Battle for the flame

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Tibetans in exile have done a remarkable job of capturing international attention in recent weeks - particularly coming from a region of less than three million people. The opportunity was handed to them in the form of a torch with the traditional running of the Olympic flame as a warm-up to the games in Beijing this summer.

Not since the 1936 Berlin Olympics, when it was introduced, has this sporting rite stirred such controversy. With so much national face and prestige vested in the games, host China is not surprisingly outraged by the conduct of what it regards as an impudent and ungrateful province. But are the Chinese stoking an international PR disaster by insisting on running the flame around an all but empty, heavily guarded stadium in Pakistan or up to the top of Everest along the sensitive Nepal-Tibet border?

To discuss this and more, book early and join the distinguished panellists:

Chen De Hai, counsellor at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Bangkok

James Pringle, veteran foreign correspondent with Reuters, The Times, Newsweek and contributor to the International Herald Tribune. Pringle has twice interviewed the Dalai Lama and was one of the first foreign correspondents allowed into Tibet in the early 1980s.

Tenzin Josh, born Steven Gluck in London in 1963, and ordained a novice monk by the Dalai Lama in 1990. He studied and practised as a Buddhist monk in India and Thailand , finishing at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics, Dharamsala, in 2005 when he disrobed. He returned there in recent weeks, and met with the Dalai Lama.

Pooja Patel, coordinator in Thailand with the Free Tibet Network (FTN).

Buffet dinner is Bt350.

E-mail info@fccthai.com.

Breaking barriers

The British Council's Thai-UK Alumni and Professional Network and the Thailand-US Fulbright-TUSEF are hosting the talk "Bonds and Barriers in Cultural Understanding" on April 26 from 10am to noon at E-Zone on the ground floor of the British Council, Siam Square.

Guest speakers include Chavaphas Ongmahutmongkol of Asia Online Retail, Suwipa Wanasathop of Software Park Thailand and Veenarat Laohapakakul of Nation Multimedia Group. Porntip Kanjananiyot will act as moderator.

The talk will focus on cross-cultural management issues, a common yet overlooked issue in today's work places. The topic of cross-cultural management is now widely integrated into management and leadership training courses.

The session will be in Thai. There is no admission fee but seats are limited - you can register on the day from 9.30am.

Alternatively, reserve a place by e-mailing your name and contact number to jansang.boonnua@britishcouncil.or.th.