Lobsang Nyandak

Lobsang Nyandak, sometimes written Lobsang Nyendak (Tibetan: བློ་བཟང་སྙན་གྲགས, Wylie: blo bzang snyan grags) also called Lobsang Nyandak Zayul (Tibetan: བློ་བཟང་སྙན་གྲགས་རྫ་ཡུལ, Wylie: blo bzang snyan grags rdza yul) is a Tibetan diplomat and politician.[1][2] born in 1965 in Kalimpong, India where he performed his studies in Herbertpur and at Panjab University in Chandigarh. There, he held functions at Tibetan Youth Congress before becoming the founding Executive Director of the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy. Member of the National Democratic Party of Tibet, he was elected deputy and was selected as a minister by Samdhong Rinpoche (Lobsang Tenzin), the first elected Kalon Tripa of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). He then was the Representative of the 14th Dalai Lama to the Americas and became president of The Tibet Fund.[3]

Lobsang Nyandak
Lobsang Nyandak, 7 November 2019
Finance Minister of the Central Tibetan Administration
In office
2001–2006
Prime MinisterLobsang Tenzin
Preceded bySöpa Gyatso
Succeeded byTsering Dhondup
Health Minister of the Central Tibetan Administration
In office
2001–2005
Prime MinisterLobsang Tenzin
Preceded bySamkhar Yangkee Dhashi
Succeeded byThupten Lungrik
Foreign Minister of the Central Tibetan Administration
In office
2005–2006
Prime MinisterLobsang Tenzin
Preceded byLobsang Tenzin
Succeeded byKesang Yangkyi Takla
Personal details
Born
Lobsang Nyandak

(1965-12-15) 15 December 1965
Kalimpong, India
Political partyNational Democratic Party of Tibet
Alma materPanjab University
OccupationPolitician, executive
Known forTibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy, The Tibet Fund
Websitehttps://lobsangnyandak.com/

Early life and education

Nyandak was born in Kalimpong, India in 1965 to a Tibetan refugee family.[4] He completed his elementary and high school education at SFF Tibetan School in Herbertpur, India,[5] a school for children of Tibetan families recruited into the Special Frontier Force (SFF).[6] Nyandak graduated from Panjab University in Chandigarh, India, with a B.A. and a B.Ed. in 1986.[5][7]

Career

Tibetan Youth Congress (1988–1995)

Nyandak served as General Secretary of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (RTYC) in Chandigarh, India (1987[8]-89).[5][9] Nyandak became Executive Secretary and Joint Secretary of the Central Executive Committee (Centrex) of the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) (1990–92) and later took over as General Secretary of TYC (1992–1995).[5][10]

Lobsang Nyandak and Richard Gere during The Tibet Fund annual gala at Le Bernardin Privé in New York on October 19, 2016

Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy (1996–2001)

Nyandak was the founding Executive Director of the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), a non-governmental human rights organisation established in January 1996 in Dharamsala.[11] He represented Tibetans at international conferences, such as in 1997 at the UN Human Rights Commission;[12] in 1998 at a conference-debate on Human Rights and Asian values organized by International Federation for Human Rights and Wei Jingsheng on the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Commission session in Geneva;[13] in 2001 at the World Conference against Racism in South Africa.[14] Following his appointment as minister in 2001, Nyandak served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the TCHRD from 2001 until 2004.[15]

Deputy (1996–2001)

In 1996, Nyandak was elected to the Tibetan Parliament, to represent the province of Kham in Eastern Tibet.[16] During this period, Nyandak also served as Vice President and Secretary of the Executive Committee of the National Democratic Party of Tibet.[4]

Minister (2001–2006)
Lobsang Nyandak, Thupten Lungrik, Samdhong Rinpoche and Lobsang Nyima, wearing khata and red ribbons.

In 2001, Nyandak was appointed as a Minister (Kalon) during the first tenure of Samdhong Rinpoche (Lobsang Tenzin),[7] the first elected Prime Minister (Kalon Tripa) of the Central Tibetan Administration.[17] As a Kalon, Nyandak was in charge of three departments: the Department of Information and International Relations (2005–2006),[18] the Department of Finance (2001–2006)[19] and the Department of Health (2001–2005).[20]

As Minister of International Relations, Nyandak served as a member of the Task Force of the Sino-Tibetan Dialogue from 2005 to 2006 and again from 2012 to present.[21][22][23][24][25]

As Minister of Finance, Nyandak oversaw the overall financial health of the CTA[26][27] and established Tibetan business bodies, including the Tibetan Chamber of Commerce.[28][29] During this time period, Nyandak also served as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the CTA's Social and Resource Development Fund (SARD)[30] and Managing Trustee of the Dalai Lama's Charitable Trust.[15]

Representative of the 14th Dalai Lama (2008–2013)
Lobsang Nyandak (on the right end) with other representatives of the Dalai Lama from around the world at a two-day meeting in Dharamsala October 2009 (the Dalai Lama is in the center with Samdhong Rinpoche).

Nyandak moved to the United States with his family in 2007 and joined the Tibet Fund as its Development Director in 2008 until he was appointed as the Representative of the 14th Dalai Lama at the Office of Tibet in United States from September 2008 to 2013.[31][32][33] He was responsible for organizing visits of the Dalai Lama to North America, including arranging meetings with leaders and educators.[34][35][36]

File:Lobsang Nyandak, Tibetan Lunar New Year – Losar 2147, New York, Tibet Fund
Lobsang Nyandak at Tibetan Lunar New Year – Losar 2147, New York, Tibet Fund (20 February 2020)

Tibet Fund (2013–present)

In 2013, Nyandak was appointed as the Executive Director of the Tibet Fund,[37] and in 2017, he became President of the organization.[38]

2011

Lobsang Nyandak was candidate initially for the 2011 election of Tibetan Prime Minister and a poll directed by Shambala Post estimated he was second in popularity, after Lobsang Sangay.[39] He finally decided not to run for the 2011 election.[40]

2021

On March 2, 2020,[8] Lobsang Nyandak publicly announced his candidacy for the 2021 election of Tibetan Prime Minister (Sikyong).[41]

In his program, he declares he is confident to re-establish contact with the Chinese Government to resolve the Tibetan issue, and aims to transform Tibet in a peace zone, as envisaged by the 14th Dalai Lama[42]

Personal life

Nyandak is married to Tenzin Palmo. They have three children.

Publications

See also

References
  1. Semple, Kirk (22 September 2010). "Tibetan Ex-Prisoner Evokes His Homeland's Struggle in a Movie". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  2. Helft, Miguel (24 March 2009). "YouTube Blocked in China, Google Says". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  3. Dalai Lama official representative to hold Q&A at "Dalai Lama Renaissance" screening in New York on February 28 at 4 p.m. at the Rubin Museum of Art, Wakan Films (dalailamafilm.com), February 26, 2009
  4. "Profile of Tibetan Ministers". 14 July 2007. Archived from the original on 14 July 2007. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  5. "Tibetan Youth Congress | Former Centrex". Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  6. Kaydor Aukatsang, Memories and Association of a Lifetime – Remembering SFF CST Herbertpur, Phayul.com, 12 February 2020
  7. "Kalon Tripa Samdhong Rinpoche forms his Kashag". Central Tibetan Administration. 20 September 2001. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  8. Tibet Fund director announces candidature for top exile Tibetan elective post, Tibetan Review, 5 mars 2020
  9. Jain, Neelam (24 February 1995). "Tibetans put off peace march to Lhasa". United Press International. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  10. "Tibetan Youth Congress: Past and Present", Voice of America, retrieved 7 April 2020
  11. "Emory-Tibet Partnership | News & Events". college.emory.edu (Emory University). Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  12. "NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS CLAIM NUMEROUS VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS AROUND WORLD | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases". www.un.org (United Nations Information Service at Geneva). Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  13. Jean-Claude Buhrer, Les Asiatiques dénoncent l'opposition entre droits de l'homme et « valeurs asiatiques », Le Monde, 16 avril 1998
  14. "China defeated at UN vote". Central Tibetan Administration. 23 May 2001. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  15. "2015 Champions – Tibetan Innovation Challenge". University of Rochester. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  16. "Twelfth ATPD | Tibetan Parliament in Exile". Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  17. "Executive". Central Tibetan Administration. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  18. "Department of Information & International Relations – Former Kalons And Secretaries". Central Tibetan Administration. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  19. "Department of Finance – Former Kalons & Secretaries". Central Tibetan Administration. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  20. "Department of Health – Who's Who". Central Tibetan Administration. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  21. "EU Sidesteps Human Rights to Promote Trade, Says Kalon Lobsang Nyandak". Central Tibetan Administration. 28 July 2005. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  22. "Don't Wait and Watch Change, Make It Happen: Kalon Lobsang Nyandak". Central Tibetan Administration. 27 October 2005. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  23. "Kalon Lobsang Nyandak Meets President of European Parliament". Central Tibetan Administration. 13 July 2005. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  24. "26th meeting of Tibetan Task Force begins with six new members". The Tibet Post. 5 September 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  25. Gaphel, Tenzin (6 January 2015). "Task Force meeting on Sino-Tibet negotiation begins in Dharamsala". Tibet Express. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  26. "New Book For Annual Contribution Launched". Central Tibetan Administration. 4 March 2005. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  27. "Dalai Lama to privatise Tibetan business". BBC News. 15 July 2002. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  28. "History and Vision". Tibetan Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on 7 April 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  29. "Tibetan Sweater Sellers' Association Formed". Central Tibetan Administration. 29 August 2006. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  30. "Judges – Tibetan Innovation Challenge". Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  31. "Representative Lobsang Nyandak Visits Maitripa". HH the Dalai Lama, Portland, Oregon, 2013. 22 March 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  32. "Kashag Re-appoints Envoys and Representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Secretaries". World Tibet News. 14 May 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  33. "New North American Representative of the Dalai Lama". World Tibet News. 3 June 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  34. "Pelosi to appear with Richard Gere, her latest celeb meeting". The Hill. 9 March 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  35. Beaulieu, Scott (18 January 2012). "The Dalai Lama Comes to Connecticut". NBC Connecticut. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  36. "U.S. State Department report on Tibetan-Chinese dialogue faults Beijing for impasse". International Campaign for Tibet. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  37. "The Tibet Fund News" (PDF). The Tibet Fund. 22 September 2010.
  38. Littlefair, Sam (29 June 2017). "Rinchen Dharlo retires as president of Tibet Fund". Lion's Roar.
  39. Holly Brooke-Smith, Lobsang Sangay Tops Tibetan Opinion Poll for Next PM, The Tibet Post International, 7 May 2010
  40. བཀའ་བློན་ཁྲི་པའི་འོས་གཞི་རུ་ལང་རྒྱུའི་འདོད་པ་དང་འཆར་གཞི་རྩ་བ་ཉིད་ནས་མེད།, The Tibet Express, 26 February 2010
  41. Choekyi Lhamo, Preparations for 2021 general elections underway, says Election Commissioner, Phayul.com, 27 July 2020
  42. Lobsang Nyandak: Why am I running for Sikyong?, Tibet Sun, 16 August 2020
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