Dalai Lama Fellows

Leadership Vision

"And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

In resonance with Marianne Williamson’s words, leadership, to me, is a sincere aspiration in action—a commitment to clearly see, carefully nurture, and courageously live in alignment with the truth within, thereby facilitating the discovery and embrace of truth in others.

Project Description

This project turns to the wisdom of the 4,000-year-old Hijra community to explore what ‘care’ means to them—how it is lived, felt, and practiced in their everyday lives. Too often, Hijras are defined by struggles and marginalisation. This research centers their strengths, resilience, and the care they practice in and beyond their chosen kinship networks to survive oppressive systems. Rather than seeking to ‘fix’ or ‘save’, we pause, listen, and honor their wisdom through chai par charcha (conversations over tea) where their stories of care unfold organically. We co-create spaces for them to dream. Imagine a room where Hijra community members gather, dreaming together of the best possible care—offering presence, shape, and language to their dreams and desires. This communal dreaming is expected to lead to the co-creation of an artefact that captures Hijras' experiences and aspirations of care, which in turn has the potential to drive community-led advocacy and change. Beyond its findings, this PhD research seeks to embody care in its very process—ensuring that each step is guided by small, intentional acts of respect, reciprocity, and reflexivity.