I also just posted an interview with John Ackerly, President of the
International Campaign for Tibet that I did in June of 2006 if you
would like to listen...
www.perfilo.net
please spread word if this an issue that you are interested in and
pass it on if you have friends in san francisco...
thanks!!
crystal
International Campaign for Tibet Calendar:
San Francisco Beijing '08 Campaign
Dates: April 7th, 2008 to April 9th, 2008
City: San Francisco
State: California
Country: United States of America
Website:
http://racefortibet.org/sanfrancisco/
Details:
The International Campaign for Tibet invites Tibet supporters to join
our Olympics campaign, Race for Tibet, by participating in two events
coinciding with the arrival on U.S. soil of China's official 2008
Olympics Torch. At the University of California in Berkeley on April
7 and at U.N. Plaza in San Francisco on April 8, ICT will engage the
public in an examination of China's human rights record in Tibet in
this Olympics year.
The Chinese government, to underscore the theme of the 2008 Beijing
Olympics, "One World, One Dream," is running the Olympics Torch around
the world. The torch arrives in San Francisco - its only North
American stop - on April 9.
We hope you will join ICT and a coalition of human rights advocates to
honor the principles of fair play and human rights enshrined in the
Olympics Charter, under which American and athletes from around the
world will compete in Beijing. We will call on President Bush to
publicly align himself with our positive message affirming these
Olympics ideals before he departs to attend the Games.
Most critically, we will challenge the Chinese government to use the
Olympics opportunity to step forward on the world stage, abandoning
its human rights abuses and failed policies in Tibet.
A CONVERSATION WITH ICT - APRIL 7, 2008
On Monday April 7 at 7:00 p.m., the International Campaign for Tibet
will host an interactive conversation on the situation in Tibet and
other human rights considerations around Beijing's hosting of the 2008
Olympics. The event is free and will be at the Joseph Wood Krutch
Theatre on the Clark Kerr Campus of UC Berkeley, 2601 Warring Street.
For directions please click here:
http://www.housing.berkeley.edu/conference/conf_dirto_CKC.html
Refreshments will be served.
R.S.V.P for the Conversation
CANDLE LIGHTS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS - APRIL 8, 2008
On April 8 at 7:00 p.m., the International Campaign for Tibet, Amnesty
International, and other Tibetan advocacy organizations will host an
evening candle light vigil in San Francisco. This event will bring
together people of conscious on behalf of Tibetans struggling for
religious and other freedoms and the survival of the Tibetan identity
under Chinese rule. The vigil will take place in United Nations Plaza
(Civic Center BART Station) near downtown San Francisco.
posting from podcast...
Radio Perfilo at www.perfilo.net
Radio Perfilo ITUNES Podcast link
nternational Campaign for Tibet
http://www.savetibet.org/
San Francisco Beijing '08 Campaign April 7th, 2008 to April 9th, 2008
in San Francisco
http://www.savetibet.org/calendar/event.php?id=556
The Dalai Lama has since won the Congressional Gold Medal as mentioned
in this interview. Video clips and information are available here.
http://ict.convio.net/site/PageServer?pagename=DLDC_webcast_English...
Eight Tibetans killed in Kardze: new phase in protests in Tibet
http://www.savetibet.org/news/newsitem.php?id=1279
Articles on violence and silenced voices of dissent going back years
http://www.savetibet.org/news/insidetibet.php
In June of 2006, I spoke with John Ackerly of the International
Campaign for Tibet. At the time, the media was not as focused on the
violence in Lhasa as it is now, and it seemed that nonviolent
diplomacy was a likely option as voices in the Chinese government were
starting to warm towards the plight of Tibetans and openly criticize
China's policies regarding continued occupation of the nation. Even
though this interview is almost two years old, I wanted to share it in
view of recent developments and hopefully provide a little more
background, even if basic information. Americans carry a rather
simplified idea that this a peaceful nation being occupied and a
culture is being slowly dissolved into the Peoples Republic of China,
and it's a shame and we feel bad so we put bumper stickers on our
cars, throw concerts to build awareness and then go back to our day to
day lives. Most of us (including myself) do not know the details of
the U.S. diplomatic policy regarding China and Tibet and most of us do
not know much about the people and customs of Tibet beyond cliched
rural images with the Himalayas in the background and pictures of the
Dalai Lama smiling and looking peaceful. This is what I choose to
think of myself because it is a wonderful view of an idealized culture
led by a leader who embodies all that I like to believe is right in
the world. But I am as guilty of pushing the Tibetan reality under
the rug with the rest of the atrocities occurring world wide that
prick my conscience as anyone else.
I have no obligation to be objective here, so I can openly admit that
what I have read in sources linked above and watched in short news
clips brings tears to my eyes. I want to do something. I want to
find who is responsible and tell them that they have to stop. I want
to tell them that there are other ways to maintain a strong economy
and feed their citizens. But in truth, it does no good to blame only
the Chinese government and to shoot criticisms at a regime in
transition currently upholding policies and actions instigated decades
ago. Anger and the need to reach out and help ease the frustrations
of a people oppressed are natural reactions, but it we should instead
turn that energy into educating the world population on the
consequences of violence in aggression as well as defense. Great and
positive changes in social and political tyranny have been achieved by
nonviolent acts in our very recent history and stopping violence in
response to violence, ceasing threats in response to threats, and
demilitarizing political agendas is the most obvious step towards
ending a cycle of world war and nations held in check by military
occupation.
When the population of one of the most nonviolent governments and
cultures in the world has finally erupted into riots where Monks are
being fired upon and crowds are being herded with tanks and tear gas,
should we not ask ourselves if there is a better option? Should we
not consider this a moment of revelation? More thought and more
energy need to be directed towards the contemplation of peaceful
politics. Nonviolent diplomacy should be taking the place of bully
governments. The US is particularly guilty of patrolling the world
with big sticks and invasion forces riding into save the week on the
pretense of saving them from themselves and promoting political and
economic stability. Is this not another form of colonization via a
trojan horse of democracy, freedom, and human rights? Are we as individuals not
responsible as long as we stay silent?
I would like to ask you all to make this a personal process. Educate
yourselves and try to look beyond the 2 minute bites on CNN and the
BBC. Spend ten minutes talking to someone about issues that cause
your sides to clench and tears to prick your eyes. Challenge yourself
to envision a resolution and an end to violence followed by thoughts
of ways that this could possibly happen. I ask you to see a world
where we as a world community have patience, the intelligence and
compassion enough to manifest a world where violence (even in protest
to violence) is not the first option. We are better than that. We
are a people that can build amazing jewels of civilization and
contemplate our own existence to degrees that dizzy the imagination.
We can build models of the shape of the universe and the nature off
all its parts. Can we not find a way to evolve again and begin a
cycle of giving rather than taking, of balance instead of power, of
peace instead of war? Please believe in the power of communication and
one of the first steps towards peace is asking for it.
On the ICT website, there are ways to get involved, links for letter
writing campaigns, and information on the San Francisco Beijing '08
Campaign occurring from April 7th, 2008 to April 9th, 2008 in San
Francisco in Berkeley. This is an immediate chance to educate
yourself as ICT will be publicly examining China's Human Rights record
over the last year in preparation for the arrival of the Olympic Torch
in San Francisco on April 9th. The goal of this campaign is to draw
attention to ideals that the Olympic Games are founded upon and
hopefully encourage the Chinese government to act according to those
goals in future talks regarding the future of Tibet.
This is a very personal message.
Thank you for reading ~ cikee
AlJazeeraEnglishThe uprising that began in Lhasa is now reported to have killed
at least 10 people. China has poured military onto the streets of the
Tibetan capital and more details are starting to emerge about the
situation. Al Jazeera's Dorsa Jabaari pieces together the story so far. http://www.youtube.com/v/zfnBVKrzX6Y&hl=en 
