Many people may not want to visit a country where freedom ceases to exist and the people are constantly under surveillance, but a Ball State alumna decided to travel to Tibet to make a difference.
Lauren McNichols, a 2009 graduate with degrees in political science and women studies, never knew her education would lead her to teach English in foreign countries across the world, starting with South Korea.
At the end of her stay in South Korea last year, McNichols and a friend went on an excursion through six Asian countries, including Tibet, a dream visit for McNichols. At first, she thought it was illegal for foreigners to visit Tibet, but she found out her dream visit could happen.
"While in South Korea, I came across so much material about Tibet," she said. "I had such an interest in the country and their current situation that I was reading anything about Tibet I could find."
Tibet has been experiencing a cultural genocide since the Chinese invaded in 1959, Lawrence Gerstein, professor of psychology and director of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, said. The Chinese government wants to eliminate the Tibetan culture, including their language, in hopes of making it more modern. One million Tibetans have been killed since the invasion, and the ecology has dramatically changed due to environmental destruction.
For those who survive, their freedoms of speech and religion have been restricted.
According to the Rinker Center for International Programs, Ball State doesn't offer a study abroad program in Tibet. The university does have a Tibetan student attending on scholarship, though.
Tamding Wangdak is a master's student working toward a degree in guidance counseling with the hopes of working in a high school. He was born in India after his Tibetan parents went into exile. He has never seen his homeland, but it is a "big dream" for Wangdak to see Tibet.
"There are many differences between the American and Tibetan cultures," Wangdak said. "One major difference is that Americans have a strong sense of individualism. Tibetans are collective. We stay together, within our family."
Wangdak described Tibet as an "isolated country that is devoted to religion." He explained that when China invaded, Tibetans "lost the right to preserve their culture."
After attending a presentation by Gerstein at Ball State, McNichols became aware of the situation in Tibet. Gerstein has been involved with the Tibetan cause for more than 20 years. His active involvement in helping Tibet led him to become the co-founder and president of the International Tibet Independence Movement.
"This issue is bigger than Tibet," Gerstein said. "This movement is based on the principles of non-violence. It is critical to demonstrate that non-violence is the solution."
Gerstein has never visited Tibet. Due to his leadership in ITIM, he is unsure of whether he could get a visa to visit the country. He said he is "not one of China's favorite people."
For McNichols, it was a different story. It took her two months to get a visa for Tibet. She first had to get a Chinese visa, costing $120, and then she received her Tibetan visa.
Once in Tibet, McNichols fell further in love with the country and its people. She stayed for nine days and spent the time immersing herself in the culture.
One thing she enjoyed doing during her visit was talking with the locals and hearing their life stories. The individuals she talked to could have been in great trouble for talking to her of their struggles. They, however, decided to confide in McNichols.
One such individual was a man named Tenzin*.
"I met Tenzin at a tea shop in Lhasa," McNichols said. "He fled to Dharamashala, India, when he was a teenager to live in the Tibetan community. After three years there, his absence from Tibet became known, and his family was threatened to be jailed if he did not return. He returned to his hometown of Tingri [located near the base of Mount Everest] and served a month of jail time for his absence. Tenzin mentioned he was tortured and starved [in jail]. He only survived because of the food his family brought."
In Tibet, McNichols also visited Mount Everest. She stayed at a camp at the base of the mountain for two days at the start of her visit. McNichols also visited a number of temples and shopped "shoulder to shoulder" with Tibetans on Barkhor Street.
McNichols said photos and published works from the Dalai Lama and Tibetan flags are a danger to have in Tibet. If caught with these items, they could be taken away and the owner of the materials may be kicked out of the country. It is also dangerous for a tourist or Tibetan to talk about politics or any kind of uprising. Tibetans would be thrown in jail while the tourist is forced to leave the country.
Gerstein said he admires McNichols' courage for going into that type of environment. Although Gerstein received e-mails from McNichols while she was gone, he chose not to respond in fear of endangering her safety.
McNichols future plans include completing a travel blog. She said she's dedicated to sharing her experiences in Tibet and telling the stories she heard from the locals. She is also striving to make as many people aware of the repression in Tibet as possible.
"Traveling to Tibet has impacted me in ways that I never thought a country could," she said. "I loved the country and the people. I was struck by how warm and peaceful the Tibetans are, how quick they are to offer a smile and a wave when they first saw I was a foreigner paying a visit to their country."
In addition to completing the travel blog, McNichols also plans to spend the next few years continuing teaching English in foreign lands. Although she wants to go back to Tibet, there aren't any programs that would allow her to teach English. She now teaches in Costa Rica.
"I had such a superb year abroad teaching and travelling that I want to continue doing it for while," McNichols said. "My only rule for myself is that no matter how much I like teaching in one country, I have to be in a new country each time. There are so many amazing countries out there and so little time to see them. You will like any place you go to as long you get immersed in the culture and put yourself in an active position."
McNichols encourages students to travel or study abroad as much as they can.
"[There is a] whole world out there that's waiting for them to see," she said. "Some countries may seem remote and closed off to foreigners, but that is not always the case."
Ball State can help Tibet by bringing more awareness to the situation, Wandak said. He said the United States is one of Tibet's biggest supporters. Making donations to Tibetan independence organizations and writing letters to elected officials expressing concerns about this issue are just some of the ways students can help.
*Name has been changed for security purposes.
For more information, visit:
rangzen.org (The website for Gerstein's ITIM organization)
tibet.net (The official website for the Central Tibetan Administration)
laurenteacher.blogspot.com (McNichols' travel blog)
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