The Dalai Lama’s Democratic Vision in Exile – Tibet

The Dalai Lama’s Democratic Vision in Exile – Tibet

By Khedroob Thondup When Tibet’s spiritual leader fled into exile in 1959, he faced a choice that would define the Tibetan struggle for generations. Rather than consolidating authority in his own hands, the Dalai Lama chose to disperse it—encouraging democracy among a displaced people. In doing so, he transformed exile from a condition of waiting into a laboratory for self-rule.