The TEXT Program at the University of Arkansas is an oral-history project that Geshe Dorjee and I conceived in 2007 on our first trip together to India. As I followed Geshe la through the Tibetan settlements across India, and as I spoke with the Tibetans I met there, I realized that the elderly Tibetans were, in effect, walking treasure troves of vital information concerning old Tibet. After long conversations with Geshe la and my wife, we decided that these stories needed to be recorded and that our students at Arkansas should be on the front lines of gathering these stories.
We returned to India, with students, in 2008, 2009, and 2011. The trips were hard, the learning curves were steep, and the footage we gathered was precious. We are now finally bringing some of this work to fruition, and today, January 4, at 4:00 pm CST, ESPNU will air a brief segment on The TEXT Program.
Geshe la and I, of course, are excited that the hard work of our students will get this kind of recognition, but most importantly, we hope that this show will further raise awareness among Americans concerning the plight of the Tibetans, both in India and in Tibet.
It is important to realize that the Tibetans with whom we spoke represent, in effect, the six million Tibetans currently living in Tibet—the Tibetans whose voices have been severly compromised. (They have not been silenced.) We can all benefit from listening to what these individuals living in exile have to say; their voice, rising from a core of nonviolence, is a vital one as we move into the new millennium. But most importantly, we are listening to the voices of self-determination, of freedom, and of endurance.
When His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited the campus of the University of Arkansas in May 2011, he had kind words to say about The TEXT Program, and we are deeply grateful to him for taking the time from his busy schedule to have a look at what we have done here on this campus. None of this would have happened, however, without a supportive University: from the staff in the Fulbright College Honors Program and our Office of Special Events, upwards through our Dean, Provost, Chancellor, and President . . . everyone came instantly on board with His Holiness's visit, and everyone has been supportive of the The TEXT Program.
Geshe la, myself, and our students would like to thank everyone who made this day possible! We all hope that it is the beginning of an enduring relationship with the Tibetan people as they work amongst themselves to secure their future as a free and self-governing people.
