Thonmi’s goal is to help confront the current confused information, prejudices and ideas about cultures and countries of Central and Eastern Asia. We do not want idealization and non-critical support of some of the Asian cultures, as it is the case to a large extent with regard to Tibet and its inhabitants.
We want to to provide expert information on the highest possible level to the public, in cooperation with experts from European research centers such as Humboldt University in Berlin or Charles University in Prague, etc.
However, the association and its facilities should also serve as a center of contact mainly with the Central Asian cultural area, focusing for example on Tibet, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Mongolia and China. Our goal is to facilitate the exchange and presentation of different opinions and to promote planning and accomplishing of common Euro-Asian cultural and scientific projects and events.
In order to achieve this goal, the region of the Šluknov Hook offers simple contact possibilities for Czech, German, Polish and other interested parties.
Here, on the border of the municipalities of Velký Šenov, Vilémov and Mikulášovice, the Scientific and Cultural Center for the Central Asian Region – Thonmi z.s. – is being established. The building of the center will be constructed with typical Tibetan architecture, unique in Europe, and with traditional Tibetan interior decoration, including a lecture hall and a library. This cultural center will not only serve as a facility for scheduled projects, seminars and cultural events, but we also wish to welcome the general public and schoolchildren with the opportunity to spend center-oriented lessons here.
The construction of the Cultural Center, the restoration of the pedestrian bridge across the railway line and the upgrading of the old footpath into a tourist or educational trail will provide employment opportunities for local residents and will contribute to the local development of this border region.