As a community based, not for profit organization, the mission of the CTAO is to promote the rights of all individuals, in particular, those of Tibetan Canadians and to encourage their full and equal participation in Canadian society; to create an environment in this country in which the rights of individuals are fully recognized and protected; to promote understanding and cooperation between Tibetan Canadians and all other ethnic, cultural and racial groups; to encourage and develop in persons of Tibetan descent, a desire to know and respect their history and culture; and to develop community resources through voluntary participation and community networking.
In today’s increasingly diverse and multicultural Canadian society, the goal of the Canadian Tibetan Association of Ontario is to promote cross-cultural understanding and friendships between the Tibetan community and other cultural groups in Canada. This will be achieved through education and awareness projects; networking to build friendships; shared community ethnic/heritage events and festivals; and participation with other ethnic groups in recreation and sporting activities. These cross-cultural experiences will foster and enhance mutual respect and tolerance between other cultural groups and the Tibetan community.
Also, as a learning centre and a place to share common interests, the CTAO will not only help Tibetan immigrants adjust to the culture, heritage, and lifestyle in Canada, but we will also promote and nurture Tibetan culture and arts within the Tibetan community and with other cultural individuals and groups. As Tibetan immigrants settle to Canada, they find that adjusting to their new way of life is not an easy task. Challenges such as language barriers, cultural differences and feelings of uneasiness are just some of the experiences faced by newcomers to this country. For many individuals they do not know where to go to obtain information or services upon settling. As a volunteer based organization, we seek to develop community resources through voluntary participation and community networking. We achieve this through the provision of a broad range of assistance (including facilities, goods and services) in both Tibetan and English in order to ensure that a new immigrant’s adjustment is as unambiguous as possible.