After years of clashes between poor Tibetans trying to make a living from the land and foreign environmentalists trying to save forests, conservation groups and agencies like the U.N. Development Program have begun working with local Tibetan authorities to wipe out poverty in an ecologically sound manner. Future Generations, a U.S. conservation group, has entered into compacts with villages, promising to help Tibetans find eco-friendly sources of income, basic health care, and other services if the Tibetans will work to protect local waterways, wildlife, and land. The group now trains “pendebas” — Tibetan for “those who do good deeds” — who then help villagers plant seeds, organize immunization programs, and build water pipelines, among other projects.
