1.- to explore the context and links among traditional health care units, PHC units, Counselling
Units, as well as educational and religious organizations, for  promoting  Health Awareness schemes, within an integrated community health workers (CHOWs) training approach, in the target-site Boddhanath,

2. - to review/discuss the (already) identified priorities listed by local intervenors (ie: Tibetan
Youth Drug Abuse, Hepatitis, STD, HIV/AIDS, TB ...) for improving the overall health status, health education and prevention of diseases, through an  integrated CHOWs training  in the target-site Boddhanath,

3. - to define practical strategies for the dissemination of a grassroots health/social and socio- anthropological database on issues related to Integrated Training (PHC, Traditional Medicines, Amchis, Dhamis, Jhankris), as well as related with Cultural Immersion programmes for researchers and students, at the international level through an Internet Multimedia Socio-Anthropology Dbase (Keltic Trilogy and UCL/ARAC),

4. - to identify ways to consolidate the existing (social/health) network in terms of consensual
methodology, joint- in-training session(s) and strategies for partnership with I/NGOs, donors 
and other R&D academic units,

5.- to set-up an integrated THWs/CHOWs training curriculum (short and long term) for 
Drug Abuse and HIV/AIDs Prevention, Health Awareness and Counselling, through the most appropriate Community Health Services (PHC) platform,
 

    St. Xavier's Social Services - HQ 
       in Jawalakhel / Kathmandu
 

NB: 
This theme was suggested by ILO/IPEC for the SXSS / Boddhanath Stupa Child- Workers / Street Children Project in March 1999

14h00 - Opening Ceremony 
14h10 - R. Leon (Ph.D.) : Introduction to the Seminar Current Issues
14h25 - SXSS, Fr. B. Robins SJ : Drug Abuse Prevention and CHOWs activities
in the Boddhanath Stupa area and overall KTM Valley,  from the SXSS perspective 
14h45 - Dr. Tsering MBBS, Bouddha PHC/TB Clinic: Current Needs for an
Integrated Health Education and Prevention Sheme in Boddhanath 
15h15 - Ani Choying Drolma (Nagi Gompa) : The Duties and Training of the Tibetan 
Nuns (Anis) in Community Health Education and  Services,
16h00 - RECID, Prof. R.P. Gartoulla : Nepal Healers Integrated Training Approach (...),
16h30 - KAILASH Tibetan Medical Center, Amchi Choekyi : Kailash activities,
17h00 - ILO, Mr. E. Detiger (ILO/IPEC) : the ILO/IPEC current Child Workers Rights policy,
17h15 - PRERAMA and LALS , Manisha Singh : HIV-/Aids Prevention / Presentation (...),
17h45 - UCL/PSP, Prof. R. Steichen + UCL Group (7) : UCL/PSP and UCL/ANSO ... 
18h00 - Debate on Social/Health Prevention and Training Integrated Policy
18h00-30 - Tea, drinks and snacks
 

Amchi Tenzin Wangpo in a session on 
Tibetan Medicine Diagnosis and Concepts
with the UCL/ARAC Field-Study Group 

NB: 
Some 45 selected participants for different organizations (NGOs) and donors , the academia, monasteries, Tibetan Clinics and traditional health workers  participated to this event 

Keltic Trilogy / Cairn has used this event  for promoting a consensual Dbase  and policy formulation with the active participation of local Health/Social Intervenors, and embracing the following issues :

1-  the traditional healers concepts, resources and training, 

2 - the local community health practices and beliefs, 

3 - the social and health priorities, such as women and child- workers situation in  carpet factories.
 

Nepal's  deficient health infrastructures and the current role played by local Gompas, NGOs and HMG / Nepal institutions are the difficult political and cultural context appraised. 

This Field-research cum Seminar started from the standpoint expressed by local social/health experts that the traditional health system is one of the most cost effective resources existing in the rural and urban areas, provided serious training is subsidized and  integrated to the PHC resources.
A Boddhanath target-site feasibility study had been finalized in June 1998 on this issues. 
 
 
 

Fr. W. Robins  S.J. - Director of 
St. Xavier's Social Services (KTM)

The overall intent of this Field- research cum Seminar was to promote and apply the results for the amelioration of the health conditions in the region, the priority being the health/social situation of the ethnic migrants minorities, young women and child workers in the Bouddhanath target site.

Finally, this Seminar also focussed on the present political and infrastructural conditions, which influence the development of human resources and intergrated training. 
 
 

Prof. R. Steichen ( UCL/PSP/ARAC ) with 
Tamang Shamans Maila Lama (officiating) 
and Furba Lama (facilitator) in Tamang
Jhankris healing ritual session 
 
 

:The  Boddhanath Health/Social  Prevention Seminar ( June03, 99 ) was a successful event and 
led to practical decisions taken in consensus with SXSS, Dr. Tsering, Dr. Gartoulla and other participants (see list above) :

1.- to seek collaboration with other concerned academic institutions, donors and traditional health units (such as, the ITTM in Kalimpong/Sikkim, the Men-Tsee-Khan in Dharamsala, the Tibetan
Medicine Practioners in Jadral Gompa/Parping and CIHTS in Sarnath and Nav Chetna (Yoga) in Benares, India ) on areas of mutual concerns for integrated training and intervention research,

2.- to focus as first step on a consensual Buddhist / Tibetan Psychology  and Yogas Integrated Training Curriculum,  in areas of identified priorities, being : Health Awareness, Drug Abuse, HIV/AIDS, and to promote awareness on the priorities and needs for active Health Promotion immerged in Community  Health Services ...

3.- to upgrade our current KELTIC TRILOGY WEBSITE / SOCIO-HEALTH ANTHROPO 
DBASE, at: <http://users.skynet.be/keltic/>,  and to set-up an academic Dbase at UCL/ARAC
 
 
 

  Amchi Kynzang (Kunphen Nyalam Tibet ) 
in a Tibetan Medicine pulse diagnosis session,
 Kunphen Clinic Kathmandu 1997

 As a whole, both Tibetan Traditional Medicines and  Himalayan Shamanic / Ayurvedic traditions, through their healing and philosophical components, emphasize the spiritual and holistic approach inherent to their  paradigm and local daily practices. However, serious training infrastructures arebadly needed to avoid the deperdition of quality of both Traditional Health Practicioners and their medicines, be they Tibetan Amchis, Dhamis, Jhankris, Gubaju, Lhamos or basic CHOWs.

This Seminar wanted to  synthetise and propose practical solutions on the issues of preserving these traditional and spiritual health resources, through integrated training and networking , using these spiritual values in the modern days challenge met by the local Health/Social Community Services. 

It has succeeded to enlight, on basis of relevant clinical epidemiology updates and without taboos, the existing emergence of  serioys trends HIV/AIDS, IDUs, hepatis (monasteries)  and STDs
infections in the both the Tibetan and Nepalese Youth population in Boddhanath, which in the long-run  endangers the overall lay and monastic community.
 
 

SXSS / Freedom Center :
Drug Abuse Acupuncture Detoxification, 
Rehabilitation and Counselling Center / KTM
 

The Social/Health Anthropology Multimedia Dbase data and networking,  while focussing on the Comparative Studies in the Himalayan Shamans, Ayurved/Yogas, Tibetan and Celtic (Europe) Healing Traditions (as the main vector) and organizing Field-Studies on the one side, may prove as being a relevant long-term initiative for bringing more credibility and thus finding support for  remedials and resources addressing these priorities .

Although, a priori, the participants were  much aware of the differences between the two traditional healing systems, namely : between the Tibetan Medicines (Amchis) System , and the Nepalese Ayurvedic and/or Jhankris/Dhamis (Shamans) Healers , it was emphasized that the actual benefice of their overlaping resources, spiritual heritages and healing processes  was superior to the inconvenience of their differences.
 
 

Fr. W. Robins  S.J. - Director of 
St. Xavier's Social Services (KTM)
 
 

Prof. R. P. Gartoulla (Ph.D. ) ,
Director RECID NGO (Nepal registered), 
Lecturer at TU/IOM , Researcher in Ethno-medecine, 
Anthropology and Community Medecine R&D / Partner in 
Nepal Research Council / Trainer at the Teaching Hospital CHOWs .
 
 

Dr.  Tsering  (MBBS)
Director of  Boddhanath / Phulbari PHC Clinic
Primary Health Care and TB treament specialist /
Boddhanath Tibetan Community Clinics Network
 
 

 Amchi Jampa 
(Tibetan Medicine Doctor )
Boddha Stupa Himalayan clinic
 
 

Amchi Kunsang 
Director of the Kunphen Tibetan Clinic
in Chettrapatti / KTM and Nyalam / Tibet (TAR)
 
 

Mr. Furba Lama
Certified Tamang Shaman 
Field Research  &Study Coordinator 

<click here for CV , abstracts and research papers>

Shamans experts John Oriniz and 
Furba Lama during target-site 
exploration , Baluwa 1999

Tamang Shamans Maili Lama and Furba Lama, 
Boddhanath 1999
 

Limbu Shaman  preparing the altar for rituals , in  Parping , 
Boddhanath Seminar 1999 

James 
(PHC Laboratory technician)
at Dr. Tsering's Clinic / Boddhanath 
 
 
 
 

Amchi Jampa and Prof. R. Steichen
examining  Tibetan medecines pills 
 

 Amchi Jampa, his medical Team and Prof. R. Steichen 
at the Tibetan Medicines Factory in Thusal / Bouddhanath