MACHIK SPIRIT AWARD
Every year, Machik presents two awards at Machik Weekend: Machik Spirit Award and Machik Youth Spirit Award.
The Machik Spirit Award is an annual recognition of an individual who has shown great support for the mission of engagement in Tibet. The awardees may be from a diverse set of backgrounds and disciplines and are individuals with great spirit and passion for the creation of a more fair, just and peaceful world.
The Machik Youth Spirit Award is an annual recognition of a young person who has shown great dedication and commitment to learning about and contributing to the work of incubating social innovation in Tibet. These young people serve as important role models for their peers who can be inspired in their journey.
The Machik Spirit Award is an annual recognition of an individual who has shown great support for the mission of engagement in Tibet. The awardees may be from a diverse set of backgrounds and disciplines and are individuals with great spirit and passion for the creation of a more fair, just and peaceful world.
The Machik Youth Spirit Award is an annual recognition of a young person who has shown great dedication and commitment to learning about and contributing to the work of incubating social innovation in Tibet. These young people serve as important role models for their peers who can be inspired in their journey.
2016 Youth Spirit Award Recipient
Dorjee Dolma
Dorjee Dolma is a program officer with New York State Families and Children Services. Dorjee Dorjee holds an M.A. in Social Work from Columbia University School and her undergraduate in Bachelor of Social Work from Eastern Connecticut State University. She is currently working as a social worker for foster care children with mental health diagnoses at JCCA in New York City under New York State Officer of Families and Children Services. Dorjee has worked with domestic violence survivors and youth in NYC homeless shelters through her internship capacity and remains committed to youth and women’s empowerment in the Himalayan and global communities. She is a dedicated community organizer and has led the NYC Machik Weekend coordination team for several years. |
Former Machik Spirit Awards Recipients
2016
Sonam Marpa & Lhaga Marpa
Sonam Marpa & Lhaga Marpa
2015
Chupal Sangpo: Chupal Sangpo is a pioneering HIV/AIDS awareness advocate from Tibet. Born in a nomadic family in Kardze, he has collaborated with Tibetan community leaders to form the first Tibetan AIDS Group, dedicated to providing awareness on the spread of HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and health-related topics in Tibet. Chupal has taken his public health message across the vast expanse of the plateau – visiting schools, villages, and towns, some of which are located in the most remote and underserved regions of Tibet.Chupal has also published numerous bilingual health pamphlets and brochures, a book titled Questions and Answers on HIV/AIDS Prevention, and public service announcement videos. He also releases daily audios, videos, and messages in Tibetan language on his wechat account, where has over 100,000 followers. |
2014
Kunchok Palzang: Kunchok Palzang is a dynamic Tibetan from Ngawa who has been working in the field to build sustainable Tibetan communities and promote environmental conservation in eastern Tibet. For over eight years, he has worked closely with nomadic communities on environmental issues such as desertification, climate change, waste management and water protection. He partners with other local environmental organizations to create community-based and sustainable approaches to change people’s environmental protection attitudes and practices, and explore possible ways to address present environmental problems and future needs. Originally from Dzoge, in eastern Tibet, Palzang manages conservation projects in Tibet with Winrock International.Through his community-based efforts, Palzang has been engaging local Tibetan communities in conservation initiatives by harnessing the local culture and traditions of the regions being restored. |
Thupten Woeser: Thupten Woeser was born in Kham, Tibet. He did an English Training Program (ETP) in Qinghai Normal University for four years and later earned his Master's Degree in sociology from Silliman University in the Philippines. He is currently working for Winrock International, a US based nonprofit organization that works in Tibet and around the world. For the past six years he has been working in rural Tibetan communities assessing their livelihood needs and providing practical solutions to environmental challenges. He has also worked in nomadic resettlements in Qinghai Province for a long period of time to improve living conditions during the difficult transition from one lifestyle to another. A series of training programs were carried out in 13 resettled villages to not only increase their incomes, but also to restore their self-confidence.
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2012
Anderson Family: The members of the Anderson family - Kathy, Peter, Ian and Adrienne - are the recipients of the 2012 Machik Spirit Award for their long-standing commitment and service to Machik's mission and programs. For over a decade, the Andersons have been a driving force behind the Machik Lindsay Dinner, in Lindsay, Ontario, Canada. Kathy serves on Machik Canada's Board of Directors, Ian was the 2009 SEP Chair and both Ian and Adrienne were Program Interns at Machik. The Andersons have also traveled to Chungba to learn about the schools, students and the local community. |
2011
Kesang Tashi: Kesang Tashi is the founder and CEO of Khawachen/InnerAsia. He received the 2011 Machik Spirit Award for his heartfelt enthusiasm and commitment to Machik's mission. Kesang Tashi is a leader and pioneer in the effort to create entrepreneurial bridges between Tibet and the global community. He is currently producing a book about the history of entrepreneurs from the Gyalthang region. |
2010
Pema Tseden: Pema Tseden is the recipient of the 2010 Machik Spirit Award for his leading contribution to Tibetan filmography and Tibetan literature. In 2005, his film "Silent Holy Stones" won the PRC's top film prize, the Golden Rooster, for Best Directorial Debut. He is a clear and courageous voice for Tibetans in Tibet today. His most recent film, Tharlo, was released in 2015. |
2009
Thupten Phuntsok: Professor Thupten Phuntsok received the 2009 Machik Spirit Award for his many years of leadership not only in preserving Tibetan culture but also in innovating Tibetan health care. Dr. Phuntsok is a leading Tibetan historian and a beloved professor among Tibetan students at the Central University for Nationalities. He is the founder and director of the first-ever Tibetan Aids Prevention Association (TAPA). Dr. Phuntsok serves on Machik's Advisory Board. |
2008
KC Choong: KC Choong received the 2008 Machik Spirit Award for his long term dedication to Machik's mission and programs. He serves on the Board of Directors of Machik in the USA and is the President of Machik Canada. He and his wife Hong Choong have long supported Chungba school projects. KC has visited the Chungba schools and community twice. Originally from Singapore, he was trained in civil engineering in England and Canada. His social engagement started in the early 70s, where he coordinated aid from Singapore, China and Australia to Vietnam, Africa and Pakistan. |
Achi Tsepal: Achi Tsepal was the 2008 Machik Award for Engagement Winner and is the founder of Children of Tibet Trust Foundation (CTTF), an organization that works specifically with children in the Tibetan plateau. By helping them, CTTF hopes to preserve the heritage and well being of all people in the region. The organization is currently sponsoring students in secondary and tertiary education.
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2007
Chris Walter: Chris Walter was the first recipient of the Machik Spirit Award in 2007. He was the first angel investor in Machik's vital early work in building the Chungba Schools and launching the Mother's Wish Foundation. He now serves as the Honorary Chair of the Advisory Board. His life and work reflects Machik's core values of innovation, engagement and service. Chris has long been a social entrepreneur and artist who created a carpet business in order to build education and healthcare in marginalized communities in Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tibet. |
Youth Spirit Awards
LAMTON: 7 Tibetan students from Carleton and St. Olaf College founded LÂMTÖN in 2008. Having benefited from similar programs during their own high school years, these college students saw the benefits of having such a program in the Tibetan community. In order to promote higher education within the Minnesota Tibetan-American community, LÂMTÖN provides Tibetan middle school and high school students with an opportunity to increase academic success and develop a general knowledge of higher education and the college admittance process as well as gain the guidance, support and resources necessary to pursue a higher education through our tutoring program, workshops, events and one-to-one mentoring program. It is a program created by Tibetan students for Tibetan students.
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Phuntsok Tashi: Phuntsok Tashi is the co-founder of Drokpo Team, a non-profit organization with the sole purpose of providing a helping hand and serving as an example for Tibetan youth. He is also the co-founder of Tibetan Volunteers for Animals NY Chapter, an organization that promotes veganism and animal rights. He grew up in Nepal and is currently studying and working in New York. He helped organize three Machik Weekend in New York.
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2014
Tenzin Nangkyi: Tenzin Nangkyi serves as the Development Director and Program Manager at Machik. A registered nurse by training, she previously worked as a critical care nurse in New York City and at a hospice in Washington D.C. Nangkyi was part of the startup of a medical clinic built by Machik in Jyekundo in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. Nangkyi graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a master's degree in Nursing and Business Administration. She is the Co-chair of the 2016 Machik Weekend.
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Tenzin Palyon
Tenzin Palyon Lama holds a Bachelor's degree in Finance from Merrimack College. A community organizer and advocate of youth leadership in service work, Palyon served pro bono as the Youth Outreach Coordinator on the Organizing Team of the 8th annual Machik Weekend. He led the Friday Tibet Engagement Fair and was also the financial coordinator for Machik Weekend 2014. In addition, Palyon was the primary organizer behind the first-ever Machik Weekend X (MWx), an initiative that was launched in Connecticut and that will now expand across North America. Through his work with Tibetans in Connecticut, Palyon has developed hands-on experience in promoting youth leadership in community service, particularly in the fields of education, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Lastly, he interned at the Machik Office in Washington DC and helped organize Machik Weekend. |
2012
Ellie McCutcheon: Ellie McCutcheon is a graduate in anthropology and music at George Washington University. With chronic wanderlust, she is particularly interested in understanding the world through music. Between studying abroad and SEP 2011, Ellie spent about six months in China, three of them on the Tibetan Plateau. She returned as one of two Head Coordinators for SEP 2012 teaching music and English to kids in Tibet. For all her amazing work with SEP, she was presented with a Machik Youth Spirit Award.
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Vidya Srinivasan: A graduate of Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC, Vidya took History of East Asia with Dr. John Flower, who introduced her to Machik and led the first group of student participants in the 2010 Cultural Mapping Project (CMP) in Chungba Township, Litang. Following this eye-opening experience, Vidya interned at Machik for two years, helping to produce the 2010 CMP book and working to grow CMP into a sustainable and replicable program that can run concurrent to Machik’s Summer Enrichment Program (SEP). Vidya participated in SEP and CMP in 2010 and 2011 and served as the 2012 CMP Coordinator in Khana Village, Gyalthang, winning a Machik Youth Spirit Award in 2012. She is currently studying International Relations at Tufts University
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2011
Elizabeth Tseng: Elizabeth Tseng, 2011 SEP Coordinator, was the 2011 Machik Youth Spirit Award winner for her continued dedication and service. She volunteered with Machik from 2008-2011. Elizabeth Tseng first started interning with Machik in fall 2007 and is now a member of Machik's Guangzhou team.
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2010
Tenzin Dolker (Tendol): Tendol won the Machik Youth Spirit Award in 2010 and is now the Co-Coordinator for Machik Spirit Night 2013. She first joined Machik in 2008 as a volunteer and then as an intern. Later that year she joined Machik as the Outreach Coordinator, a position she passionately served until 2010. Tendol graduated with her Master’s degree in East Asian History at Columbia University in 2012, where her thesis focused on the 18th century legal history of Tibet. She is currently based in New York City and works at the Ford Foundation, a philanthropic institution that supports visionary leaders and organizations on the front lines of social change worldwide.
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Sonia Jarrett: Sonia Jarrett received the 2010 Machik Youth Spirit Award for her longtime support of the Summer Enrichment Program (SEP). Sonia began volunteering with Machik at age 17 and has served at SEP a total of four times (2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012). She has known some of the Chungba students for many years and demonstrates the kind of spirit that forms deep ties to a community in which one serves.
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