Vision
We regenerate the Earth through revitalization of indigenous culture; reconnecting self, community, and nature; and transformative learning.
Mission
To research and explore the core values of Himalayan culture and its impact on child and women development and well-being.
To revitalize the essence of indigenous wisdom into people’s daily life in an artistic and innovative way, and turn the life scene into an educational scene.
To promote National Gross Happiness (GNH) and Aloha globally in education, family, community, and business to contribute to the quality of life and education for future generations.
To incubate regenerative economic business models designed to reconnect people to people and people to nature.
What we do
We participate in wide ranging activities
Develop transformative educational programs
Support to indigenous communities and elders
Organize workshops and classes
Organize music and touring shows
Curate art exhibitions
Promote folk artists via social media
Support performing arts training
Manage music database and archive art works
Organize field recordings
Enhance international collaborations
Fundraise for programs that will transform the world in a better way
Wisdom tank
Dr. Tho Ha Vinh
Dr. Tho is the founder of the Eurasia Foundation and the founder and chairman of the Eurasia Learning Institute for Happiness and Wellbeing, a humanitarian NGO developing educational programs for children and youths living with disabilities, as well as ecological projects in Vietnam. He wrote the Happy Schools in Vietnam Curriculum, an innovative educational program introducing mindfulness, social and emotional learning, and care for the planet into the Vietnamese education system. He is also the former Program Director of the Gross National Happiness Centre in Bhutan and an international speaker on Gross National Happiness (GNH), happiness and well-being, and moving beyond GDP. He is a visiting fellow in adult education and humanitarian work at several universities, and has published several books and numerous articles on Gross National Happiness, engaged Buddhism, and adult education. Dr. Tho is guiding us on how to incorporate GNH into our programs.
Thakur S. Powdyel
Thakur S Powdyel is an educator by choice, conviction and passion. His abiding interests include, inter alia, education as the noble sector, institutional integrity, national self-respect, Gross National Happiness, environment and sustainable development. My Green School: An outline reflects his vision of holistic education as an instrument for human and societal flourishing, and is translated into several languages worldwide. Often described as the most widely foot-travelled education minister in the world, Powdyel in tandem with his colleagues, moved Bhutan to be the first country in the region to achieve the MDGs for education, and to receive the coveted UNESCO awards for Non-Formal and Continuing Education, and introduced critical parliamentary legislation, especially dedicated to advancing the well-being of girls and women. A recipient of the International Gusi Peace Prize, Global Education Award, Distinguished Service Award, Coronation Gold Medal, and the Institutional Award: the Honour of Druk Thuksey, Thakur S. Powdyel has travelled across his country, and spoken at conferences and university campuses around the world.
Dr. Failuatusi ‘Tusi’ Avegalio
Dr. Tusi Avegalio is Director of the Pacific Business Center Program (PBCP) at the Shidler College of Business, University of Hawaii. Under his direction, PBCP received seven national awards for innovation, creativity, and effectiveness. Tusi is also the Executive Director of the Honolulu Minority Enterprise Business Development Center, and was named “Entrepreneur of the Year” for the U.S. Western Region in 2009. Tusi has consulted throughout the Pacific for the ruling chiefs of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia, and for traditional village councils, community organizations, governments, colleges and universities, multinational corporations, and local businesses. His work seeks to reconcile the perspectives of traditional wisdom and Western knowledge. Tusi is a Polynesian Alii and holds the traditional honorific of Papalii, as he is heir to the Malietoa line of Samoa. His genealogical link to Hawaii can be traced in King Kalakaua’s publications on Hawaiian Legends and Myths, which map the movement of the Pili of Samoa to Hawaii in 1100 A.D.
Kahu Kalani Souza
Kahu Souza is a gifted storyteller, musician, film director and producer, poet, philosopher, facilitator, mediator, and educator. A Hawaiian practitioner and cross-cultural facilitator, he has experience in promoting social justice through conflict resolution. Kahu Souza is a recognized traditional practitioner of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island culture and licensed to practice traditional religion and ceremonies. He currently serves as a cultural advisor to Department of Commerce's NOAA Pacific Services Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, as a board member of the Ala Kahakai Trail Association in Hawaii County, and as community outreach specialist at the University of Hawaii National Disaster Preparedness Training Center. He is the founding executive director of Olohana, Inc., a nonprofit operating as the Olohana Foundation, that works with coastal and indigenous communities to build capacity around food, energy, water, and knowledge systems. He will be one of our mentors specializing in bringing native wisdom as well as healthy communication skills into our practices.
Kumu Ramsay Taum
Kumu Ramsay is the founder and president of the Hawaii based Life Enhancement Institute (LEI) of the Pacific LLC. His eclectic background and experience in business, government, and community service make him a valuable asset in both public and private sectors, as well as for- profit and non-profit business. His work in promoting sustainable, place-based, and Hawaiian cultural stewardship principles and practices is acknowledged locally, nationally, and internationally. Ramsay is a recognized cultural resource and sought after as a keynote speaker, lecturer, trainer and facilitator. Trained by respected Hawaiian elders, he effectively integrates place based, cultural based, indigenous, and Native Hawaiian cultural values and principles into contemporary business. Kumu Ramsay is helping us integrate Traditional Hawaiian philosophy and practices into our programs.
Dr. Craig Elevitch
Craig Elevitch, an educator in agroforestry and regenerative human agroecosystems since 1991, directs Agroforestry Net. His internationally recognized publications and workshops have guided thousands in becoming more proficient in ecological food production, agroforestry, and reforestation. Craig edits The Overstory, a monthly agroforestry journal with thousands of subscribers in 185 countries. His books include Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands (2000), The Overstory Book: Cultivating Connections with Trees (2004), Traditional Trees of Pacific Islands: Their Culture, Environment, and Use (2006), Specialty Crops for Pacific Islands (2011), and Agroforestry Landscapes for Pacific Islands: Creating abundant and resilient food systems (2015), all of which promote diverse regenerative agricultural systems that produce abundant food, fiber, medicine, and other important resources. He is using our expertise to help us live and eat more mindfully.
Van James
Mr. James is an Hawaiian-based artist and author. He is a an art teacher with over 40 years of experience, co-director of an adult education program, and editor of Pacifica Journal. As an artist, he has exhibited in Europe, the United States, and Japan. His paintings have received awards and are found in numerous private collections. He is active as a freelance graphic designer and writes articles for journals and magazines. Mr. James works with us as a visual art mentor, helping us incorporate artistic practices into our programs that can help us to connect to our inner selves.
GEOFFREY BADGER
Mr. Badger is a renowned music teacher and teacher trainer in Australia, and is one of our music curriculum developers. Mr. Badger has decades of experience training teachers in China, demonstrating the transformative power of his music lessons. His training methods and teaching style do more than simply educate people about music, but also create profound inner transformations for his students. He has proven how practicing group singing and group singing in parts will cultivate harmony between people and train them to listen deeply to one another. Mr. Badger believes in the power of singing and music as a method to reflexively check in on ourselves, examining and processing our emotions.
Jamyang Dolma
Jamyang Dolma has dedicated her life to preserving traditional culture and questioning the nature of a good education. Her experience working in more than 20 countries, in fields as diverse as public communication, management consulting, and marketing for International business and government institutions, has taught her that preserving traditional culture and art is key for the success of the next generation. Since 2001 she has been studying with Buddhist masters from the Tibetan Region and Bhutan. She began leading field recording trips to preserve disappearing folk music and working with educators from around the world to develop music education curricula for children. She is also working to preserve traditional handicrafts, particularly weaving, and to create a sustainable fashion line. Dolma’s unique life experience, along with her passion and compassion, led her to found Academy of Himalayan Art and Child Development with people who have similar philanthropic desires and appreciation of ancient philosophy and arts. Dolma now serves as the President of the organization and is in charge of leading the efforts to promote and fund the organization's missions.
RESHI TSERING
Mr. Tsering is a Tibetan artist and social entrepreneur from China. He is a dedicated scholar and practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism and the founder and president of Shangri-La Folk Music Preservation Association. Mr. Tsering started this organization after years of traveling and interviewing musicians throughout the Himalayas. He realized that specific genres, songs, choreographies, and other cultural elements that are typically passed down orally are at risk of being lost due to globalization and migration to cities. Mr. Tsering is one of our coaches specializing in the healing art of music and the importance of preserving and learning from traditional art and culture. His unique music style and his outstanding contributions in Tibetan cultural preservation have been the focus of both national and international media attention, such as National Geographic Magazine, Phoenix TV, the Travel Channel, and China Youth Daily, among others.
Sonam Dorji
Sonam Dorji was born in the rural village of Kaktong, in Bhutan’s Zhemgang District. His passion for music was inspired by his mother, who died while he was a child. He took up and mastered the dramgyen (Bhutanese lute), studying under the primary elders of the Bhutanese folk tradition. Kheng Sonam Dorji is a master musician, he is also the first to composed and sing a Khengpa modern song, earning him the tile of Kheng Sonam Dorji.International audiences know Sonam through his soundtrack contributions to the acclaimed Bhutanese film,travelers’ and Magicians (2004) and his appearances at the Smithsonian's Festival of American Folklife (2008). In 2012 Sonam Participated in Asian Age stage during London Olympic in England. Sonam travelled around Europe giving lectures, presentations and performances. Sonam is the Liaison Officer for Bhutan, registered member under the umbrella of ICTM (International Council for Traditional Music), also he is a member of ISME (International Society for Music Education) for Bhutan.
Yu Pan
Ms. Pan is the CEO of Operation Earth’s Tibetan regional branch. She graduated from the Basic Life Institute in Chicago in 2004, then returned to China and became the Project Manager then CEO of Professional Resources Group International. Ms. Pan has been involved in the exploration and research of Tibetan culture for decades. She has participated in event planning of many large-scale Tibetan culture exchange projects and seminars. Since she joined Operation Earth in 2016, she has led scientific and field research trips such as Amazon rainforest ecological monitoring, giant panda training and release, Tonle Sap Lake ecological research, and many more. Ms. Pan is currently the CEO of “Operation Earth Tibet”, planning and promoting field trips and research programs in Chengdu, Tibet, Bhutan and Hawaii.
Enyi Li
Mr. Li is the Co-Founder and President of The Himalaya Happy Mandala Group, as well as a multi-awarded winning photographer and journalist. He has been active in Tibet and other Himalayan regions for over 40 years. He has rich life experience in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and strong connections with the culture and art. After touring his photography work and editing major publications for many years, Li became a successful curator and event producer for cultural events, ceremonies, exhibitions, and more. Mr. Li’s passion for Himalayan cultural heritage, extensive networks, and profound experience has allowed him to organize large-scale cultural events annually since 1991. These events serve the dual goals of cultural preservation and benefiting Himalayan communities. In recent years he has expanded his work to include environmental protection and raising awareness of environmental issues. Mr Li is the Secretary General of The Tibet Ecological Development and Environmental Protection Foundation.
DR. MEIQUE CAI
Dr. Cai is a celebrated esthetician, therapist, and nutritionist from Taiwan. After her graduation from Taiwan University, she moved to Japan in 1982 to study medical cosmetics. In 1987 she opened a spa specializing in holistic skin care, which she ran for 12 years. At the same time, she created a silhouette-reshaping and chiropractic/therapeutic lingerie brand. Dr. Cai has served as the first and second chairwoman of Asia-Pacific Medical Aesthetics & Cosmetology Association. Since 2000, she has been helping people using therapies that emphasize the harmony between one’s body and mind, which combine naturopathy, Tibetan medicine, meditation, aromatherapy, and a mindful diet. Dr. Cai spends most of her time in the Himalayas practicing Buddhism, mentoring, guiding retreat sessions, and learning from the local gurus. She is a mentor for practicing mindful consumption and self care methods to improve the health of our minds and bodies.
Laurie Brown
Vice President Laurie Brown is also currently General Manager of theatrical productions and large-scale special events. Her leadership skills and valuable experience make her an irreplaceable partner to the organization’s President Dolma. She assists Dolma with her long-term vision and short-term strategies. In addition, Ms. Brown initiates most of the company's programs and currently overseas communication between the organization and other parties.