Our Story
In the 1990s, Dharamshala had a worsening waste problem, and every passing year with a growing population, increasing number of refugees from Tibet and growing number of domestic and foreign tourists, caused vast pressure on the local environment. Numerous different organizations were working to tackle these problems.
To coordinate these organisations, H.H. the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) assigned the Tibetan Settlement Office Dharamshala (TSO) to find a solution, and so in June 1994 the Clean Upper Dharamshala Programme (CUDP) was founded.
Dharamshala
Dharamshala is well-known for being the home of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, and the seat of the Central Tibetan Administration. It has been the destination of Tibetan refugees since H.H. the Dalai Lama had to leave Tibet in 1959 due to the Chinese occupation. Since then, more than 10.000 Tibetans have settled in the area around Dharamshala, especially in McLeod Ganj, which is nowadays also known as “little Lhasa”.
The Green Workers were created as a task force for waste collection and segregation in the Segregation Centre. The Paper Recycling Factory was set up along with the Recycle Paper Workshop and the Green Shop to recycle the collected paper waste and sell the beautiful products made from it. In the mid-2000s, with great contributions and participation from the TCV school, a Composting Plant for the processing of biodegradable waste was built.
To educate people on how they can contribute to a sustainable future, the CUDP staff often holds workshops in our Environmental Education Centre and teaches in local schools. People can also drop by the Recycle Paper Workshop and try to make their own lovely products from recycled paper.
Another aim that was pursued with the establishment of the CUDP was the creation of employment opportunities for the then increasing number of Tibetan refugees coming to Dharamshala. Most of the staff currently working for the CUDP have been working here since its foundation in 1994. All of them are refugees from Tibet.
Our staff is frequently supported by volunteers from the Swedish Organisation for Individual Relief and the Austrian Service Abroad, as well as several individual volunteers. They help out in the Environmental Office, Paper Recycle Factory and Recycle Paper Workshop.
