Shang Shung Foundation

On January 2015, the Shang Shung Foundation, International Institute for Tibetan Culture (“Shang Shung Foundation”), was established in Italy. The Foundation will perpetuate the mission and continue the activities carried over in the last 25 years by the previous Cultural Association, The International Shang Shung Institute for Tibetan Studies.

The Founding Members of the Shang Shung Foundation are Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, his wife Rosa Tolli, the International Dzogchen Community and the Dzogchen Community of Merigar.

The Foundation aims at promoting activities of study, research, documentation and education that can contribute to ensure the development of Tibetan culture and the continuity of its traditions (and in general of those of cultural minorities) and which can be useful in supporting the Tibetan communities in the process of adaptation of their ways of living while facing the challenges of the contemporary world.

More specifically the Foundation’s purpose is to promote, in collaboration with custodians of Tibetan traditions, experts, scholars, artists, academic institutions and civil society organizations, programmes and initiatives aimed at supporting the language, the traditional knowledge and the preservation of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage and to facilitate at the same time the international appreciation of Tibetan culture’s contribution to the world cultural heritage and human enrichment, so as to contribute to the fundamental processes of comprehension and integration amongst different peoples and cultures.

The Foundation is moved by scientific, cultural, humanitarian and social solidarity purposes, basing its work on the principle of cooperation and on the comprehension that scientific and cultural exchanges represent an important mean to enhance reciprocal understanding amongst peoples and nations.

The programme guidelines for the start of the activities of the Foundation are based upon the following primary areas:

• Education, public awareness and cultural integration
• Preservation and accessibility
• Publishing activities
• Activities related and complementary to the institutional goals.

How to sustain the Foundation

The Foundation is mainly sustained through two forms of financial income:

• Income from institutional activities and commercial activities aimed at supporting the institutional goals (mainly from Publishing activities)
• Donations and contributions paid by natural persons, public and private entities, for the development of activities, exercised in compliance with institutional objectives

This means that every time you buy a book published by Shang Shung Publications, attend a course organized by the Foundation or make a donation you are directly supporting also all the programmes and activities that are in the institutional agenda and which do not have a direct revenue. In this way you actually contribute directly to the mission stated by the Founders.