Kunsang is an independent researcher and social justice activist interested in alternative governance models, with a particular focus on understanding the social, economic, and structural challenges in the Tibetan region. Born in Tibet and raised in India as a stateless person, Kunsang brings lived experience of displacement and refugee life. These experiences have shaped his perspective on power, culture, and the geographical uniqueness of Tibetan communities, both inside Tibet and in exile. He is particularly interested in how Tibetan society sustains its cultural identity and social cohesion despite political constraints and sovereign control.
Kunsang is also the co-founder and executive director of the Yamuna Khimtsang Foundation, a Delhi-based charity dedicated to fostering harmony between humans and animals. The foundation cares for street dogs in a Tibetan community in Delhi while promoting a community ethic rooted in coexistence and compassion. He is currently developing a religiously informed environmental initiative as part of the PREP program of the Loka Initiative at the University of Wisconsin. Previously, Kunsang was the Director of Empowering the Vision Project, a non-profit focused on strengthening the Tibetan community through youth empowerment, and also worked with the Foundation for Universal Responsibility, to promote ethics, peace, and universal responsibility through education and dialogue.
For the past ten years, Kunsang has volunteered with Machik, an organisation that works to build bridges to Tibet’s future by engaging directly with Tibetan communities and supporting locally driven initiatives. Through this work, he has grappled with questions about the long-term future of Tibet. Recently, as a Machik Fellow, he gained deeper insight into how civic engagement and social innovation can create alternative pathways toward a more resilient and sustainable future for Tibet.
Kunsang holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Delhi and MSc in Inequalities and Social Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science. During his studies in the UK, Kunsang served as a council member of the Tibetan Community in the UK and as secretary of the Tibet Society at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
In my work with Tibetan communities, I have learned that change rarely happens through grand moments, but through small acts of collective agency—young people mentoring each other, communities preserving culture, and citizens creating space for dialogue and innovation. These everyday efforts gradually reshape possibilities for a more just and resilient future.Kunsang Tsephel