Tibetans in Exile Today

The TEXT Program, or “Tibetans in Exile Today,” is an oral-history project designed to record the stories of Tibetans currently living in refugee settlements in India. The program focuses on the Tibetans who left their country in 1959, but still have vivid memories of traditional Tibetan culture.

A Special Note from the Dalai Lama

“His Holiness the Dalai Lama was pleased to have been able to visit the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and to know about The TEXT Program. He feels involving the students in this program that records the life stories of elderly Tibetans in exile will enable them to understand the challenges faced by Tibetans and how these are met. Through the process, the students will have a better understanding of the impact of the Tibetan Buddhist culture of nonviolence and compassion on the lives of the Tibetan people through the ages. He wishes your project all success.”

Chhime R. Chhoekyapa
Secretary to His Holiness the Dalai Lama
May 27, 2011