PPP 2013 Project Report

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2013 Project Report
Reports from June 2012 through August 2013
Formulated by Benedikt Urban and Leif DeJong
Supported by:

Table of Contents
1.0.0 - Executive Summary 4
2.0.0 - Acronyms 6
3.0.0 - Introduction and Background 6
3.1.0 - Pema’s Story 6
3.2.0 - Pema’s Dream 7
3.3.0 -The Pema Peace Project 8
3.3.1 - Delivering Resource Books to Dharamsala 8
3.3.2 - Relationship with a Tibetan NGO 8
3.3.3 - Project Proposal and The Earlham Projects for Peace 8
3.3.4 - The Implementation Team 9
3.2.5 - Project Timeline 14
4.0.0 - Key Accomplishments of the Project 15
4.1.0 - Construction of theWorkshop Manual 15
4.1.1 - Syllabus Overview (Day-by-Day Analysis) 16
4.2.0 - Running theWorkshops 17
4.2.1 - School Overview (School-by-School Analysis) 19
4.3.0 -Website 23
5.0.0 - Project Challenges 24
5.1.0 -Workshop Duration 24
5.2.0 - On Site Inconveniences 24
5.3.0 -Web Complications 24
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5.4.0 -Transit School 25
6.0.0 - Lessons Learned 26
6.1.0 - Facilitation/Instructing Skills 26
6.2.0 - Organizational Skills 26
6.3.0 - Fund Management Skills 27
6.4.0 - Dealing with Politics 27
6.5.0 - Diplomacy Skills 27
7.0.0 - ContinuingTeam Roles 28
8.0.0 - On Going Activities 28
8.1.0 - FutureWorkshops 28
8.2.0 -Website Management 28
8.3.0 - Fundraisers 29
9.0.0 - Annex Documents 29
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1.0.0 - Executive Summary
Pema Norbu’s dedication to peace and justice in Tibet encouraged many to follow his lead in
an initiative now known as the Pema Peace Project (PPP). Pema Norbu had a dream to change
the lives of his people by educating the Tibetan community on effective ways to use
nonviolent strategies and tactics in order to work towards a solution in Tibet. Pema felt that
nonviolence was seen by Tibetan youth as passive and ineffective. In order to correct this
misconception, his dream was to bring resource books on Direct Nonviolent Action as
formulated by Gene Sharp to the Tibetan exile communities. He then would lead discussions
with Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV) students to see how this concept relates to the Tibetan
conflict. Pema formulated a proposal for this venture but was tragically killed in a car accident
outside of Richmond IN before his project could be implemented.
After Pema’s death, a group of Earlham College (EC) students and faculty raised funds to send
books to Dharamsala, India as Pema had envisioned. Benedikt Urban, an EC student, along
with Sangay Yeshi, an ex-TCV student, brought these books to Dharamsala in the summer of
2011 and began to plan how to implement Pema’s talks.
Upon Benedikt’s return to EC, he collaborated with Leif DeJong, another Earlham College
student, and formulated a proposal for a project now known as the Pema Peace Project. The
proposal was submitted to the Earlham Projects for Peace (EPP) and in March of 2013, was
accepted for implementation in the summer of that year.
The Pema Peace Project aimed to correct a developing misconception among Tibetans that
nonviolence is ineffective. The objective of the project was to introduce Direct Nonviolent
Action to Tibetan students and provide them with a set of tools to develop and implement
effective nonviolent strategies to further their cause. This would be done by running five-day
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workshops in four Tibetan schools in and around Dharamsala, India. The syllabus for these
workshops was developed as a collaborative effort by educators and facilitators of Direct
Nonviolent Action such as Dr. Carol Hunter of EC, Rabbi Everett Gendler, Dr. Mary Gendler, and
Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) workshop facilitators. In addition, the project was to provide an
online platform, pemapeaceproject.org, that would allow anyone from around the globe to
explore, discuss, and contribute to Direct Nonviolent Action.
From June through July of 2013, Benedikt and Leif traveled to Dharamsala and teamed up
with Pema’s younger brother Wangchen Tsering Lak, several instructors from a local NGO
called the Active Nonviolent Education Center (ANEC), SFT instructors, and other local friends.
Together, the group led five-day workshops in Gopalpur TCV, Upper TCV, Lower TCV, and the
Tibetan Transit School educating over 120 students on Direct Nonviolent Action and helping
them understand how to formulate strategies and tactics for the Tibetan situation. At the
same time, Benedikt and Leif programmed the pemapeaceproject.org website that was used
by all the students to write reflections about how the project impacted their lives. The site was
released on Sept 1st of 2013 for public viewing.
With only minor complications, the project was a complete success. Benedikt and Leif hope to
continue supporting and promoting the pemapeaceproject.org and hope to raise more
money to take workshops of this nature to the southern Tibetan exile communities in India
next year.
”By participating in Pema Peace Project workshop i gained a lot as i learned so
much about the non violence especially about active non violence. Within those five
days i was clarified about the misconception that i have on non violence as i used to
think that non violence as passive approach but after the workshop i realized that
non violence not passive as i used to think.” - TenzinYonten, TCV Gopalpur Student
(PPP.org)
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2.0.0 - Acronyms
• ANEC - Active Nonviolence Education Center
• CTA - Central Tibetan Administration
• DPP - Davis Project for Peace
• EC - Earlham College
• EPP - Earlham Projects for Peace
• H.H. - His Holiness (the Dalai Lama)
• HP - Himachal Pradesh, India
• IN - Indiana
• KIS - Kodaikanal International School
• MUWCI - Mahindra United World College, India
• PPP - Pema Peace Project
• SFT - Students for a Free Tibet
• SOS - Save Our Soul
• TCV - Tibetan Children’s Village School
3.0.0 - Introduction and Background
3.1.0 - Pema’s Story
Pema Norbu was born on Sept 27, 1989 in Tibet. At the age of ten, he fled
from Chinese oppression to Dharamsala, India. His hard work and
determination to succeed in the TCV Gopalpur helped him get a place in
Mahindra United World College India (MUWCI) with a full scholarship. On one
occasion, he led the planting of 40,000 trees in an attempt to restore
biodiversity while at MUWCI. This was later recognized and honored by the
Prime Minister of India.
He did well in his studies and was accepted in Earlham College (EC), Richmond, Indiana. Pema
was brilliant, broad-minded, sincere, and was an active member of the community. He held
himself to excellence in his studies and his personal life and had a unique perspective and a
deep yearning for knowledge. Pema loved Tibet and was committed to helping his
community in any way he could. He was respected and loved by many. This all came to a
tragic end when Pema was killed in a car accident along with a fellow Earlham College
student, Mark Christianson, on July 27th, 2011.
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3.2.0 - Pema’s Dream
While at Earlham College, a class on the‘History of Nonviolent Movements’taught by Dr. Carol
Hunter inspired Pema to learn more about Direct Nonviolent Action as formulated in the
writings and lifetime work of Gene Sharp. Direct Nonviolent Action is an active approach to
nonviolence that involves detailed analysis of societal structures in order to formulate
strategies and tactics for a potential nonviolent campaign. Pema believed that to inspire
change, one had to promote dialogue and group discussions through social activities. While
visiting the Tibetan exile communities in Dharamsala in 2009, he discovered that young
Tibetans had a misconception about nonviolence:
“A growing number of Tibetans turn to violence because they mistakenly believe
that nonviolence is old-fashioned, passive, and ineffective.” wrote Pema Norbu in his
original proposal. “I can understand why they are angry and frustrated, but I remain
conﬁdent that Direct Nonviolent Action is the only and best way to resolve our
problem with the People’s Republic of China.”
With this in mind, Pema devised a peace proposal to acquire resource books on Direct
Nonviolent Action, translate them into Tibetan, bring them to TCV libraries, and orchestrate
talks to connect the ideas from the books to the Tibetan exile communities. He aimed to spark
interest among the TCV students in Dharamsala in order to provide them with the necessary
tools to bring about change for all Tibetans.
“As Nehru once said, “today’s children, tomorrow’s nation.” The future of Tibet is in
the hands of today’s generation of Tibetans and a fundamental understanding of
nonviolence is vital to our success.“ wrote Pema Norbu.
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3.3.0 -The Pema Peace Project
3.3.1 - Delivering Resource Books to Dharamsala
In the aftermath of Pema’s unfortunate death, Dr. Carol
Hunter of Earlham College along with a group of students,
raised enough funds to supply resource books to several
TCV school libraries in Dharamsala as Pema had
envisioned. Benedikt Urban, Pema’s friend from EC, and an
ex-TCV student Sangay Yeshi, took the lead in this initiative
in the summer of 2012. Benedikt and Sangay brought
three sets of sixteen resource books to Dharamsala. They
delivered two sets of books to Upper and Gopalpur TCV
libraries that were placed in shelves in honor of Pema’s dream. The remaining set was kept in
Dharamsala for use in the case that Pema’s talks could be implemented the next year.
3.3.2 - Relationship with aTibetan NGO
While in Dharamsala, a series of coincidences led Benedikt and Sangay to establish a
relationship with a Dharamsala-based NGO called ANEC. ANEC aims at furthering the
message of nonviolence as taught by H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama for the purpose of helping
people learn the practicalities of nonviolence. It was formed by peace activists Rabbi Everett
Gendler and Dr. Mary Gendler who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as well as current
Executive Director Mr. Tenpa C. Samkhar, former Cabinet Secretary for Political Affairs, CTA. In
an attempt to implement the talks that Pema wanted, Benedikt and Sangay sought help from
this NGO in running educational workshops on Direct Nonviolent Action the following year.
3.3.3 - Project Proposal andThe Earlham Projects for Peace
Upon Benedikt’s return to Earlham College, he collaborated with Leif DeJong, another one of
Pema’s close friends, to rethink and rewrite Pema’s original proposal. After a year of hard work
with active support from Earlham College and ANEC, funds were acquired through the
Earlham Projects for Peace (EPP) in a project now known as the Pema Peace Project.
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3.3.4 -The ImplementationTeam
Dr. Carol Hunter - Project Faculty Advisor
Dr. Carol Hunter grew up in rural upstate New York and attended Cornell
University as an undergraduate. She earned her PHD in history at
Binghamton University, Binghamton, N.Y. where she did research on
fugitive slaves and the underground railroad. After teaching several
places, she has spent most of her career at Earlham College as professor of
History and of Peace and Global Studies.
Carol Hunter was one of the leading drivers for the success of the Pema Peace Project, helping
in everything from raising funds to acquiring the resource books. She advised Leif and
Benedikt on the project proposal and was invaluable in helping develop the syllabus for the
training workshops. Without Carol Hunter’s involvement, the Pema Peace Project would not
be what is it today.
“Pema will always hold a very special place in my heart. From his first day in my Nonviolent
Movements class, he was singularly focused and excited about what he was learning. His
love for Tibet was deep and he never tired of making connections between the movements
we were studying and his homeland in exile. He seized the opportunity to write a Davis
Peace Grant, and although it wasn’t funded at the time, it has given me deep pleasure and
satisfaction to see the dedication of Benedikt and Leif in making his dream of teaching
strategic nonviolence to the Tibetan schools in India a reality.”
Benedikt Urban and Leif DeJong - Project Managers
Benedikt Urban was born and raised in the Tibetan settlement of
Dharamsala in Northern India. He attended the Upper Tibetan
Children’s Village (Upper TCV) school until he was eighteen, and feels
very attached to the Tibetan community. While growing up in
Dharamsala, Benedikt learnt the local languages, developed an
insider’s view of the Sino-Tibetan conflict, and the nonviolent middle
way approach advocated by H.H. the Dalai Lama.
Leif DeJong was born and raised in the hill station of Kodaikanal in
South India where he got to know many of the exiled Tibetans
living in the Kodaikanal community and was able to hear their
stories. After graduating from Kodaikanal International School (KIS)
in 2009, Leif went on to attend Earlham College with the intention
of studying Peace and Global Studies and merging it with his
passion and major in Computer Science. Leif met Pema in Earlham
College and quickly became close friends. They lived together in
the summer of 2011 when Pema inspired Leif with his dream to teach Active Nonviolence to
the Tibetan youth.
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Benedikt and Leif thought through Pema’s original proposal carefully,
determined how it could realistically be implemented. After the proposal
was accepted, the two traveled to Benedikt’s home in Dharamsala in the
summer of 2013 and implemented the Pema Peace Project. Benedikt and
Leif also worked together to produce the project’s website,
pemapeaceproject.org.
What Benedikt has to Say:
“Growing up in Dharamsala and especially attending the Tibetan Children Village
(TCV) schools, I realized that I would return home and give back to the community
that fostered me. Being Austrian/German by blood and Tibetan by birth, I feel I have
a unique advantage to really help bring a different dynamic to life with the Tibetan
community. This was one of the driving incentives that led me to honor my late
friend Pema Norbu, by co-creating the Pema Peace Project and serving the
community that has shaped a big part of who I am today.”
What Leif has to Say:
“Pema Norbu was very dear to my heart and as a result of his engagement in my life,
I ended up retracing his footsteps all the way back to Dharamsala and learning a
great deal about his background and the people who formed it. In that process, I
have come to develop a deep connection with the Tibetan community and all the
wonderful people that encompass it. I have learned so much as a project manager
and a workshop facilitator for the Pema Peace Project. Although I still don’t know
how it will happen, I am determined to see the project continue well into the future.”
WangchenTsering Lak – Project Facilitator
Pema’s younger brother Wangchen was born in a very small
traditional village in Southwest Tibet. When he was young, he
fled to India leaving his parents and village behind. He was
admitted to his older brother’s school, TCV Gopalpur in
Dharamshala, India. After studying hard, Wangchen applied
and got the Pestalozzi scholarship to study the International
Baccalaureate in England. He finished his pre-university I.B
diploma course and is now pursuing college in the US. After
Pema’s death, Benedikt and Leif contacted Wangchen about
plans to carry his brother’s legacy forward.
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Upon meeting Benedikt and Leif, Wangchen was eager to help. He studied the resource
books, learned the basics of Direct Nonviolent Action and started teaching certain sections of
the syllabus. He also provided logistical support and helped in project decision making.
Wangchen orchestrated in-depth discussions in complex Tibetan and brought positive energy
and Pema’s spirit into the workshops. Currently, he is promoting the project website among
Tibetan college students in New Delhi and distributing books about nonviolence to stimulate
discussion and debate among other Tibetan students.
“I am extremely happy that Pema’s dream was materialized by the collective effort
of lots of people including Pema’s good friends, Leif and Benedikt. I was so pleased
and inspired to join hands with them in this project to fulfill my brother’s dream. It
was really empowering to see how young Tibetan students engaged and
participated in these workshops with such great enthusiasm and curiosity.”
Rabbi Everett and Dr. Mary Gendler - Project Mentors
For decades, Rabbi Everett and Dr. Mary Gendler have been
highly involved in peace activism, social justice, and
nonviolent movements. They have worked in many parts of
the world including helping the Tibetan communities in
India. Both of them had the honor of marching with Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. and developing a relationship with
H.H. the Dalai Lama. Desiring their efforts be deeply rooted
within the Tibetan communities, they initiated a popular
educational program for the Tibetan exile community in
India. In this process, ANEC was established with Mr. Tenpa
C. Samkhar, a ex-CTA official, as the Executive Director and Founder. The Gendlers act as the
Chief Resource Persons for ANEC and its activities.
Mary and Everett have been wonderful in their support and advice on implementing the
Pema Peace Project. Their five-day syllabus draft was the foundation upon which we built our
syllabus. Their vast experience and expertise in the subject matter has greatly strengthened
the effectiveness of the project and its impact on the Tibetan community.
(Mr.)Tenpa C. Samkhar - ANEC Executive Director
(Mr.) Tenpa C. Samkhar has held numerous noteworthy
positions such as the former Secretary to Political Affairs, Central
Tibetan Administration (CTA) and the former Health Secretary
(CTA). Upon the Gendlers’ pursuance of establishing ANEC, Mr.
Tenpa founded ANEC as the Executive Director.
Mr. Tenpa acted as the India Based Coordinator to the Pema
Peace Project for the year of 2013.
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Mr. Tenpa was very helpful in providing budgetary advice for running projects of this nature.
He provided us with a very useful letter of recommendation when we applied for the Pema
Peace Project and gave much appreciated advice on how to approach TCV officials to get
permission to run workshops in the schools. His speeches during the opening and closing
ceremonies of the workshops were excellent.
Tezin Dasel Lak and Phurbu Dolma Lak - ANEC Instructors
Under the direction of ANEC’s Executive
Director (Mr.) Tenpa C. Samkhar, Tenzin
Dasel Lak and Phurbu Dolma Lak were
assigned to the PPP as additional workshop
instructors for June through July of 2013.
They were well versed in the subject matter
and had workshop facilitation experience.
Their instructing skills and their lectures in
Tibetan were superb and contributed
greatly to the success of the workshops.
Dawa L (Lhakar/SFT Instructor) - Outside Speaker
As the representative from the Lhakar movement and SFT,
Dawa L played a significant role as the outside speaker in
the fourth day of the workshops which placed an
emphasis on applying Direct Nonviolent Action to the
Tibetan context. Her feedback to the team on their
facilitation skills was invaluable. Dawa also helped with
the development of the workshop manual and provided
Benedikt and Leif with good feedback that strengthened
the effectiveness of the initiative.
Tenzin Rabten Lak - Logo Designer
Tenzin Rabten was born in Tibet and went into exile at a very young
age. He was raised in Dharamsala and attended the Upper TCV
school. Currently he is pursuing his computer science studies in
Bangalore, South India. With his expertise in graphic design, Rabten
created the Pema Peace Project Logo and thereby also contributed to
the overall branding and image of the project.
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Pema Lak -Workshop Camerman
Pema Lak, ex-CTA cinematography specialist, was hired to record the
events that happened in the Pema Peace Project workshop. His
contributions will be used to put together an upcoming documentary
to be produced in the next couple of years.
Jampel Lhundup Lak - Project Assistant
Jampel Lhundup Lak was an ex-Upper TCV student and is
currently pursuing his undergraduate Psychology studies in
Gujarat, India. Jampel Lhundup Lak was a voluntary assistant to
the Pema Peace Project and helped with numerous logistical
assignments. His contributions included organizing the tea and
snacks for workshop participants, providing additional
transportation to the project sites, helping acquire workshop
supplies, and helping facilitate activities during workshop
sessions.
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3.2.5 - ProjectTimeline
• Pema’s Death .................................................................................................................................. July 27, 2011
• Delivery of Books to Dharamsala .................................................................................................. July 2012
• Initial contact with ANEC .................................................................................................................. July 2012
• Project Proposal Deadline .......................................................................................................... Jan 18, 2013
• Project Acceptance ................................................................................................................. March 15, 2013
• Earlham Word Article ............................................................................................................. March 29, 2013
• Earlham College Article ............................................................................................................ April 19, 2013
• Preparatory Groundwork:
• Communication with school officials and others: March ............................................ April 2013
• Workshop Manual Development ..................................................................................... April 1, 2013
• Additional Earlham Fundraiser ....................................................................................... April 28, 2013
• Benedikt’s arrival in Dharamsala ....................................................................................... May 2, 2013
• Initial contact with schools .................................................................................................. May 5, 2013
• Logo design completion .................................................................................................... May 20, 2013
• Leif’s arrival in Dharmasala ................................................................................................. June 2, 2013
• Website development start date ...................................................................................... June 3, 2013
• Initial contact with ANEC .................................................................................................... June 3, 2013
• Workshop Manual completion ......................................................................................... June 9, 2013
• Initial contact with Wangchen ........................................................................................ June 10, 2013
• Final workshop preparation ............................................................................................ June 10, 2013
• Workshop 1: TCV Gopalpur ............................................................................ June 11th - June 15, 2013
• Dhaka Tribune Article ........................................................................................................ June 16, 2013
• Workshop 2: Upper TCV ................................................................................... June 17th - June 21, 2013
• Exile World Article ............................................................................................................... June 21, 2013
• Workshop 3: Lower TCV ................................................................................... June 24th - June 28, 2013
• Workshop 4: Tibetan Transit School ........................................................................ July 1 - July 5, 2013
• Wrapping up in Dharamsala ........................................................................................ July 5 - Aug 1, 2013
• Workshops 2014 Fundraiser ..................................................................................................... Aug 25, 2013
• Website Launch ........................................................................................................................... Sept 12, 2013
• Project Report Release .............................................................................................................. Sept 12, 2013
• Earlham Word Article Release ................................................................................................. Sept 13, 2013
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4.0.0 - Key Accomplishments of the Project
4.1.0 - Construction of theWorkshop Manual
In June of 2013, Leif and Benedikt traveled to Dharamsala
where they had a week to finalize plans before running five-
day workshops in four of the Tibetan schools. In this week,
Benedikt and Leif finalized the Workshop Manual that
included the syllabus and handouts, a collaborative effort
from educators of nonviolence from around the world.
The manual allows for a wide range of age groups and learning
types. It consists of a series of discussions, activities, skits, games,
debates, movies and outside speakers. The teaching style was
aimed at helping the students themselves come up with the
concepts and understanding of the material by awakening the
teacher within. This is in contrast to simply providing concepts and
their definitions while reiterating the theory from the resource
books and manual.
In brief, the five-day syllabus attempted to encompass a
well-rounded and holistic understanding of Direct
Nonviolent Action that would provide students with the
tools and the groundwork needed to start thinking about
and further developing strategies and tactics for the
Tibetan context on their own. The approach focused on the
academic understanding of nonviolence as opposed to the
religious non-violent principles and definitions that the
Tibetans were exposed to growing up.
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4.1.1 - Syllabus Overview (Day-by-Day Analysis)
Day 1
Day 1 of the workshops was essentially aimed at getting students comfortable around each
other and the facilitators, sparking interest in the subject matter, and making them excited
about the days to follow. It was also a way for the facilitators to get an idea of where each
student was intellectually with regard to the subject material. This was done with a series of
icebreakers, discussions, and debates on the effectiveness of nonviolence for the Tibetan
community and case studies of successful nonviolent initiatives in and outside Tibet.
“The very first day was awesome. All students were very excited, including me. I was
very happy. First I appreciate the way the schedule was made. All the members of
Peace Project were very kind and determined as well. The way they explained was
impressive.“ - Chunni Sangmo, Upper TCV Student(PPP.org)
Day 2
Day 2 of the workshops was aimed at helping students understand what Direct Nonviolent
Action is, how it is different from what they already know about nonviolence, and how to
think about developing strategies and tactics for this specific approach. The day ended by
watching a movie, Bringing Down a Dictator, to help them connect what they learned by
identifying the strategies and tactics that were used to bring down a dictator named
Milosevic in Serbia.
Day 3
Day 3 of the workshops consisted of helping students understand the theory behind Direct
Nonviolent Action. This was one of the most challenging days as so much material had to be
covered to help them further understand how to break down nonviolence into a
methodology. Some of the subject material included understanding power, what holds
power, and how it is structured in societies. It then went into an analysis of why people obey
rulers and what supports and keeps a certain regime in power. They then learned what factors
contribute in the ability to topple that power.
“The project taught me that a nonviolent movement can not be started just like
that, people participating in the nonviolent movement need to be United,
Disciplined and need a lot of Planning. These are the basic needs to start a
nonviolent movement. You also need to know how to put Strategies and Tactics into
action.” - Tenzin Tsephel, Upper TCV Student (PPP.org)
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Day 4
Day 4 of the workshops was set up to help the students apply what they learned about Direct
Nonviolent Action to the Tibetan context by facilitating student skits that demonstrated an
objective, the strategies, and the tactics to implement a nonviolent change in the Tibetan
situation. The second half of the session was followed by an outside speaker that discussed
successful nonviolent movements (Lhakar) that already exist in and outside Tibet. Despite all
the discouragement that exists because of the repressive situation in Tibet, this talk was
received with immense enthusiasm as the students felt proud to be Tibetan. They seemed to
feel new hope for their future.
“The best moments for me was the student presentation: skit in that we have fun
and also learn a lot from all skits that we presented.” - Urgen Namgyal, Lower TCV
Student (PPP.org)
Day 5
Day 5 of the workshops was used as a wrap up day where all the material in the last four days
was reviewed and any questions and concerns the students had were addressed. The last part
of the day was used to help teach students how to use the pemapeaceproject.org and write
personal reflections on what they learnt from the workshops for everyone around the world
to read and enjoy. Students were also taught how to use the website to explore, discuss and
contribute on Direct Nonviolent Action for Tibet.
4.2.0 - Running theWorkshops
The Pema Peace Project workshops in the summer of
2013 were very successful and the objectives were fully
met. In the beginning, certain students felt that violence
was the best approach to the situation in Tibet but had a
change of heart by the end of the five-day workshops.
The team felt that the students were able to grasp the
subject matter and correct their misconceptions of
nonviolence. From the reflections available on the
website, it is clear that the students found a sense of
hope and value in what they had learned and are
motivated to continue on this path of nonviolence and further expose themselves and their
peers to this way of thinking.
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“They gained self-confidence and had the opportunity to express their views freely
with no fear and judgment. Students also recommend that such workshop should
be held again in the school for building strong character of students so that they do
not become impatient and believe in the importance of active non-violent methods
as right form of action for resolving the Tibetan national cause.” - Principal Namdol
Tashi - Upper TCV Student (Recommendation Letter)
The effectiveness of the workshops can be seen in how
some students expressed the desire to learn the workshop
material in greater depth and become trainers and
workshop leaders themselves. They were inspired that two
non-Tibetans had devoted so much time and energy to the
Tibetan cause. The fact that all students and facilitators in
the workshops are absolutely equal helped encourage
questions and provide a safe place for students to engage
with the material. The material was met with immense
curiosity, engagement and enthusiasm.
“I will also try my best to repeat the same thing as they have done by giving loads of
knowledge for the students like us. I got realized that UNITY can take us near to
fulfill our main objective.” - Tenzin Zompa, Lower TCV Student (PPP.org)
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4.2.1 - School Overview (School-by-School Analysis)
TCV Gopalpur
The project implementation team first started at Pema’s school, TCV Gopalpur, where they
taught students from class 11 and 12. These students were born in Tibet and came to India
when they were very young. Gopalpur is a residential school about an hour away from
Dharamsala in a beautiful and isolated environment. The students were excited, motivated,
and inspired by the project and seemed willing to put their old understanding of nonviolence
aside and use part of their summer to develop a new understanding of this concept. The
students seemed to care deeply about the Tibetan situation and showed enthusiasm to work
towards an effective solution. Gopalpur was crucial to the project as it allowed the
Implementation Team to see what worked in the syllabus, decide what needed to be
changed, and improve their facilitation skills.
“I always thought that non-violence is very passive way to fight back for freedom
but through this workshop i came to know that its very active...In the workshop i
learned many ways of non-violence to fight back , as a Tibetan i think these things
are a must learn.” - Sampel, TCV Gopalpur Student (PPP.org)
“I always look for opportunities where our children could learn new things and new
skills which they won’t get in the classroom. I felt the topic very interesting and very
relevant to our context. It is important that they should know the concept very
clear...I would strongly recommend such workshops...in TCV schools.” - Principal
Phuntsok Tashi - TCV Gopalpur Student (Recommendation Letter)
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UpperTCV
From Gopalpur, the team went to Benedikt’s old school, Upper TCV, where they taught
students from class 11. Upper TCV consists of mostly residential kids who were both born in
Tibetan and in exile. These students had a good range of ideas relating to the situation and
seemed to have a holistic understanding of the world and how Tibet is placed within that
context. The students’ level of English was better than Gopalpur and their engagement with
the material was stupendous. Students were so inspired by the workshops that by the end,
they requested help to run their own training sessions in the future for their fellow classmates.
My personally i got from this workshop is that non-violence is something that can
be done by every people whether he was rich or poor there is no difference base on
color and religions. Also i knew that active nonviolence is the best way to struggle
for our freedom...i am a Tibetan who is proud to born as Tibetan.” - Tashi Tenzin, TCV
Gopalpur Student (PPP.org)
“They enjoyed attending the workshop since it was highly interactive and involved
many games that kept them engaged and never got bored attending the
workshop.” - Principal Namdol Tashi, Upper TCV Student (Recommendation Letter)
20

LowerTCV
From Upper, the team went to Lower TCV where most of the students were day scholars from
class 9 and 10 who were born in exile. These students were fun, energetic, and had a keen
interest in learning the subject material. The team had to adjust their teaching style to match
this younger audience by making it more fun and interactive with more activities. Lower TCV
allowed the Implementation Team to fully test how the workshop manual adapted to a
younger audience which has a greater disconnect with Tibet. On the whole, the manual was
able to be effective in providing the foundation needed for these students to completely
understand the material and apply it to their own lives in exile.
“At the Peace Project, we believe that changing the world should be something
anyone can participate in such activities. We’re always open to others. Thank you
Pema Peace Project!!!!” - Tenzin Tseten, Lower TCV Student (PPP.org)
21

TibetanTransit School
(Photo Blurred for Privacy Reasons)
From Lower, the team hit the hardest school, the Tibetan Transit School. This school had
students coming directly from Tibet and was set up as a way to transition them into the exile
community. The students consisted mainly of adults who had a very poor level of English and
had not been exposed to an analytic way of learning and thinking. The team had a rough time
with the language and intellectual barrier and had to adjust their methodology and have
some of the talks translated directly into Tibetan for their understanding. On the whole, the
workshops went a lot slower but the facilitators did all in their power to make sure that the
students got the gist of the material. All in all, the workshop at the Tibetan Transit School was
very successful and the students had positive feedback for the continuation of the project as
demonstrated on the website.
“Today we are extremely grateful to get such precious time to join a Pema Peace
Project workshop on Direct Nonviolent Action. We don’t know much about
nonviolence education before we touched it...We always think that only the coward
person can follow it, but within this five days I realized that only the courageous
person can join direct nonviolent action and lead people gloriously. Because active
nonviolence can create peaceful and it does not harm anyone and it produces unity
in us...never give up and one day we will be able to return Tibet. “ - Sonam and
Dorchung, TTS Student (PPP.org)
22

4.3.0 -Website
Throughout the preparatory groundwork and
for the duration of the workshops, Leif and
Benedikt both worked on the construction of
the pemapeaceproject.org website. The website
is essentially a blogging platform that allows
users to create posts and interact with others
much like the wall posts on Facebook. It is also
equipped with an advanced filtering and sorting
system to allow users to narrow down the
content in which that they are interested. It aims
to provide an online platform for people to
explore, discuss, and contribute to Direct
Nonviolent Action dialog around the world. The
site will also provide the background information for the Pema Peace Project and also serves
as an online repository of learning resources, all the workshop material used in the project,
and a place to view what others have to say about the situation with Tibet in the next release.
Students were enthusiastic about this aspect of the project and used the site to post their
their reflections from the workshops. Overall, the idea behind the pemapeaceproject.org has
been very successful with over 120 student posts to date.
23

5.0.0 - Project Challenges
5.1.0 -Workshop Duration
In spite of the success of the five-day/two-and-half hour workshop sessions that provided the
students with a basic groundwork, the implementation team felt that longer workshops that
covered a wider range of material would have been more effective. It was very common for
workshops to run two hours over time in order for the students to grasp the gist of what was
taught. The limited workshop time as provided by the higher school officials, prevented the
team from exploring this subject with more detail and clarity. The team realized that longer
workshops, preferably ten-day workshops, would have allowed the student to cover more
material giving them a thorough understanding of the subject matter. These five-day
workshops merely showed them the road to Direct Nonviolent Action.
5.2.0 - On Site Inconveniences
The implementation team faced some complications with facilities like electricity cuts and
bad internet connections. These inconveniences were a hindrance, but we adapted our work
schedule accordingly. We sought out facilities with backup generators such as hotels and
restaurants in order to finish our work. In addition, we coordinated with the schools to make
sure everything was set up in advance and that the computer labs had backup systems.
Though we tried our best, these issues often held us back from effectively making use of our
time.
5.3.0 -Web Complications
During every workshop, the implementation team learned that there was simply not enough
time allocated towards website training and posting reflections on the last day. Not only did
the students have to learn how to use the new system, but they also had to think about their
reflections and spend a good deal of time writing them. Slow internet and blocked IP
addresses made this process even slower. In addition, the front-end development of the
website was not completed before the workshops, making it difficult for students to see how
their reflections were being displayed to the public. The team would recommend a full day
allocated to the web in order to make that experience more effective for the students. For
these reasons, Wangchen Lak will continue to do website training in Dharamsala throughout
the remainder of the year.
24

5.4.0 -Transit School
The project managers were delighted to work with the Tibetan Transit School (TTS) students
as most of them were newcomers from Tibet and as a result, had a direct connection to the
situations on the Tibetan Plateau today. However, the students tended to be much older, had
less experience with a western approach to education, and had limited English skills. This
made the workshops more challenging as the team not only had to help the students learn
how to think about the material, but also translate everything into Tibetan in a clear and
concise manner. The team believes that the Transit School has the most potential for change
directly in Tibet, considering the student’s eagerness to return, but found that the workshop
material could not encompass this aspect. The was largely due to the fact that all materials,
handouts, and videos were in English that prevented the students from fully grasping the
concepts. In addition, the late afternoon and monsoon humidity during these sessions
resulted in a decrease in participation and excitement. Unlike the other three schools, the
students in the TTS were not selected on an interest basis, resulting in varying levels of
participation among the students. However, looking at the online reflections in this school,
the objectives of the peace project were met as the majority saw the value in strategic
nonviolence.
25

6.0.0 - Lessons Learned
6.1.0 - Facilitation/Instructing Skills
Over the course of the workshop implementation, it was important that with the inevitable
time constraints, we could teach the required material in an effective manner that produced
the best results for the students. This meant that methodologies had to adapt to learning
styles, age groups, and varying student demographics. As a result, the team had a
professional facilitator from SFT sit in and monitor the instructor’s performance for the first
workshop. At the end of the week, everyone had a private meeting with the professional
facilitator where they received feedback on their roles. These included:
• Asking students lots of questions
• Allowing students to come up with answers instead of simply stating them
• Creating a comfortable environment that encourages active discussion
• Being conscious of the lesson’s timeframe
• Being confident and leading discussion
• Helping bring students back to the point after diversions
• Learning how to talk to different age groups
• Connecting lessons to previous experiences and real life examples
• Creating relevance and referring back to previously taught topics
• Making sure that everyone's input is valued
• Keeping students focused, motivated, and enthusiastic
• Helping students learn from each other
• Facilitating activities to demonstrate concepts
• Discouraging personal opinions from subject matter
• Creating an environment in which the learning experience is for everyone, not just the
students themselves.
• Not coming off as lecturers dictating concepts but as helpers so that the students to
discover on their own
• Observing student vibes and knowing when to reiterate, clarify, and when to continue on to
the next topic.
• Keeping in mind the language barrier and checking if the students really understood what
you were talking about
• Having a sense of where the students are intellectually and what they already know about
the subject matter
6.2.0 - Organizational Skills
The Pema Peace Project allowed the team to develop advanced organizational skills such as
logistical groundwork, development of materials, and implementation strategies. The
logistical groundwork consisted of contacting school principals and higher school officials for
permissions, space, and time to run the workshops. It also included checking the facilities
26

provided, coming up with a strategy to recruit students on an interest basis, allocating a space
to prepare refreshments, and figuring out the time frame for the workshops. Development of
the materials consisted of coming up with a reasonable five-day syllabus, creating all the
handouts and materials that relate to that syllabus, acquiring videos and books in
consideration of copyright laws, organizing outside speakers, and creating guidelines and
‘cheat sheets’ for instructors. The implementation strategies consisted mainly of coordination
between the implementation team, school principals, school students, outside speakers, and
educational directors. It also included the printing of materials in a timely manner, acquiring
the workshops stationaries, buying refreshments for breaks, organizing transportation for the
implementation team, and organizing promotional materials such as t-shirts, stickers, and
banners.
6.3.0 - Fund Management Skills
It was very important for the implementation team to keep detailed track of all the project
expenditures so that through a statistical post analysis, the team could observe the cash flow.
This consisted of day-to-day itemized expenditure, receipt tracking and organization,
strategically maximizing the exchange rates, and itemized tagging and categorizing. Using
statistical methodologies, we could follow the details of how the funds were spent and where.
As a result, the team can make more accurate and effective budget formulations and know
how to handle them for projects in the future.
6.4.0 - Dealing with Politics
It is natural that minor political problems arise in the course of the project. Fortunately it was
absolutely clear that the smooth implementation of the workshops was everyone's first
priority and that behind the scene complications would be dealt with separately. In numerous
instances we found the need to place ourselves into the mentality of the Tibetan culture, look
at it from their point of view, and give up some of our proposals so as to come to a
compromise. Moreover, during complications along the way we learned that keeping all
details transparent and making everything absolutely clear to all parties concerned helped to
avoid further complications.
6.5.0 - Diplomacy Skills
As Project Managers, we had correspondences with many of the parties involved. When
dealing with higher school officials, we learned that simply stating that we were interested in
carrying out workshops of a specified length was not the way to go. Instead we provided the
school officials various time frames that ranged from five to ten days and left it for them to
decide what works best given their circumstances and schedules. This allowed the workshops
to fit perfectly into the TCV schedules and also gave us full cooperation with the
administrations of the individual schools.
27

7.0.0 - Continuing Team Roles
Leif and Benedikt will continue to act as project managers and facilitate raising more funds
for additional workshops and other project activities such as the website. Leif and Benedikt
will also be giving presentations in the US to raise awareness and initiative dialog in this
subject matter. They also hope to go to SFT training camps to become better facilitators and
instructors for Direct Nonviolent Action relating to Tibet. In addition, Leif and Benedikt will be
coordinating with members of the implementation team to keep activities going in
Dharamsala throughout the year.
Wangchen will act as the India-Based Coordinator for the project and will be responsible for
implementing small website promotional workshops for Tibetans to learn more about the site
and how to interact with it. Wangchen will also help plan further workshops with Leif and
Benedikt and be involved in all matters relating to the project and its future. He will also be
involved with website monitoring and managing. Wangchen is considered to be an honored
permanent member of the Pema Peace Project initiative.
8.0.0 - On Going Activities
8.1.0 - FutureWorkshops
This project was very motivating to the facilitators and has made us want to continue running
these kinds of workshops in the future. Next year, we hope to raise more funds for the project
and run workshops in South India in the settlements in Bylakuppe and in the Kodaikanal
community and schools. We feel that the diaspora of Tibetans in the world would benefit from
these kinds of initiatives and therefore hope to be able to target them in the years to come. In
addition, if the project grows, we hope to take what we learnt from the Tibetan context and
run workshops of this sort for other minorities like the Palestinians in Palestine. We also hope
to increase the scope of the project towards college students along with setting up a program
to teach students how to facilitate and become trainers themselves. With hard work and
motivation, perhaps these goals can be accomplished for the future of peace not only in Tibet
but for other regions of the world. As Gene Sharp said, “Nonviolent struggle is identified by
what people do, not by what they believe”. This is exactly the philosophy that has made the
Pema Peace Project what it is today with the hard work of people from around the world who
chose to act in honor of Pema Norbu and his noble venture.
8.2.0 -Website Management
With the release of the project’s website, there is a need for continued maintenance,
monitoring, and support. Leif, Benedikt, and Wangchen will be involved in improving and
updating the system, maintaining the‘about’sections and resource pages, making it easier for
people to find what they are looking for, handling registrations, monitoring the posts and
28

filtering out spam and irrelevant material, handling security and preventing hacking,
analyzing website statistics and customer service related issues, and actively promoting
interest in the Tibetan cause.
8.3.0 - Fundraisers
Leif and Benedikt will continue to look for more funding for further projects. This includes
new grant proposals, the selling of promotional materials, and informational presentations to
attract new participants.
9.0.0 - Annex Documents
1. Recommendation Letters
1.1. ANEC
1.2. Upper TCV
1.3. TCV Gopalpur
2. Workshop Manual
3. Project Certificate
29

ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE EDUCATION CENTER (ANEC)
ANEC
Registered under Himachal Pradesh RegistrationAct of 1860
Website: www.anec.org.in
Ref. N o . :
The PEMA PEACE PROJECT (PPP) which was recently implemented by two peace loving intimate college
friends of Late Mr. Pema Norbu- former student of Tibetan Children's Village, Gopalpur and Earlham College -
Mr. Leif De Jong and Mr. Benedikt Urban from the US with gracious support, active co-operation and
continued guidance of the Active Nonviolence Education Center (ANEC) - a legally registered Tibetan Non-
Governmental Organization based in Dharamsala.
The month long PPP was a real success in that the participants of the workshops evinced tremendous interest,
enthusiasm and excitement throughout the entire process of the training sessions. Mr. Leif De Jong, Mr.
Benedikt Urban, (Managers of the PPP) along with ANEC Training Officers Ms. Tenzin Dasel and Ms. Phurbu
Dolma as the four main facilitators presented a real impressive performance in educating the active, enthusiastic
workshop participants in all the four Tibetan Schools in Dharamsala.
The ANEC Executive Director Mr. Tenpa C. Samkhar closely and carefully monitored and oversaw the entire
proceedings of the PPP workshops with introductory and concluding speeches in all four Schools, that is, three
TCV schools and the Tibetan Transit School.
Dr. Mary Gendler, Rabbi Everett Gendler, ANEC Chief Resource Persons, and Dr. Carol Hunter, Project
Faculty Advisor from Earlham College played a crucial role behind the overall success of the PPP. Our
profound sense of gratitude and appreciation remain deeply imbedded in our hearts for their invaluable
guidance, co-operation and solidarity for the PPP. We also heartily thank the Earlham College, Richmond,
Indiana, USA, for graciously funding the PPP.
Our special thanks to the TCV President, Education Director, Directors and Principals of the three TCV Schools
and Director and Principal of the Tibetan Transit School for their indispensable cooperation and hospitality
without which the PPP would not have been a success.
Mr. Wangchen, younger brother of Late Mr. Pema Norbu, Ms. Dawa Lokyitsang, Mr. Pema Tashi, and Mr.
Jamphel Lhundup also extended their co-operaion and assistance in the smooth running of the month long PPP.
Our sense of appreciation for the hard work and dedication put in by Mr. Leif De Jong and Mr. Benedikt Urban
deserves special mention. The continuation of such workshops is seen important for educating the Tibetan
Diaspora on active nonviolence. .
House No. 262,1st Floor, Khajanchi Mohalla, Khunyara Road, Dharamsala -176 215 Distt. Kangra (H.P.) INDIA
Email: executive_directoranec@yahoo.com, traineranec@yahoo.com
Phone No.: (01892) 228121 (Office) Cell Phones : 91480 - 94476, 94189 -87745, 98166 -36762
Tenpa C. Samkhar (Mr.)
(Executive Director)- Active Nonviolence Education Center
Former Tibetan Cabinet Secretary for Political Affairs

To Whom It May Concern
Ref: Benedikt and Leif
This is to certify that Benedikt and Leif had conducted a workshop titled ‘Pema
Peace Project’ in collaboration with Active Non-Violence Education Centre
(ANEC) based in Dharamshala for five days in Tibetan Children’s Village School,
Dharamshala Cantt. Kangra, H.P. India from June 17-22, 2013. A total of 25
students from Class XI Commerce stream were selected on the basis of their
interests and had participated in the workshop. As per the participants’ feedback,
they expressed that they gained knowledge and learnt much from attending the
workshop. They enjoyed attending the workshop since it was highly interactive and
involved many games that kept them engaged and never got bored attending the
workshop. They also gave the feedback that they had the opportunity to learn many
non-violent strategies and tactics that they found so important and valuable in
resolving problems and conflicts. They gained self-confidence and had the
opportunity to express their views freely with no fear and judgment. Students also
recommend that such workshop should be held again in the school for building
strong character of students so that they do not become impatient and believe in the
importance of active non-violent methods as right form of action for resolving the
Tibetan national cause. They watched some documentary films that were powerful
and had strong impact on them. Students also expressed that Benedict and Leif
were very friendly and supportive and conducted the workshop with confidence
and resourcefulness. Moreover, Benedict spoke Tibetan fluently and this was an
added advantage that helped them to develop quick acquaintance and rapport with
the Tibetan students.
Considering the concerned students’ very positive feedback, we congratulate both
Benedict and Leif on the successful conclusion of the workshop and having
strengthening our student’s believe and conviction in active non-violence
resistance.
Mr. Namdol Tashi Mrs. Nawang Lhamo
P R I N C I P A L H E A D M I S T R E S S
Date: 5/8/2013

{'o*'Sr'{1'{ol'B*'iI
OS TIBETAN CHILDR N'S VI, GE SC
-
copalpur Vill. Darati, P.O. Chachian - 176059 Distt. Kangra (H.P.) INDIA
(Affiliated to'Central BoarcJ of Secondary Education - New Dethi, Affiliation No. 630066, School No, 4390)
Patron : HIS HOLINESS IHE DALAI LAMA
Feedback on Pema P
A workshop Organized by Lef De Jong and Benedikt Urban
Earlham College, USA
Hosted by
TCV Gopalpur
We are more than honored to host the workshop in honor of one of our former student late Pema
Norbu who was an exemplary to others in many ways. I was also very much encouraged by the work
done by Leif and Benedict of Earlham College who took special responsibility to complete the unfulfilled
dream of late Pema Norbu and for the immense support given by Earlham collage for them'
As for the participants, I have given opportunity to 4 students from each class on voluntary basis but I
came to know that they are more participants than what I have expected. Hence 34 students from class
Xl and Xll took part in the workshop.We have chosen the Montessori section as venue as it's the most
suitable for that. I have done my part to the fullest.
I always look for opportunities where our children could learn new things and new skills which they
won't get in the classroom. I felt the topic very interesting and very relevant to our context. lt is
important that they should know the concept very clear and the organizers did it through handouts,
discussion, movie screening etc. n
I personally think that it is important to teach direct non violent actions to the Tibetan students as it is
important and relevant. Since the workshop was done during summer time table for those who are not
in the cultural activities of the school hence it doesn't affect their academic as well as co-curricular
activities of the school. Thus I would strongly recommend such workshops during that time in TCV
schools.
As far as the organizers are concerned both of them are open, confident, speak fluent English and are
skillful in conducting the program and interacting with the students. They have lot of energy.
E-mail : gopalpurtcv@yahoo.co. uk
Website : www.gopur.org
Telefax :
Tel :
:
:
91-1894-252268
91 -1 894-256005 (Director)
91-1894-252269 (Off.)
91 -1 894-25239 1 (Principal)
91-1894-252109 (H M Sr.)
91-1894-252945 (H M Jr.)

Workshop Manual
Supported by:

Table of Contents
Syllabus! 5
Day 1 - Introductions, Familiarity, and Nonviolence! 5
Day 2 - Introduction to Power and Strategic Nonviolence! 6
Day 3 - Understanding Power, Obedience, & the Pillars of Support! 7
Day 4 - Active Nonviolent Action for Tibetans! 8
Day 5 - Connecting the Dots, Blogging, and Closure! 8
Activity: The Big Wind Blows! 10
Activity: Spectrum Violence vs. Nonviolence! 11
Importance of Nonviolence for Tibet! 12
Nonviolent Strategies and Tactics! 13
What are Strategies?! 13
What are Tactics?! 14
Tools for Tactics! 14
What is Active Nonviolent Action?! 15
What is Nonviolence to You?! 15
Clarifying Popular Misconception on Nonviolence! 15
Key to Understanding Nonviolent Action! 16
Methods of Nonviolent Action! 16
198 Methods of Nonviolent Action (Gene Sharp)! 17
Three Principles of Nonviolence! 19
1. Unity! 19
Page 2

2. Planning! 20
3. Discipline! 20
Bringing Down A Dictator: Small Group Discussions! 21
Objective! 21
Questions! 21
Group Reporting! 21
Chair Activity: Understanding Power! 22
Objective! 22
Sample Questions from Students! 22
Key Concepts on Types of Power! 22
What is Power?! 23
What is Political Power?! 23
Sources of Power! 23
Understanding Obedience! 25
Example: Student-Teacher! 25
Why do People Obey?! 25
Concepts of Obedience! 25
Pillars of Support! 28
Functions of Pillars of Support! 28
Identiﬁcation of Pillars of Support! 28
Activity: Mattress Activity! 29
Objective! 29
How to Play! 29
Activity: Student Skits! 30
Page 3

Objective! 30
Activity! 30
Outside Speaker (Dawa Noneya): On the Lhakar
Movement! 31
What are the levels of Risk?! 31
Why Lhakar Matters?! 31
Individual Actions! 32
Collective Actions! 32
Website! 33
Objective! 33
Using the Site! 33
About your Reﬂection! 34
Page 4

Syllabus
Day 1 - Introductions, Familiarity, and Nonviolence
Pema’s Story
Who Pema Was by Wangchen Tsering (Pema Norbu’s Brother)
Project Facilitator - Pema Peace Project
Time: 2:30pm - 2:40pm
Welcome and Introductions
Time: 2:40pm - 3:10pm
Opening Speech by Mr. Tenpa C. Samkhar
Executive Director – Active Nonviolence Education Center (ANEC)
India based Coordinator (ANEC) - The Pema Peace Project
Time: 2:40pm - 3:10pm
What is the Pema Peace Project by Leif DeJong and Benedikt Urban
Project Managers - The Pema Peace Project
Time: 3:10pm - 3:30pm
Activity: Getting to Know Everyone - The Big Wing Blows
Objective: Help students become more familiar with the people around them
Time: 3:30pm - 3:40pm
Activity: Getting to Know You - Names and Background
Objective: Help students and the instructors get to know each other more personally
Time: 3:40pm - 4:00pm
Page 5

Activity: Spectrum (Violence vs. Nonviolence)
Objective: Help students think through what is violence and what is nonviolence
Time: 4:00pm - 4:20pm
Break
Tea, snacks, and fun
Time: 4:20pm - 4:30pm
Lecture: Importance of Nonviolence for Tibet by Phurbu Dolma
Objective: Help students understand why nonviolence is the only and best way for Tibet
Time: 4:30pm - 4:50pm
Video: Lhakar - Tibetan Grassroots Movement
Time: 4:50pm - 5:00pm
Day 2 - Introduction to Power and Strategic Nonviolence
Lecture: Learning How to Think by Leif DeJong
Objective: Help students understanding a different approach to thinking in order to
understand Direct Nonviolent Action
Time: 2:30pm - 2:50pm
Presentation: What is Active Nonviolent Action? by Wangchen
Objective: Help students understand what Active Nonviolent Action is and the principles that
are associated with the concept
Time: 2:50pm - 3:10pm
Lecture: Bringing Down a Dictator by Dasel
Objective: Help students understand the Serbian background behind the movie Bringing
Down a Dictator and what to think about as the students watch
Time: 3:10pm - 3:25pm
Brief Break
Take a quick break before the movie
Time: 3:25pm - 3:30pm
Movie: Bringing Down a Dictator
Time: 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Break
Time: 4:30pm - 4:35pm
Page 6

Activity: Strategy Groups for Bringing Down a Dictator
Objective: Help students understand direct nonviolent strategies and tactics by splitting up
into small strategy groups and trying to answer some questions regarding the details in the
movie Bring Down a Dictator. After this, each student group will report what they found
Time: 4:35pm - 5:00pm
Day 3 - Understanding Power, Obedience, & the Pillars of Support
Activity: Chair Activity on Power
Objective: Help students think about power by having 3 random students sit on chairs and
discuss what makes one student on a certain chair more powerful than the other
Time: 2:30pm - 2:45pm
Presentation: What is Power? by Benedikt Urban
Objective: Help students understand what is power, how it can be understood, and how it
relates to Direct Nonviolent Action
Time: 2:45pm - 3:05pm
Discussion: Why do People Obey? by Leif DeJong
Objective: Help students analyze why people obey using an example of a student’s
relationship to his or her teacher
Time: 3:05pm - 3:20pm
Presentation: What is Obedience? by Leif DeJong
Objective: Help students understand obedience by analyzing why people obey and how
disobedience is the driving force behind Direct Nonviolent Action
Time: 3:20pm - 3:40pm
Break
Time: 3:40pm - 3:50pm
Presentation: Understanding the Pillars of Support
by Dasel and Phurbu Dolma
Objective: Help students understand what keeps an injustice system in power by analyzing
the Pillars of Support and how they relate to Sino-Tibetan conflict
Time: 3:50pm - 4:20pm
Page 7

Activity: Mattress Activity
Objective: Help students actually try to bring down Pillars of Support that relate to the Sino-
Tibetan conflict
Time: 4:20pm - 4:35pm
Instructors Skit
Objective: Help students understand what is expected for the Student Skits that will take
place the next day
Skit Objective: The student skits will be on using nonviolent strategy to bring down a Pillar of
Support that relates to the Sino-Tibetan conflict
Time: 4:35pm - 4:45pm
Homework: Students Skit
Objective: Help students prepare and clarify doubts about the objective, Pillars of Support,
and background knowledge for the skit
Time: 4:45pm - 5:00pm
Day 4 - Active Nonviolent Action for Tibetans
Student Presentations: Skits
Objective: Each team will take 12 minutes to present their skit to the class
Time: 2:30pm - 3:50pm
Break
Time: 3:50pm - 4:00pm
Presentation: Lhakar Nonviolent Movement by Dawa Noneya
Objective: This will help the students learn about actual efforts for Direct Nonviolent Action in
the Tibetan context
Time: 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Day 5 - Connecting the Dots, Blogging, and Closure
Discussion: Connecting the Dots by Leif DeJong and Benedikt Urban
Objective: Help students bring all pieces of what they have learned together and understand
how each concept relates to one another and make up what is known as Direct Nonviolent
Action
Time: 2:30pm - 3:00pm
Page 8

Lecture: The Objective of PemaPeaceProject.org by Leif DeJong
Objective: Help students understand the purpose and use of PemaPeaceProject.org
Time: 3:00pm 3:10pm
Presentation: Website Training by Leif DeJong
Objective: Help students learn how to use WordPress to blog in PemaPeaceProject.org
Time: 3:10pm to 3:20pm
Break
Time: 3:20pm - 3:30pm
Activity: Student Blogging
Objective: Help students do self-reflections by writing their story of what they learned about
active nonviolent action, what interests them in the subject matter, and what they think can
be done about the Sino-Tibetan conflict.
Time: 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Closing Statements
Time: 4:30pm - 4:50pm
Closing Statement by Mr. Tenpa C. Samkhar (ANEC)
Executive Director – Active Nonviolence Education Center (ANEC)
India based Coordinator - The Pema Peace Project
Time: 4:30pm - 4:40pm
Closing Statement by Leif DeJong and Benedikt Urban
Project Managers - The Pema Peace Project
Time: 4:40pm - 4:45pm
Closing Statement by Wangchen Tsering (Pema Norbu’s Brother)
Project Facilitator - Pema Peace Project
Time: 4:45pm - 4:50pm
Closing Ceremonies
Objective: Hand out certificates and gifts while saying our good byes :-)
Time: 4:50pm - 5:00pm
Page 9

Activity: The Big Wind Blows
Objective:
The objective of the activity is to have participants and facilitators shuffle up and sit next to a
new person as well as obtain a sense of the people involved in the workshop.
Rules:
There are just enough seats in the circle for everyone but you. You are the big wind, and
whoever you blow on has to move. Instead of blowing, you call out,
“The big wind blows on everyone who...”
and then add your own description.
For example,“everyone who wears black socks,”or“everyone who was born in Tibet”.
Everyone who fits the description must get up and change seats. Each participant must not
sit next to the person they previously sat next to. In the general commotion, you try to get a
seat also. Whoever is left standing there, gets to be the Big Wind next time. If the Big Wind
calls“hurricane”then everyone has to shuffle and change seats.
Page 10

Activity: Spectrum Violence vs. Nonviolence
Objective:
Help students think through what is violence, what is nonviolence, and how it can be applied
to Tibet.
Question:
Do you think that the Tibetan situation can be solved with violence of nonviolence?
Rules:
The activity has a spectrum with two extremes. Once the question is posed, each student
picks a spot on the spectrum based on the extent to which to which he/she feels is the answer
to the question. For instance, in the question;
Do you think that the Tibetan situation can be solved with violence of nonviolence?
The two extremes on the spectrum are Violence on one end and Nonviolence on the other.
Depending on a student’s answer, he/she picks a spot on the spectrum that the student feels
is his/her answer i.e. violence, nonviolence, neutral or somewhere in between the two. Once
positions are taken, the students ask their neighbors to the left and the right and spark
debate from their differing positions. If students are convinced of the neighbors justifications,
he/she can also switch positions and engage in new discussion with other students along the
spectrum.
In some cases, you will see groups of students that think alike. In those cases, split them up
into discussion groups and have them report back what they talked about.
Page 11

Importance of Nonviolence for Tibet
A Few Reasons why Tibetans Should follow the path of Nonviolence:
1. His Holiness the Dalai Lama said:
“Firstly, our basic principle is nonviolence. Second, in our case violence is almost like suicide.
And I think most importantly, whether we like it or not, we have to live with our Chinese
brothers and sisters side by side. So in order to live happily, friendly, with affection, it is very,
very essential that while we are carrying out this movement we must follow the nonviolent
principle so that later we can live happily. If violence is involved there will be bloodshed, and
bloodshed means more casualties among the Chinese. And of course Tibetans will also suffer.”
2. Population wise we are incapable of waging war through violence. With 6 million Tibetans
vs. 1.4 billion Chinese, Tibetans do not have external weapons like guns, tanks, and nuclear
weapons, where as China does.
3. International community and NGO’s give moral and practical support to Tibetans because
of Tibetans resorting to Nonviolence. If Tibetans turn to violence, this support would be
gone.
4. Nonviolence can accommodate large variety of people such as elders, young people,
woman, children, and men. In a violent movement, only well trained officials can
participate.
5. Nonviolence is a people’s movement against the injustice whereas violence is a movement
of a Military Government to resolve the issue based on their command.
6. If Tibetans resort to violence, it helps the Chinese government, as this gives them an
excuse to use their violent repression on Tibetan people. To provoke the Tibetans to resort
to violence is a strategy of the Chinese Government, as they clearly know that Tibetans are
Weak in violent resources, and the Chinese are stronger in them.
Page 12

Nonviolent Strategies and Tactics
What are Strategies?
A “strategy” entails how an objective is to be attained and serves to coordinate an entire
movement. It is a plan for how to implement an objective.
Determining your strategy increases the likelihood of success. By thinking about strategy, you
will better understand the current reality of any situation and how to better move forward
through the future.
Good strategies lay out strategic, achievable and measurable objectives.
Developing Strategies
• Selecting key objectives and appropriate targets (people, organizations, laws, etc.)
reaching a clear understanding of the specific interim goals to implement the strategy.
• Reviewing your resources: Understanding allies and opponents, resources available and
needed (ie: people, time, money, etc.)
• Deciding which tactics to use and when
• Implementing the tactics chosen
• Monitoring and assessing the results of your tactics to apply the lessons learned to
plan your next steps
How Strategy Can Helps You
• keep the initiative in your hands
• enhance your ability to see opportunities
• use your strengths to best advantage; and
• minimize your weaknesses.
Page 13

What are Tactics?
A “tactic” is a specific or concrete action taken to affect a given situation. A tactic is an
implementation tool for a given strategy. Strategy is the theory and a Tactic is the
implementation.
Tools for Tactics
Know Yourself
You have to know yourself, your strengths and capabilities along with your limitations and
weaknesses for success. It’s also important to assess who your allies are and where you can
find support.
Know Your Adversary
You have to know your opponent, their goals, strategies, strengths, and weaknesses. Its
important to analyze your adversary so that you can better prepare strategies and tactics that
can target their vulnerabilities.
Know the Terrain
You have to know your terrain, the context that you will be working in (ie: Tibet). Research the
terrain, determine the best route for action, and make decisions based on these conditions.
Page 14

What is Active Nonviolent Action?
What is Nonviolence to You?
What is Nonviolence to you? How did that change after watching the Lhakar Video?
Clarifying Popular Misconception on Nonviolence
1. The simple‘Absence of physical violence’does not mean that nonviolent action is
occurring. “It is the type of activity that identifies the technique of nonviolent action, not the
belief behind the activity” - Gene Sharp
2. Nonviolent action has nothing to do with passivity, submissiveness, or cowardice. Just as
in violent action, these must first be rejected and overcome before the struggle can
proceed.
3. Nonviolent action is a means of conducting conflicts and can be very powerful, but it is an
extremely different phenomenon from violence of all types.
4. Nonviolent action is at least as much of a Western phenomenon as an Eastern one. Indeed,
it is probably more Western, if one takes into account the widespread use of strikes and
economic boycotts in the labor movements, the noncooperation struggles of
subordinated European nationalities, and the struggles against dictatorships.
5. In order to use nonviolent action effectively, people do not have to be pacifists or saints.
Nonviolent action has been pre-dominantly and successfully practiced by“ordinary”
people.
6. In nonviolent action, there is no assumption that the opponents will refrain from using
violence against nonviolent resisters. In fact, the technique is capable of operating against
violence.
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7. One of the many widely believed myths about conflict is that violence works quickly, and
nonviolent struggle takes a long time to bring results. This is not true. Some wars and
other violent struggles have been fought for many years, even decades. Some nonviolent
struggles have brought victories very quickly, even within days or weeks. The time taken
to achieve victory with this technique depends on diverse factors—including the strength
of the nonviolent resisters and the wisdom of their actions.
Key to Understanding Nonviolent Action
“Nonviolent struggle is identified by what people do, not by what they believe” - Gene Sharp
As the above quote states, nonviolence is defined more by its actions than just the believe.
Most people may believe in nonviolence as a principle, but what becomes more important is
the implementation of the believe into an active nonviolent action through well planned
strategies and tactics.
For Instance, the people of Kham, Nangchen (as shown in the Lhakar video) believed in
nonviolence. The mere believe in nonviolence is ineffective, rather symbolic and will not bring
change. It is only after the implementation of a nonviolent tactic such as the economic
boycott that nonviolence became an effective approach and forced some Chinese stores to
shut down. The mere believe in nonviolence makes the struggle passive while the
implementation of a nonviolent strategy is what makes it an active struggle. It is important to
draw this distinction as it clears the popular misconception students have of nonviolence.
Besides simply believing in nonviolence and keeping the Lhakar Grassroots Movement video
in mind, think of an activity that you were actively involved as part of the implementation of
the nonviolent tactic.
Methods of Nonviolent Action
There exist 198 Nonviolent Strategies formulated by Gene Sharp
They are categorized into three groups:
1. Protest and Persuasion: Includes actions such as petitions, leaflets, wearing of symbols,
protests etc... This category is primarily symbolic and is considered the least intense
nonviolent approach.
2. Noncooperation/Disobedience: Methods consist of social, economic, political forms of
noncooperation such as strikes, work slowdowns, withdrawals from Bank account,
boycotts of certain consumers products. Noncooperation means that people stop obeying
the opponent and deny and withdraw their support from the opponents systems of
power.
3. Nonviolent Intervention: This group includes actions such as sit-ins, overloading of
facilities, establishing parallel institutions, occupying buildings, acts of civil disobedience
and deliberately seeking imprisonment. These methods directly disrupt the ability of the
opponent to function.
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198 Methods of Nonviolent Action (Gene Sharp)
Page 17

Three Principles of Nonviolence
Introducing three concepts important in active nonviolence. These three principles provide
weapons to the nonviolent strategy just like guns do to the military.
1. Unity
Three Steps to Unity
• Unity of Purpose
• Unity within organization
• Unity of People
Unity of Purpose
Unity of Purpose means unity of commitment and sincerity to achieve the common goal; that
is Unity within organization and organizers, and unity of people and leaders for the common
goal. Here the purpose means both short and long term goals.
For example:
• Short Term Goals for Tibetans include basic human rights, freedom of religion, freedom
of press, freedom of language and culture, stop discrimination, stop culture genocide,
stop torturing prisoners etc...
• Long Term Goals for Tibetans include things like complete independence or the middle
way approach
For nonviolent strategy, there must be unity from organizers and people (participants). There
must be unity within organization and organizers, and unity of people rather than
differentiation on different ideologies.
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2. Planning
Planning is a strategy which means the art and science of nonviolent military command or
applied to the overall planning plus conduct of large-scale combat operation. The strategic
mind should therefore be visionary base facts to achieve realistic and achievable goals.
Planning has two steps:
a. Building Strategy is the overall objective of a nonviolent movement and deciding
how one can go about achieving that objective. These strategies include times,
venues, tactics, materials etc.. For example, building a strategy would involve all the
planning for the freedom of religious practices in Tibet. How one goes about it is
decided by the various different tactics that make up the grant strategy.
b. Linking Tactics are a very essential bridge or connectivity to keep continuously non-
violent movement by linking the action-panned for next day or next weeks.
High Risk Vs Low Risk
High Risk: More Risky and Lower Participation
• Example: 2008 Protest in Tibet, Tiananmen Square Massacre
Low Risk: Low Risk and Higher Participation
• Example:‘I am Tibetan’campaign, Economic Boycott in Kham
3. Discipline
The discipline must be knowledgeable by both participants and organizers for the success of
non-violent movement.
Non-violent Discipline has four essential points:
1. Conscious commitment
2. Nonviolent forces for change base on effective guidelines
3. Within the leaders and the people
4. Moral and Physical Discipline base on holistic approach of positive effect of the action
Page 20

Bringing Down A Dictator:
Small Group Discussions
Objective
Students will split up into groups and discuss what strategies and tactics they noticed from
the movie Bringing Down A Dictator. In doing so, students will try to understand Power,
Obedience, and Methods of Nonviolent Action.
Questions
Students will discuss the following questions amongst themselves and have one person who
will be recording the discussion so that they can report on it to the class.
1. What gave Milosevic Power? Who really had the power by the end of the story?
2. What were some of the effective strategies and various tactics carried out by Otpor to
cripple Milosevic?
3. Where did you see Unity, Discipline and Planning? How is it important?
4. Why was it important to not use retaliatory violence towards the police?
5. How were the students prepared for violence? Did they train? Did they have networks?
6. Why did people disobey Milosevic despite the consequences?
Group Reporting
At the end of the small group discussions, the one students delegated as the reporter will
present to the class what their group talked about.
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Chair Activity: Understanding Power
Objective
Help students think about power by having three random students sit on chairs and discuss
what makes one student on a certain chair more powerful than the other. Students can
rearrange the chairs and reposition themselves to make their power more legitimate.
Sample Questions from Students
1. Which chair is the most powerful?
2. Why is this chair more powerful than another chair?
3. Do you think this chair is more powerful because of this...? Disagreements?
Key Concepts on Types of Power
Power-Over
Exercising power as a system of rewards, punishments, and manipulation to force someone to
do something they don’t choose to do.
Power-With-Others
The ability to influence and take action based on uniting with others. Power comes from
community, solidarity, and mutual cooperation.
Power-From-Within
The ability to influence and take action based on intention, clarity of vision, or charisma. This
involves planning, analysis, strategies, and tactics.
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What is Power?
What is Political Power?
“Political power is totality of means, influences, and pressures -including authority, rewards, and
sanctions available to achieve the objectives of the power-holder, especially those of government,
the state, and those groups in opposition” - Dr Gene Sharp
In other words, Power is all the resources (i.e. votes, economic resources etc.) available to the
power-holder to achieve his objectives.
Think of Teacher-Student relationship, what are the factors that give a teacher more power
than a student?
Sources of Power
Authority
Authority may be defined as the right to command and direct, to be heard or obeyed by
others. It is made up of people voluntarily approving to the government and therefore
existing without the imposition of sanctions. The ruler can rule cause the people‘legitimize’ his
claim to power.
Example: The votes won by a leader in a democracy is likely to give him rightful authority and
serve as a source of power.
Human Resources
A ruler’s power is affected by the number of persons who obey him, cooperate with him, or
provide with special assistance, as well as by the proportion of such persons in the general
population, and the extent and forms of their organizations.
Example: Party Members, Soldiers, Civil Servants, Government Officials
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Skills and Knowledge
The ruler’s power is also affected by the skills, knowledge and abilities of such persons, and
the relation of their skills, knowledge and ability to his needs.
Example: The skills and knowledge of the people who obey and work for the ruler. i.e. a
soldier with military training, a civil servant with skills on propaganda usage in the state
media.
Intangible Factors
Psychological and ideological factors, such as habits and attitudes toward obedience and
submission, and the presence or absence of common faith, ideology, or sense of mission, all
affect the power of the ruler in relation to the people.
Example: Factors such as religious ideology, habit, charismatic leader that make people
submit and obey to the ruler.
Material Resources
The degree to which the ruler controls property, natural resources, financial resources, the
economic system, mean of communication and transportation helps to determine the limits
of his power.
Sanctions (Punishments)
The final source of the ruler’s power is the type and extent of sanctions at his disposal, both
for the use against his own subjects and in conflict with other rulers.
Example: The power to to carry out repression to create fear and intimidation among the
people and hence force people to obey.
Gene Sharp has formulated six sources of power. To attain power, a power-holder does not
necessarily require all the sources of power.
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Understanding Obedience
Help students understand obedience, the factors that lead people to obey, and how the
premise of Direct Nonviolent Action is based on strategic disobedience.
Example: Student-Teacher
Have a discussion about a student’s relationship to their teacher and what happens when
they obey or disobey their teacher.
Questions
1. Why do you obey your teacher? What happens if you disobey?
2. Think of a time when you obeyed? Why did you obey? What happened?
3. Time when you disobeyed? Why did you disobey? What happened?
“The most important single quality of any government, without which it would not exist, must be
the obedience and submission of its subjects” -Gene Sharp
Why do People Obey?
1. How do rulers maintain political domination over all the people?
2. Why do the people in such large numbers, even when it is clearly not in their best interest,
submit to and obey the ruler?
3. Why do people obey? What is it about instinct and ideas that influence this?
Concepts of Obedience
Habit
Habit is a factor that makes people obey. By nature, human beings are rigged to obeying
authority starting from parents, teachers, bosses, and then the ruling party’s authority.
Recruiting to the military is a method that the government uses to reinforce obedience where
their soldiers act without question.
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In order for Direct Nonviolent Action to work, one must have discipline to break these habits
and disobey.
Fear of Sanctions
A sanction is another word for punishments or restrictions put on individuals or groups of
individuals in order to deter them from disobeying. Human beings obey the current ruler for
fear of the sanctions such as the lose of property rights, voting rights, traveling rights, citizen
rights, and freedom rights (ie: jail).
In order for Direct Nonviolent Action to work, the people must be willing and fully understand
the risk of losing many benefits for the sake of a leadership change. They must be completely
convinced that a successful nonviolent movement will outweigh the risks of disobeying.
Self-Interest
Many people say they dislike their government yet they actively support it. This is a result of
self-interest; the benefits an individual receives from the ruler and how that outweighs the
disadvantages of disobeying. Self-interest is often executed in the forms of rewards such as
health care, emergency response, communications, and other similar government benefit.
In order for Direct Nonviolent Action to work, the people must be completely convinced that
a successful nonviolent movement will outweigh the risks of disobeying and losing the
benefits the ruler provides them personally.
Moral Obligation
Some laws are set up to protect the public from harm and other laws such as taxes that allow
there to be societal benefits to the people like public transportation. These kinds of laws are
initiated and enforced by a particular ruler that the people must accept and practice if they
want the benefit. This creates a moral obligation for people in a society of other people to
obey in order for everyone to reap the benefits. People who disagree with their rulers but still
obey do it because they can’t imagine a better alternative than the one they have now.
In order for Direct Nonviolent Action to work, the people must be convinced that the benefits
of a leadership change outweigh the disadvantages of disobeying the current ruler and that
their moral obligation lies with the people, not the ruler.
Superhuman Factors
Some rulers are given a super human and godly representation. When a ruler is thought to be
all-powerful by the laws of god, many fear to disobey that ruler.
In order for Direct Nonviolent Action to work, the people must be able to understand the
reality that all people are created equal and are not by nature more or less powerful that the
others around them. This will help give them some confidence to disobey the current
“omnipotent - all powerful”ruler.
Page 26

Psychological Identification with the Rulers
Some people view rulers as an extension of their own family. If the ruler and the people have
had a history together, there are some more personal and psychological connections to that
ruler.
In order for Direct Nonviolent Action to work, the people must realize that their identification
with the ruler is no longer justifiable under current circumstances.
Zone of Indifference
Some people feel indifferent whether a ruler rules or a nonviolent struggle topples that
power. For them, it is easier to obey the rules than go through the trouble of disobeying them.
In order for Direct Nonviolent Action to be successful, the people must be convinced that
being indifferent is not justifiable anymore and there is no more advantage to obeying.
Absence of Self-Confidence
Many human beings lack the confidence in themselves to accomplish social change. Many
people don’t realize that they have the necessary skills to have social change as a result of
being dictated to their whole lives. Many believe that the rulers are more qualified than
themselves and that in itself deters them from disobedience.
In order for Direct Nonviolent Action to be successful restoring the public’s confidence in
themselves and their capabilities are key for success.
Application to Nonviolence
On the premise that rulers require the acceptance of their authority by the pubic to stay in
power, for Direct Nonviolent Action, the people must refuse the ruler’s authority and choose
to disobey. A nonviolent movement can only work if the people disobey as a united mass
movement while understanding and accepting all the consequences they will face when they
do so. People must realize that they have the potential to rule themselves and have the
confidence that they can affect change and lead a society of people during and after a
nonviolent struggle.
Change the hearts of the oppressed instead of changing the heart of the oppressor.
For a movement to be successful, people must disobey, not cooperate, refuse, and withdraw
all support for the current leader. They must then realize their own power potential and
mobilize changing it to effective power.
Page 27

Pillars of Support
Power in the society is exercised through institutions and organizations. “Pillars of Support are
institutions and sections of the society that supply the existing regime with sources of power
required for the maintenance and expansion of its power capacity” - Gene Sharp
Functions of Pillars of Support
Rulers cannot execute their decisions without organizations and institutions supporting their
will. These organizations and institutions are called“pillars of support”because they support
the existing power structure in society. Through the pillars, people provide their time, energy,
resources, skills and knowledge to the ruler. However, if people choose to stop providing
these services, the ruler cannot rule.
• As a nonviolent movement plans actions, it is important to remember that members of
different pillars of support should be pulled away from their pillars and towards the
movement. They should not be pushed further towards the center of their pillar.
• When enough individuals from various pillars shift their attitudes and behavior and are
pulled away from their pillar, it can weaken the ruler and force him/her to make
concession to the nonviolent movement or to relinquish power altogether.
Identification of Pillars of Support
a. Military
b. Civil Servants
c. Media
d. Business Community
e. Youth
f. Workers
g. Religious Organizations
h. Nongovernmental Organizations (NGO’s)
i. Police
Page 28

Activity: Mattress Activity
Objective
Help students understand the Pillars of Support, how those pillars support each other when
upholding the ruler and understanding that not every pillar of support needs to be removed
for a ruler to topple.
How to Play
First have a group at least students hold up a flat cardboard. Each student represents a Pillar
of Support hypothetically only with one hand holds up the institutions that serve the ruler
with his/her Power. The rest of the class asks the facilitator to remove a Pillar of Support one
by one and taking out the corresponding student. The activity aims to show how removing
Pillars of Support can systematically cripple the rulers power and bring him down. The activity
also makes it clear that in order for a powerful ruler to get toppled, all the Pillars of Support do
not necessarily need to come down. Even with a couple of Pillars of Support, a ruler is still
likely to fall.
Page 29

Activity: Student Skits
Objective
Help students understand how effective nonviolent strategies tackle Pillars of Support
and enough of those can completely bring down a person in Power.
Activity
With the understanding Nonviolent Strategies/Tactics and Pillars of Support, this activity aims
to have students prepare skits that presents a particular Nonviolent Strategy toppling a Pillar
of Support in the Sino-Tibetan conflict. The Nonviolent Strategy/Tactic used in the skit can be
one from Gene Sharp’s formulated list of 198 strategies or any other derived from the students
own creativity.
Refer to the Handout on 198 Strategies
Page 30

Outside Speaker (Dawa L):
On the Lhakar Movement
Take a moment to reflect on the‘Lhakar Grassroots Movement’video watch in session one.
What are the levels of Risk?
High Risk:
• Actions directly appose China’s occupation of Tibet and/or its State laws.
• This exposes participants to arrest, torture, and death. It makes the action high in risk.
• Hinders participation and, therefore, sustainability.
Low Risk:
• Actions that do not appose China’s authority or it’s laws. •
• No threat of arrest, it makes the action low in risk.
• More participants and, therefore, the continuity of the action can be sustained.
Both High and Low risks are not dualistic or stagnant.
High-risk actions have the potential to become low, and low-risk high.
Why Lhakar Matters?
1. It Unites people (S. Africa/Civil Rights)
2. Lower risk, higher sustainability
3. All can participate, builds capacity
4. Promotes activism through confidence
5. Promotes Tibetan culture & language
6. Weakens Chinese regime by denying obedience, business and participation (some towns
are seeing Chinese vendors close shop and leave)
Page 31

Individual Actions
1. Asserting Tibetaness
2. Speaking Tibetan
3. Wearing a Chuba
4. Texting in Tibetan
Case Study: Amdo, Ngaba
The 80-year-old mother of an exiled monk, who lives in Ngaba, was complaining that the line
was bad. Instead of using the Chinese word for‘phone line' that she had always used before,
she used a Tibetan word. The monk was surprised, asked why she was suddenly saying this
word in Tibetan. "These days, if I use Chinese words, people think I am a bad Tibetan," she
explained.
Twitter on Lhakar:
Translation (July 31, 2010): "Since Losar I have developed a good habit, using Tibetan
language to say phone numbers, using Tibetan language in the work place where all the staff
are Tibetan. Recently, in line with this development I went to eat traditional Lhasa thukpa,
seeing the streets of old Lhasa was a great feeling. Every day I go to "Zezhuo" tea house to eat
thukpa and drink sweet tea...Enrichment every day, passionate every day."
Collective Actions
Actions taken by the Tibetan communities as a collective across Tibet.
Case Study: Nangchen-Kham, Tibet
Tibetans take back social, economic, and political power. Tibetans boycott Chinese vegetable
vendors. They ran the Chinese out of business, encouraged Tibetan business
entrepreneurship and stimulated employment for Tibetans in the region.
It becomes a Low-Risk action because Authorities can’t tell Tibetans where they can and can’t
spend their money.
Case Study: Sershul Monastery Fine Box
As presented in the Lhakar video, after the confiscation of the voluntary fine box initially set
up by the monks for every Chinese word they spoke, the monks united and collectively
protested for the return of the fine boxes to the Monastery and succeeded.
Case Study: Cafe in Dzoege
Collectively a number of restaurant owners decided to enforce Tibetan-ness among the
Tibetan people by not serving them food unless the dish was ordered in the Tibetan
language.
Page 32

Website
Objective
The objective of www.pemapeaceproject.org is to provide an online platform that allows
anyone from around the globe to explore, discuss, and contribute to Direct Nonviolent
Action as a way to help restore peace and justice for Tibetans.
Using the Site
1. Login to the site by going to www.pemapeaceproject.org/wp-login.php
2. Your username is your the first letter of your first name followed by your last name. If you
have a middle name, put the first letter after the first name letter.
Example:
1. Leif Nikolaus DeJong becomes lndejong
2. Leif DeJong becomes ldejong
3. Leif becomes leif
* In some circumstances, this might now work. Please then ask an instructor.
3. Your password is abc.123
4. Once logged in, you will see the “Dashboard” which will have all your information
5. Click on “Profile”in the left hand side menu
1. review your information
2. update your email address
3. change your password to something you will remember
6. Now click on “Post” and then click on “Add New”
7. Your title should include“Reflection:“ and your name
Example: Reflection: Leif DeJong
8. You should write your reflection in the text area below the title
Page 33

9. When finished, check all the categories on the right hand side that are relevant to your
post
10. When you are finished, click “Submit for Review” and your done
11. In the upper right hand side corner, click on your name and then“Logout”
About your Reflection
Your reflection must include the following information:
• Who you are?
• Your name
• Where you are from?
• Why you are interested in nonviolence and taking this workshop?
• What you learned from the Pema Peace Project workshop?
• What most stood out for you and what really excited you?
• What were the best moments? What were the worst moments?
• Has the workshop helped you clarify your idea of Nonviolence?
• How will you use the information you learned from the workshop?
Page 34

Special Thanks
Leif DeJong - Earlham College
Benedikt Urban - Earlham College
Mary and Everett Gendler - ANEC
Carol Hunter - Earlham College
Daniel Hunter - Training for Change
Phurbu Dolma - ANEC
Tenzin Dasel - ANEC
Dawa Lokyi Tsang - Lhakar
Mr. Tenpa Samkhar - ANEC
For their contributions to this syllabus

CertificateofParticipation
!""toce#ify$at_________________hasactively
a%ended&PemaPeaceProject(PPP)PioneerWork'opson
P(nciplesandPracticesofDirectNonviolentAction
at______________________
Dharamsala,HPIn*afromJunetoJuly2013.
______________________
LeifDeJong(Mr.)
ProjectManager,PemaPeaceProject
(pemapeaceproject.org)
________________________
TenpaC.Samkhar(Mr.)
IndiabasedCoordinator,PemaPeaceProject
(ExecutiveDirector/FoundingChairman,ANEC)
(FormerCabinetSecretaryforPoliticalAffairs,CTA)
______________________
BenediktUrban(Mr.)
ProjectManager,PemaPeaceProject
(pemapeaceproject.org)
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PPP 2013 Project Report

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PPP 2013 Project Report