ASIA’s main mission is to preserve Tibetan culture, more so at a time like this, when knowledge of traditional societies is at risk of being forgotten. Tibetan nomads have always passed on their customs and traditions, their history, their values. Symbols of this culture are the black tent, their grazing techniques, the way in which they can forecast climatic changes and values such as wisdom, tollerance and non-violence.
Unfortunately today all of this is being lost: there are less and less artisans that can build traditional tools and utensils, their art is being lost. The younger generations can no longer follow their fathers’ lifestyles, and this causes a loss of identity for those who should be passing down Tibetan culture to future generations.
For this reason in the school of Rma Zhol (Hebei), an ethnological and folkloric museum has been created, in which tools and utensils of the local tradition, both pastoral and agricultural, will be exhibited; with training for the school staff and students on customs, traditions as well as language and terminology used daily by Tibetan shepherds and farmers; a catalog of the museum has been published (400 copies), a collection of “sayings” of the rural Tibetan tradition and lessons and conferences on the values and customs of the Tibetan culture have been organized.