| LOSAR TASHI DELEK! 2144 YEAR OF THE FIRE BIRD
Dear Friends of the Sangha,
We would like to extend to you our best wishes for happiness, peace and prosperity in the New Tibetan Year 2144 of the Fire Bird, which officially began on Monday, February 27, 2017.
This past week-end was filled with good practice and friendly ambiance within our Center in the good company of Lama Tenzin, Lama Tashi Palden and Dorje who guided the rituals of the Gutor Protectors and Green Tara which are meant to dissipate this past year’s negativities and enable us to welcome the new year without obstacles. On Losar, the Lhasang practice was guided by Lama Tenzin and attended by various members of the Tibetan and western Sangha.
On the first day of this New Year we would like to take this opportunity to announce some important news regarding organizational changes which will be of interest to all Sangha members. Thank you for reading this email through to the end.
New Nominations on the RIC Team:
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Lamaseva: After four years, Christian Bouthors has decided to step down as head of the Lamaseva department; he will be replaced by Cynthia Jouffre, who has been undergoing intense training during this past year.
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Dharmaseva: After several years as head of Dharmaseva of the old Ripa Council, Philippe Brussier has decided to step down; he will be replaced by Carlo Tomassi – As he already held this position in the past, we will benefit from all his expertise and knowledge as Dharmaseva head.
Other positions at the RIPA organization:
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Secretary and Travel Responsibility for the Ripa Masters: After five years in this position, Philippe Brussier has now decided to step down; he will be replaced by Tatiana Kashirina, as the new Ripa Masters’ secretary and head of travel.
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Responsible for Ripa Programmes Training Development: Following the first training cycle for new Instructors, which took place at the RIC from January 21 to February 8, Geneviève Hamelet was designated by Gyetrul Jigme Rinpoche as the new Head of Ripa Programmes Training Development.
Our heartfelt gratitude to all and a big “Ki Ki Tso Tso” to the newly arrived!
New “old” members at the Foundation Landguet Ried (SLR) Board
Last year, in order to finalize the development of a new governance system for our organization, Gyetrul Jigme Rinpoche requested Georg Streit and Gabriela Grimm, previous members of the SLR management team, to step up as members of the SLR board, which as you all know, has been presided over by Alan Goldstein since July 2016. These new nominations will ensure that our organization benefits from their prior knowledge and expertise, combined with the renewed energy created with a new president and management.
Further, we are happy to announce that Silvia Weisman Fiscalini, an old friend of our center since its opening in 2012, a Buddhist practitioner and of Bernese origin, has also joined the SLR board; her nomination ensures that our Center’s activities may remain open to the outside world and well anchored in the local community. We wish to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the SLR board members – Petra Gössi, Rita Haudenschild and Verena Burkhalter – for their engagement and service; and we wish much success to the newly appointed members.
Structures and new members of our organization
Following these new appointments, the governance and management teams of our organization are as follows:
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Foundation Landguet Ried’s Board:
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Foundation Landguet Ried’s management :
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Begoña Martinez, Managing Director (in replacement of Dominik Stalder who left in December 2016)
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Antje Stahlschmidt, Front Office and Event Management Head
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René Stucker, Sales Representative (a newly recruited member as of Feb. 1st)
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Jeronimo Pérez Garcia, Maintenance assistant, kitchen help and accounting assistant
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Jan Kos, Maintenance assistant, kitchen help
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Ripa International Center, GmbH
These new nominations at the heart of our organization will ensure the development of a holistic and integrated organization structure, as per Gyetrul Jigme Rinpoche’s vision.
FIRST RIPA INSTRUCTORS TRAINING
The very first RIPA instructors training session took place at the RIC from January 21 to February 8. During the first week, Gyetrul Jigme Rinpoche guided the meditation instructors training which ended with the development of a new Ripa Lineage meditation method called the “Ripa Awareness Meditation” (RAM). As it has been announced above, we are happy to share that Geneviève Hamelet was appointed as the new Director of RIPA Training Programmes Development. We are delighted with this new appointment and we wish Geneviève much success in her new endeavor! Further, during the first week of training, François Bartolero, founder of the Yogom method, trained new Sangha members in this unique technique which is inherent to our lineage.
During the second week, Lama Tenzin guided the sadhanas training, including instruction for torma-making, Umzé and instrument playing.
Gyetrul Jigme Rinpoche feels very happy and satisfied about this first training and wishes it to be organized in the future again.
We wish to end this important letter with our heartfelt gratitude to all those who support the Center and its activities in one way or another through their work, their financial support, their presence and their love and affection.
The expression of everyone’s generosity will make the Center thrive and prosper, enabling it to become the perfect vessel of our Lineage’s transmissions, the source of so many blessings for all beings.
Thank you for your support and HAPPY LOSAR!
Begoña and the Centre Ripa International Team
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