

Marion will be giving a slideshow at Trek Escapes (1847 West 4th Ave., Vancouver) on Tuesday May 9 at 7 pm. To reserve a seat, please call Trek Escapes at (604) 734-1066.

Posted 08 May 2006

Emergency Fundraising Appeal for Nepal Medical Fund

Emergency Fundraising Appeal!

Donations Needed for Medical Fund to Treat Injured Pro-Democracy Demonstrators in Nepal

Fundraising Drive April 29 - May 31

Donate Now!

During three weeks of pro-democracy demonstrations beginning on April 6 throughout Nepal, police killed over a dozen demonstrators and seriously injured thousands more across the country. Medical staff were harassed, beaten and arrested for treating the victims. Hospitals throughout the country are bursting at the seams with injured, many of whom cannot afford to pay for treatment. Funds for medical expenses are urgently needed. Although democracy has been restored and relative peace is back in order, the injured still need care beyond just primary care, and some will need care on an ongoing basis. The physical and emotional wounds from brutal assaults by the forces in power will likely take a long while to heal.

To respond to the crisis, several respected Nepalese actors, journalists, lawyers, and human rights activists established the Janaandolan Primary Health Treatment Fund (JPHTF) to provide medical care for the injured protestors. Funds will be channeled to Kathmandu Model Hospital.

The founders of the JPHTF fund, Mr. Madan Khrishna Shrestha and Mr. Hari Bansha Acharya, two of the most renowned and respected Nepalese actors, are appealing for donations from Nepalese living abroad, and all concerned citizens of the world. The fund is overseen by several other respected figures whom we trust will ensure the proper use of funds to provide the best possible care for the injured pro-democracy demonstrators.

TRAS appeals to its members and others to donate to this urgent initiative. TRAS will transfer donations directly to Kathmandu Model Hospital. Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $10 or more.

Donations can be made on-line (select "Nepal Medical Fund"), by calling the TRAS office, or by mailing a cheque (made out to TRAS) to the TRAS office (to receive a tax receipt, include your name, address and phone number).

Funds are needed immediately. TRAS will wire the first set of donations to Nepal on Tuesday May 2. Nepalis in Ontario and other parts of Canada have already raised over $3000 for TRAS to send! The second set of donations will be sent on Thursday June 1.

Please donate now! Thank you.

Updated 08 May 2006: deadline extended to May 31.

Posted 01 May 2006

Benefit Dinner for Nepal Medical Fund (Cancelled)

Update: Unfortunately the dinner has been cancelled, due to Abi's being sick. If you'd still like to donate to the fund, you can make a donation online, until May 15. CanadaHelps will issue a tax receipt, and TRAS will forward donations to the fund on May 15.

Posted 24 April 2006

Photos from Nepali Film Festival

Last Sunday's Nepali Film Festival was a great success--in total, about 250 people came to the film festival, and we raised about $1500 for TRAS-supported projects in Nepal. Here's some photos from the display area:

Special thanks to:

• Nabin Subba, Dhurba Basnet, Kiran Krishna Shrestha, and the directors of Andolan Jaari Chha, for giving permission to show their films

• Doug Soo, Leslie Kemp and Bobbie Morrison of Langara College Continuing Studies, for their incredible generosity and support

• Yogendra Shakya, Abhaya Shrestha, Sirish Raj Pande, Sudha Shrestha, Upasana Shrestha, and Mati Bernabei

• Our volunteers

• Dave Pepper and Russell Orme of Langara's Media Services

• Chris Koroneos of Chartwells Education Dining Services

• Cafe Kathmandu, People's Co-op Bookstore, Ten Thousand Villages and Videomatica, for selling advance tickets

• Lotus Moon, for donating two pashmina shawls for the raffle

• Kathleen Killen, Erin Mullen, Graham Peat

• Jennifer Hales, for making it all happen!

Posted 17 April 2006

Tibetan Studies Lecture

Tuesday April 18:

The Most Tibetan Place in the World: A China Specialist's Experiences in Yushu Prefecture
Anne F. Thurston

Tue 18 April 2006
C.K. Choi Bldg. Conference Room #120
4:00-6:00
Contemporary Tibetan Studies Program

Yushu is a Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture situated in Qinghai province. Its population is 96-98% Tibetan - mostly nomads and semi-nomadic community. Anne Thurston visited the area in 2003 and was struck by how even in this remote area innovative social development is thriving based on the works of indigenous NGOs. Anne Thurston's talk will look at the development in Yushu as a larger part of what she has termed works of "social entrepreneurs", who are forging the formation of civil society and community-based institutions, that seek to bring genuine benefit at a local level.

Dr. Anne F. Thurston recently left her position at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC in order to devote full time to research, writing, and working with non- governmental organizations in China. Her work focuses on the social and political consequences of China's economic reforms. She is currently completing a book called The Other China about the hundreds of millions of Chinese people who have yet to reap the benefits of the country's economic reforms.

Among Dr. Thurston's books are The Private Life of Chairman Mao (1994), done in collaboration with Mao Zedong's personal physician, Li Zhisui; A Chinese Odyssey: The Life and Times of a Chinese Dissident (1991), and Enemies of the People: The Ordeal of China's Intellectuals during the Great Cultural Revolution (1987).

Also, thanks to everyone who came to yesterday's film festival! We'll post some pictures next week.

Posted 10 April 2006

Spring 2006 Newsletter

TRAS publishes a newsletter three times a year. Our March 2006 newsletter has been printed and mailed; our next newsletter will appear in September 2006.

Spring 2006 newsletter

Posted 3 April 2006

Response to President's appeal

Thanks to our members' extraordinarily generous response to the President's appeal in the December newsletter, TRAS received $15,000 in donations in December and January! This was matched by an anonymous donor, resulting in $30,000 in funds to support the projects we are committed to next year, including:

Vocational training at the Buddha Memorial Academy in Kathmandu, Nepal
Nurses training programs in Dharamsala and Bangalore, India
Lhasa Yuthok kindergarten in Lhasa, Tibet
Dekyling Creche (daycare) in Dehra Dun, India
Little Flowers Creche in Dharamsala, India
Manali environmental education for youth in Manali, India

We are most grateful for your ongoing commitment to helping children and youth in the Himalayan region.

Posted 27 March 2006

Nepali Film Festival

TRAS, the Nepal Cultural Society of BC, and Langara College Continuing Studies are co-sponsoring Vancouver's first Nepali Film Festival, featuring four recent films.

The film festival will be held on Sunday April 9, 2006, at Langara College. Doors open at 12 pm.

Advance tickets are now available at Langara, Videomatica, Ten Thousand Villages, and People's Co-op Bookstore. Tickets are $10 for one screening or $16 for both screenings, with a 25% discount for students/seniors/low income.

For more information about the films and where to buy tickets, please see www.tras.ca/filmfest. If you have questions, please e-mail us at nepalifilmfest@yahoo.ca.

Posted 20 March 2006

Himalayan Evening, April 7, 2006

The Himalayan Connection at Argyle Secondary School presents “A Himalayan Evening.” Beginning at 6 p.m., students participating in the club will serve a delicious vegetarian Nepalese dinner in the Library. At 7:30 p.m. in the Buchannan Theatre, guests will be treated to a thrilling slide presentation and talk about a journey along the sacred pilgrimage route to Mount Kailash in the Himalayas, by local mountaineer and holistic practitioner, Mr. Brian Finnie. Throughout the evening, an exhibit of student artwork from Buddha Memorial Academy will be on view, Tibetan and Nepalese crafts will be available, and raffle tickets will be on sale to raise money for the continued sponsorship of programs at the Nepalese school.

This event marks the second year of an alliance between Argyle Secondary School in North Vancouver, and the Buddha Memorial Academy in Kathmandu, Nepal. The sponsorship was the inspiration of former Argyle student Lena White. Since its inception last year, members of The Himalayan Connection have raised awareness of this on-going bond between the schools, and have gathered funds to help students and programs at the school in Kathmandu. Buddha Memorial Academy is a school operated for orphans and disadvantaged children of both Tibetan and Nepalese origin; its headmaster is a former Tibetan orphan himself. For more information on Buddha Memorial Academy, check out www.bmch.edu.np.

Last year, this event sold out, and resulted in over $1000 for the Buddha Memorial Academy. For just $15 for adults, and $10 for students, this whole Himalayan Evening experience can be yours! Seating is limited; tickets go on sale at Argyle Secondary School on March 1. Tickets may also be reserved by calling Brian Sheffield at 604-990-3571, or by emailing bsheffield@nvsd44.bc.ca.

Posted 13 March 2006

Lhasa Photo Exhibit, March 16-April 12, 2006

[Update: the exhibit has been extended to April 12.]

Posted 06 Mar 2006

Tibet Lecture Series

The Contemporary Tibetan Studies Program at UBC is holding a Tibet Lecture Series, organized by Dr. Tsering Shakya.

Monday March 13:

Khampa Autonomous Movements and Frontier Politics in Republican China
Peng Wenbin

Mon 13 March 2006
C.K. Choi Bldg. Conference Room #120
4:00-5:30
Contemporary Tibetan Studies Program

The notion of “autonomy”, though constitutive of the DL’s recent appeal to solve the “Tibet Question” with the PRC, has rarely been closely examined, perhaps even less so of those historical precedents concerning Tibetan autonomy on Sino-Tibetan frontiers. This talk offers an introduction to three autonomous movements of Khampa Tibetans in the 1930s. It examines how the rhetoric of “Kham for the Khampas” informed local identity politics and social movements in connection (and also competition) with Tibetan and Chinese nationalism and regional politics.

Peng Wenbin is an anthropologist, and an affiliated researcher to the Center of Minority Studies, Southwest University for Ethnic Minorities, Chengdu, China.

Monday March 27:

'Jig rTen (A Shift in Worlds) and Grassland Management: Tibetan Ranching and Social Systems in Northeastern Sichuan
Jack Patrick Hayes

Mon 27 March 2006
C.K. Choi Bldg. Conference Room #120
4:00-5:30
Contemporary Tibetan Studies Program

Rights over pasture land are of paramount interest to nomadic pastoralists. Land is the ultimate source of wealth and security, and the sole means by which pastoralists can achieve their goals of maintaining healthy animals and seeing their herds increase to the point where, as those in Songpan’s grasslands describe it, they cover the plain and hillside. This essay examines the local history of pastoral and grassland management in one county of northern Sichuan, Songpan County, a county of mixed Tibetan and Hui agricultural-pastoral households. It considers traditional social systems and pasture management among these ethnic groups and the consequences of recent government programs to develop pastoralism. In the process of examining local, historical social systems of control and land management, it will also take into account economic reforms of the 1960s and more recent government experiments in fencing and settling largely nomadic groups into townships. To a lesser degree it will also discuss more recent ethnic tensions between Hui and Tibetan herders over land use management under the aegis of late 20th century market reforms.

Jack Hayes is a graduate student in Chinese History, who works on social, ethnic and environmental issues in western China. His dissertation examines agro-pastoral history and local administrations in northern Sichuan. He is affiliated with the Institute of Asian Research, UBC and Sichuan University.

Posted 06 Mar 2006

Losar

Losar greetings! Losar is the Tibetan New Year. This year it takes place on Tuesday, February 28.

In Vancouver, the Tibetan Cultural Society of BC is holding a Losar dinner on March 4 at the Greek Orthodox Church Community Centre, 4541 Boundary Road, Vancouver. For tickets and more information, please contact Phuntsok Kakho at pkakho@shaw.ca.

Posted 27 Feb 2006