Interview: Miss Tibet Pageant founder Lobsang Wangyal

Lobsang Wangyal is a tech-minded Tibetan cultural entrepreneur in Dharamshala, India. I met him there earlier this year, and shot the portrait above. One of his projects is the Miss Tibet Pageant, and I asked him to tell us about it. They're having a hard time coming up with funding to put on the event this year, and they've established a Paypal account (link here, top of page) so folks in the West who'd like to support it can help with cash.

Here's our email interview:

Xeni Jardin: What is the Miss Tibet pageant?

Lobsang Wangyal: Miss Tibet pageant is an annual event started to provide a platform for young Tibetan women. It is educational, cultural, social and fun. Unlike the common understanding of a beauty pageant, Miss Tibet is unique, in which both the inner and outer beauty are tested. The one week training reflects what the pageant tries to achieve. Not only physical aspects such as Yoga, make-up, hair-care, choreography and personality development workshops are provided, there also is orientation on Tibetan history, culturE and current affairs during the one-week training session.

The seven rounds of competitions over three days also reflects the amount of talent and ingelligence it is required by the contestants. In all, the pageant has become a much-awaited event in Dharamshala, the exile headquarters of the Tibetans in Diaspora.

XJ: When did you start doing the pageant, and how has participation and community reaction changed over time?

LW: The pageant was started in 2002. Four Tibetan girls plunged in to the competition that year. Since then there were ups and downs in the number of contestants. There may be different reasons for that but we guess that the Tibetan society becomes over cautious when something new comes up socially. When living in exile and without their country, people tend to be very cautious because back home changes are taking place not out of choice but under coercion.

XJ: You've experienced some politically-related challenges with the pageant in the past involving the PRC. Tell us about that.

LW: In February 2005 when Miss Tibet 2004 Tashi Yangchen went to participate in a smaller level international pageant the Chinese embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe, interfered and asked the organisers to ban Miss Tibet from the pageant. The organisers suggested us that if Yangchen participate as Miss Tibet-China, she would be allowed to remain in the competition.

We told them flatly that the issue of Tibet is not yet resolved. Accepting that would give wrong information. So Yangchen happily withdrew from that pageant.

Same thing happened in Malaysia after a few months. That time Yangchen even didn't go there.

XJ: How did the pageant go last year?

LW: Last year was the second time we had only one participant showing up. The entire preparation was done as planned and we crowned the lone contender, Tenzin Nyima, for her confidence and bravery. Not many Tibetan girls could come forward in a conservative society like ours.

XJ: What's different this year?

LW: This year we will have the biggest number of contestants. We will announce the number, where they are from and who they are this week when we will do a press conference. We want to give a pleasant surprise for all this year on that day!

XJ: What will you do this year if the same political problems occur again?

LW: We cannot give up. Time changes and things must change. We are confident that Miss Tibet will rub shoulders with other talented and intelligent women from different countries in the future, showing the beautiful culture and colours of Tibet.

XJ: Why do you do the pageant? For fun? For money? As a political statement? What's the motivation for you, and for the women who participate?

LW: Miss Tibet is a youth event aimed specially for young Tibetan women. There isn't any platform where young Tibetan women could come forward and be themselves, show their talents, express their aspirations and bring young women together at one platform to share their ideas in like a exchange programme and learn different things from Tibetan experts as their resource persons.

There is noting political about Miss Tibet but since Tibetans we are politics is intrinsically pervasive. However, Miss Tibet pageant is not aimed against China at all.

So far I, as the director of the pageant, has been paying from my own pocket. The director's pocket is way too thin for a pageant to hold as it planned. So, he is requesting some funding assistance. Considerate donors may pay through Paypal at misstibet.com.

XJ: What do you hope the world outside of Dharamshala learns from it?

LW: A Miss Tibet will draw people's attention who do not know or heard about Tibet. So, it will help let people know about Tibet and Tibetans - what's happening with them now and what do they aspire.

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Image: Lobsang Wangyal, at Chonor House hotel in McLeod Ganj, India. (c) 2006, Xeni Jardin.