FOUNDATION FOR NON-VIOLENT ALTERNATIVES
WHO WE ARE
The Foundation for Non-violent Alternatives (FNVA) is a not-for-profit, non-partisan, public policy organisation, established to undertake the objective study and analysis of India's security that is directly linked with developments in contemporary China and Tibet.
OUR BASIC PRINCIPLES
FNVA’s principles are grounded in the belief that every cultural and religious tradition has appropriate non-violent methods for positive political, economic and social change at the local, national and the international level. Importance of food, shelter, health, opportunities for a livelihood and a clean environment for our future generations cannot be denied as these are aspects that are essential elements for our existence, as is rule of law, peace and respect for diversity and dignity of the individual in his political, social, economic, religious and cultural rights.
WHAT WE DO
FNVA is a significant organisation for the objective study of Tibet, Tibetan affairs and their related security implications for India. Our work is primarily focused on policy and decision makers in government, and politics with the objective to draw the government’s immediate attention on its policy on China, Tibet, Taiwan, Southern Mongolia and East Turkestan and eventually influence and help shape policy in this area, through dialogue, webinars, seminars, research, translation of original materials in mandarin to english, policy briefs and publications.
Developments taking place on the Tibet have direct geo-political implications for India as well as for its future Tibet policy. It is evident that the frenzy of development both infrastructure, military and economic is not directed at uplifting Tibetans, but rather it is an attempt to consolidate and validate their occupation of Tibet, and through it, to strengthen its presence in the region and on India’s border. Tibet is a national security issue for India. It has both domestic and external implications. Internally, India needs an action plan to deal with about 1,00,000 Tibetan refugees in India. Externally, Tibet is the resource of waters for Indian rivers, and is of immense geo-strategic importance being located contiguous to the entire Himalayan belt, where, in places, Chinese are making steady inroads in terms of influence. The problems between India and China cannot be discussed without involving Tibet.
Thus, Tibet and the Indo-Tibet border issue, China’s encroachment and active economic and military engagement in India’s neighbourhood and more recently transboundary river water issue, are the main foreign relations concerns of India vis-à-vis China. While, in 2018, Chinese officials, diplomats and members of the Chinese Government (controlled) think-tanks have listed the following main items of concern, these are in order of priority: 1)Dalai Lama and Tibet issue 2) The border dispute with India, and c) India’s Geo-political ambitions.
With the occupation of Tibet for over seventy years, the preservation of its rich and unique cultural and civilisational heritage is under serious threat. The onus therefore lies on those living in freedom to undertake the responsibilities in whatever manner to ensure Tibet’s culture, environment, its rich heritage as well as the rights of the individual under international law are protected. This also applies to peoples of the occupied territories of Southern Mongolia and Eastern Turkestan. Peace policies therefore must examine and bring to the fore the unjust pillage of natural resources, oppression of peoples, violation of human rights and support ethical business.
Patrons
Mr. B P Singh
Ven. Samdhong Lobsang Tenzin Rinpoche
Late Mr. Soli Sorabjee (2009-2021)
Late Chief Justice Mr. J.S. Verma (2009-2013)
Advisory Board
Mr. Claude Arpi
Dr. Michael van Walt van Praag
Prof. Siddiq Wahid
Trustees
Mr. O.P. Tandon
Ambassador Ranjit Gupta
Ms. Rebon Banerjee Dhar
Ambassador Shyam Saran
Prof.Srikanth Kondapalli
Mr. Tempa Tsering
Late Mr. Krishan Varma (2014 - 2021)
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW
Kate Saunders
Kate Saunders is a writer, journalist and Tibet specialist. She has written a book about the Chinese prison camp system, numerous reports about aspects of contemporary Tibet and articles for publications including The Sunday Times (London), Washington Post, and The Guardian. Kate previously worked as Research and Communications Director of the International Campaign for Tibet, working with Tibetan researchers to monitor new developments in Tibet.
SENIOR RESEARCHER
Tenzing Dhamdul
A Tibetan born in Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India. Completed schooling in English and Tibetan medium schools in different regions of India. Recipient of the Sikyong Scholarship in the year 2015 - 1st Tibetan boy to get 95% and above in the AISSE.
Completed B.A Honors in Political Science at the Hindu College, Delhi University. Completed M.A. in Politics with Specialisation in International Relations at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Was an executive of the Tibet Forum-JNU (2019-2021).
Many of his writings have been published in various newspapers and sites including the Caravan Magazine, the Taipei Times, the Diplomat and the Taiwan Times etc. He has appeared in several interviews and podcasts both video and audio. He hosts FNVA’s Podcast series ‘Unsilenced: Voices of Young Tibetans’. Most recently he co-authored an Issue brief for FNVA titled ‘Thread of Beads: An analysis of China’s renaming of 62 locations in the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh since 2017’. He is interested in East Asian politics and governance and is engaged in Tibet and its relations with China.
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Rinzin Namgyal
Rinzin Namgyal is a Tibetan born and raised in India, originally from the Phuntsokling Tibetan Settlement in Odisha. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Chinese Studies at the Department of East Asian Studies, University of Delhi, where he also completed a Master’s degree in East Asian Studies, specialising in China. Namgyal completed his undergraduate studies at Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi.
He is a V-TAGger, and his writings have been featured on prominent platforms such as Tibet Rights Collective, The Himalayan Dak, and Investigative Journalist Reportika. He has also been interviewed by Radio Free Asia (RFA) Tibetan & Chinese and The Eastern Sky Podcast.
Namgyal has participated in numerous international conferences related to global security and China, including the Raisina Dialogue, the Global Conference on New Sinology, and China’s New Global Initiatives.
Tenzin Lhatso
Tenzin Lhatso hails from Varanasi, India and completed her schooling from an English medium school. She has a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Indraprastha College for Women, Delhi University and is currently pursuing her Masters degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Delhi.
She is also an active member of VTAG (New Delhi) and is committed to raising awareness about Tibet and the Tibetans, especially highlighting the dire situation when it comes to Human Rights in occupied Tibet.
ALUMNI
Chok Tsering
2012 – 2015
Chok Tsering is a research associate cum program coordinator at Foundation for Non-Violent Alternatives (FNVA) since February 2012. He has recently completed his M.Phil in centre for Inner Asian Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University. Prior to joining FNVA, he worked at Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS) as a research intern in China Research Program. His interest of study lies in ethnic minorities in China, nationalism and sub-nationalism studies, democracy and China’s internal social and political movements.
Divya Sarkar
2014 – 2015
Divya Sarkar graduated from Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan in 2012. She has just completed her M.A in Chinese language from Jawaharlal Nehru University. She was a student at Harbin Normal University on HRD scholarship for a year. Her special interest lies in “Determinants of Chinese Psyche about India”. She is working as a research associate at Foundation for Non-Violent Alternatives (FNVA) since July 2014.
Rinchen Dhondup
Summer Intern (30th May - 15th July 2023)
Rinchen Dhondup, is a Tibetan born in Tibet and brought up in India. He currently pursues his Masters of Arts in International Studies from Christ University, Bangalore and is a member of RTYC Bangalore.
He previously studied at the Dalai Lama Institute for Higher Education and was a student council member of the Boys Hostel and a member of their music band as well. His interest of studies lies in understanding the complexities of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in particular their socio-politico-economic functioning.
VISITING FELLOW
Fiona McConnell
Fiona McConnell is a Research Fellow at Trinity College, University of Cambridge. From Belfast, Northern Ireland, Fiona did her undergraduate degree in Geography at University of Cambridge (2004), and obtained her Masters and PhD at Queen Mary, University of London (2010). Intersecting with scholarship in political geography, critical international relations and political anthropology, Fiona’s research focuses on issues around issues of sovereignty, state practices and the (re)pluralising of political space. She has a particular interest in how communities officially excluded from formal state politics are nevertheless engaging with aspects of statecraft, with her doctoral research focusing on the sovereign practices of the exile Tibetan government based in India. She is currently working on a book manuscript which develops the idea of rehearsal and the state, and has ongoing projects on the practices and pedagogy of unofficial diplomacy and geographies of peace.
CONTACT DETAILS
ADDRESS: 143, 4th Floor, Uday Park,
New Delhi-110049 (INDIA)
Tel: (+91) 11 – 41022551