Report by by Sophia Volunteers Journalist Tibet Today

Many Tibetans celebrated their first vegetarian Losar, thanks to kind hearted members of a local NGO. Members of the Tibetan Volunteers for Animals (TVA), ran a hard hitting campaign encouraging Tibetans to go meat free, between January 25 – February 1. 

Report by by Sophia Volunteers Journalist Tibet Today

Many Tibetans celebrated their first vegetarian Losar, thanks to kind hearted members of a local NGO. Members of the Tibetan Volunteers for Animals (TVA), ran a hard hitting campaign encouraging Tibetans to go meat free, between January 25 – February 1.

The dedicated staff and volunteers took their jeep and loudspeaker to Tibetan communities inIndia like Dharamsala, Bir, Tashijong, Dickiling, Rajpur, Poanta, Clement Town, Delhi, Bylakuppe, Kollegal, Chowkur and Hunsur spreading their message with posters, banners, stickers and radio broadcasts which could even be heard in Tibet.

Many like-minded Tibetans graciously agreed to celebrate a vegetarian Losar and a few youngsters also agreed to become vegetarian as a new year’s resolution.

Established in Mysore in 2003, the registered non-profit organisation’s main aims include educating Tibetans about the benefits of vegetarianism, spreading the message that all sentient beings have an equal right to life, and promoting non-violence through vegetarianism. Its main achievements include treating and vaccinating over 900 dogs in South India, and running a highly successful vegetarian Kalachakra campaign (Tibetan gathering honoring his holiness the Dalai Lama) in 2006, where volunteers opened a vegetarian restaurant.

Ms. Dadon, young volunteer from TCV Gopalpur said: “Our aim is to raise a voice for the voiceless. We believe that all living creatures were our brothers and sisters in previous lives, and that taking care of every living creature is our basic responsibility as human beings.

Tibetans are non vegetarian through habit, but now vegetarianism is a greatly changing movement in our community as people are realising the importance of our health, and the benefits of saving animals.

For more information please visit: www.semchen.org.