On 5 February, 2019, the three remaining founders of the Shang Shung Foundation (SSF), Rosa Tolli Namkhai, Merigar (legal representative Tiziana Gottardi) and the International Dzogchen Community (represented by Roberto Zamparo) signed an important statement concerning the relationship between SSF, the Atiyoga Foundation (ATIF) and Shang Shung Publications.

After having mentioned the precious and essential role of Master Chögyal Namkhai Norbu for the Shang Shung Institute and then the SSF, the Founders pointed out that on July 2018 the Master founded the International Atiyoga Foundation, in Tenerife. According to Rinpoche’s wishes, the new Foundation assumed the role of the main cultural foundation and reference point for the cultural activities of the Dzogchen Community. Therefore, many of the cultural activities of SSF have migrated to the ATIF, such as open courses of Yantra Yoga, Vajra Dance, Khaita Dances, and Meditation, as well as the Tibetan Medicine and the Tibetan Language departments.

Merigar’s Archive and the Library, even though they formally remain within the legal structure of SSF, will be managed for many different aspects with the collaboration of ATIF (as a reference partner) and Merigar.

Instead, temporarily, and for practical reasons, the activities of the publishing house, Shang Shung Publications, will continue within the legal structure of SSF.

In the new context in which it is now operating, the publishing house will have to make a considerable effort to reorganize. The Founders are sure that this will bring good results in terms of sustainability, efficiency and work quality. The vision is to create, as soon as possible and, in any case, within two years, a new legal entity in a form most suitable to the activities developed by Publications.

In addition, the Founders’ Council accepted the voluntary resignations of the members of the previous Board of SSF: Oliver Leick, Yuchen Namkhai, Julia Lawless and Kirill Shilov, in the shared awareness that it is appropriate to appoint a new Board of Directors which takes into account the birth of the International Atiyoga Foundation and the activity mainly developed by SSF at present and temporarily.

The voluntary resignations were done within a completely harmonious context between the Founders’ Council and the outgoing Board of Directors, with the common intention to respect in the best possible way the vision of Master Namkhai Norbu.

The Founders also expressed their total thanks for the work carried out and the complete abnegation shown by the members of the outgoing Board of Directors,

Therefore, the Founders officially deliberated:

1.     to not appoint a new Honorary President of SSF, in respect of the memory of Master Namkhai Norbu;

2.     to accept the voluntary resignations of the members of the Board of Directors made up of Oliver Leick, Yuchen Namkhai, Julia Lawless and Kirill Shilov;

3.     to appoint Marco Baseggio, Pia Bramezza, Oliver Leick, Artur Skura and Giovanni Totino as the new Board of Directors. The first three members are also part of the Board of ATIF, the other two are more related to the activity of the publishing house.

4.     to appoint Giovanni Totino as the Chairman of the Board of Directors and legal representative of the SSF.

We hope that all this will bear good fruit!

Marco Baseggio