Tibet's economic and social development

The articles below are the result of four stays in the region totalling three months and extensive reading. I hope that they can contribute to a better understanding of the present situation in the Tibetan areas and to a better future.

Latest: Bringing mountain biking to Tibet

Development in Tibet

Have Tibetans benefited from recent economic development?

Even though development was initially driven mainly by Han and Hui Chinese, Tibetans are more and more active in setting up businesses.

The Chinese community-based development model

Much of China's development has been achieved through a very flexible system of local governance where collective management plays an important role.

An economic development model for the Tibetan society

A development model for Tibet must not only make the economy attractive for young ambitious Tibetans; it must also respect the traditional and religious values of the community.

Retail trade in the Tibetan areas

The fact that a major part of retail trade is still in the hands of Han and Hui Chinese has often been a source of tensions in the Tibetan areas. Helping Tibetans to perform better in this field is extremely important.

The role of tourism in the development of Tibet

Mountain tourism, e.g. hiking, mountain biking, horse riding etc., can play a much more constructive role in Tibet's development than the sightseeing tourism which prevails right now.

Challenges within Tibetan society

Some aspects of the Tibetan society have been an obstacle to the emergence Tibetan enterpreneurs. It might sometimes be painful, but these issues must be addressed.

The tension between modernization and preserving traditions in Tibet

Modernization is often considered to be a danger to traditional societies. However, it is obvious that Tibetans welcome many aspects of modern life.

The lack of a Tibetan retail trade, restaurant and tourism tradition

The lack of such a tradition is certainly one of the reasons why Han and Hui Chinese were the first to develop these sectors.

The Tibetan business culture

In the traditional Tibetan society, doing business was generally a privilege of the aristocracy. The business culture which emerged from this is sometimes at odds with the requirements of modern times.

The educational system and development in Tibet

The Tibetan monasteries play an important role not only in economic development, but also in education. The complementarity between the public and monastic schools is certainly a major asset.

Writing Tibetan on computers and smart phones

Even though Tibetan keyboards are available on most (but not all) systems, the problem of computer literacy in Tibetan is far from being solved.

Development aid projects in the Tibetan areas

In order to test the feasibility of some of the measures proposed here, some small scale pilot projects have been realized in summer 2013, more will follow in the next years.

Conclusion

With a little knowhow transfer and capital investment, we can do a lot to help Tibetan entrepreneurs to develop their businesses in retail trade and tourism.

The Tibetan areas in Asia

The various regions inhabited by Tibetans have each a different history, but they all share two common points: high altitude and Tibetan Buddhism.

Abstract

The whole project summed up in one page...