Miss Tibet 2002

The first-ever Miss Tibet pageant held in October 2002 was a huge success despite criticism from some prominent figures of the Tibetan community. The pageant was criticised as "aping western culture" and "un-Tibetan". The pageant ended up becoming a global lead story although only four Tibetan girls plunged in to the competition.

Though the pageant was criticised, the leaders did not try to ban it as it is apparently being publicised. It is debatable if beauty pageants are "western culture". It is more a platform for women to rise up and tell what women are all about. It is important to perceive and understand the totality of the Miss Tibet pageant. It is unique in showing the world the beautiful Tibetan culture and the pageant puts the Tibetan women in the centre of the focus – to empower and to bring them alongside the women of the 21st century.

Since the successful conclusion of the first-ever Miss Tibet pageant, the winner Miss Tibet, Dolma Tsering, has contested in two international pageants, one in Malaysia and another in Mexico. She won the Miss Goodwill subsidiary title and the Best National Costume in the two countries respectively.

The first-ever Tibetan Music Awards was held alongside the second Miss Tibet pageant.

Stories

Miss Tibet in the Media

Multi Media Miss Tibet 2002

Tribune India | Videos of Miss Tibet Pageant

Miss Tibet film | Beauty in exile

Miss Tibet 2002 Videos | Google

Miss Tibet 2002 Videos | YouTube

Images of Miss Tibet 2002 | Corbis

Images of Miss Tibet | Google

Miss Tibet Videos | Misstibet

Miss Tibet Audio | Misstibet

Miss Tibet 2002 Gallery

  • AFP | First-ever Miss Tibet crowned
    October 18: Dolma Tsering was selected Saturday as the first-ever Miss Tibet in a contest which aims to highlight the plight of Tibetan refugees internationally. Tsering, who lives in the Indian capital New Delhi, pledged to use her title to serve the cause of the Tibetan refugees. ...
  • TIME Asia Magazine | Pretty independent
    October 14: The terrace of the Om Hotel, beauty queen headquarters, hums with excitement. Photographers chain-smoke and chatter in French, English and Hindi. A TV crew is setting up in a corner, but the contestants ...
  • AP | Dolma Tsering, 19-year-old is crowned Miss Tibet
    October 14: She fled her homeland when she was 12, walking for 21 days across the frozen wastelands of the Himalayas. On Saturday night, Dolma Tsering was crowned the first Miss Tibet at the end of a three-day event that critics said violated Tibetan traditions and trivialized Tibet's struggle for freedom. ...
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