SFT UK at the UK’s Biggest Student Festival!

Wales has many positive qualities, but its weather isn’t usually one of them. So I’m glad to say that stereotype didn’t hold true when we headed to Pembrey in Carmarthenshire for Beach Break Live, the UK’s biggest student festival. The sun shone down on our little stall all week making our time there all the better.

We went with two aims in mind – to sell our lovely range or merchandise and to spread the word about SFT UK’s fantastic work, hopefully getting lots of new people involved. Whilst our sales could have been better, we did meet lots of enthusiastic people and almost everyone that stopped at our stall signed our petition to free Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen or joined our email list or stayed for a chat about what we do. Some of them were keen to start campaigning at their universities and colleges and one of them, Sophie, is starting a new SFT group at the University of Plymouth this year and left with a box load of leaflets, postcards and other great stuff to get the group off to a flying start. Watch this space to see how she gets on.

Whilst we worked hard making our stall the most beautiful on site and keeping it open for over 12 hours a day, there was still time for fun and the week was full of memorable moments. From the impromptu yoga class outside our stall, to dancing at the Granny Gaff, from our neighbours at On Your Beach accidentally making tea with vodka, to a barbeque on the beach at sunset.

Massive thanks go to our volunteers Fenya, Sonam, Gabby, Lizzie and Pete who were tireless throughout the week; we really could not have done it without you guys.

To find out more of our pictures click here

photos & report prepared by Ben Martin

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Hull Human Righs Action wins the Chance For Change 2010 Award

7th May'10: We are extremely pleased and proud to announce that last night Hull Human Rights Action (HRA) won the BEST SOCIETY EVENT OF THE YEAR AWARD for 'CHANCE FOR CHANGE 2010' - which raised over £600 for SFT UK & Burma Campaign UK!! We would like to express our heartfelt congrats to HRA and all it's members who have made valuabele contributions and been one of the most active SFT UK groups. Well done to everyone.

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SFT UK Activist staged Free Panchen Lama protest at the Chinese Consulate in Manchester

23rd March, Manchester:  Sixteen years since his abduction, the whereabouts of Gendun Cheokyi Nyima- the 11th Panchen Lama- still remains unknown.  On the weekend of his 21st birthday SFT UK activists and Tibet support groups in London will continue to pressurize the Chinese Govt on his whereabouts and his well-being.

Whilst in Manchester this Friday, a group of activists from Hull University Human Rights Action ? one of SFT UK's most active chapters- joined with Free Tibet campaigners and local Tibetans in Manchester to picket the Chinese consulate.  The successful protest- which ran throughout the consulate?s opening hours-included a candlelit vigil, renditions of the Tibetan national anthem and a prominent visual display to let passers-by know about the Panchen Lama.  It obviously rattled the consulate staff who promptly called in both the Manchester police and a private security firm.  Things came to a head when the Consulate-General left the gates in his official car only to be greeted with flags, photos of the Panchen Lama and shouts of ?where is he?? (HRA activist Francisco Peres confronts the Consulate General in his official car) (more...)

write to David Miliband and support the victims of Tibet Earthqauke

Recently the UK foreign Secretary issued a statement on the Tibet Earthquake on April 16 without mentioning ‘Tibet’ and ‘Tibetan’ victims even once: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?view=News&id=22071723 By doing so it does a great disservice to the victims of the quake who were primarily Tibetans. We therefore urge you all to write to the UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband urging him to acknowledge that the earthquake took place in Tibet and honor the wishes of Tibetan in Kyegudno by supporting the visit of the Dalai Lama to the Earthquake zone. Below is the sample letter: (more...)

Another Successful Year for Hull HRA

(HRA Crew at the Chinese Embassy)
On March 18^th Hull University Human Rights Action held their annual AGM and elected a new committee after another brilliantly successful year.  This was the third year of HRA’s affiliation to SFTUK and once again the group led vibrant Tibet activism in Hull and further afield.

Shortly after the new university term began the tragic and shocking news broke of two Tibetans being executed for their part in the 2008 uprising.  Within 24 hours HRA had taken to Hull Student’s Union building with posters of the executed Tibetans to launch their first letter writing campaign of the year.  Over the next week David Miliband was bombarded with letters from over 200 Hull Students demanding that the UK took a tough response.

The next month five HRA members set off to join other young activists from around the country at the SFT conference in London.  New and old members learnt and shared skills ranging from political lobbying to fundraising and direct action.  Over the last 3 years HRA has always made an impact at the conference and this was no exception, with members jumping head first into the workshops and activities and earning the praise of Tendor, SFT’s new international director.

Returning after the Christmas holidays HRA were quick off the mark when it was announced that pro-CCP academic Barry Sautman was to give a lecture at Hull University.  On the morning of his visit members held a demonstration and distributed literature on Tibet before heading into the lecture to challenge his lies.  The question and answer session was a fiery affair with HRA activists pointing out Sautman’s deliberate mis-representations of the situation in Tibet and catching him off guard with some tough questions.  The common consensus amongst lectures and students in attendance was that HRA won the day- with Sautman showing himself up by conceding that he supported October’s executions and angrily declaring that HRA members were “separatists”.

This success was followed up by a film screening of Dhondup Wangchen’s Leaving Fear Behind, attended by almost 50 students and raising funds for SFTUK.   Excitingly the screening was attended by a lot of students previously unaware of the situation in Tibet, all of whom went away committed to find out more and getting involved in the movement.

The highlight of HRA’s year is always their annual fundraising gig Chance for Change: Free Tibet and Burma, which raises hundreds of pounds for SFTUK and Burma Campaign UK.  This year saw the biggest Chance for Change yet with over a hundred people cramming in to one of Hull’s top student venues.  They were treated to a brilliant night of music, dancing, comedy and raffle prizes – raising a whopping £360 for SFTUK’s work.

Despite weeks putting in weeks of preparation for the gig, HRA’s members didn’t take a break once it was done.  Instead they made the 450 mile round-trip to London just a week later, to take part in the protests and mass-lobby on March 10^th.  At the Chinese embassy and outside Parliament HRA activists were at the forefront of the demonstrations and five managed to secure meetings with their MPs.

Overall it’s been another amazing year for HRA and once again they’ve been a key part of SFTUK.  Tom Prosser, Graham Riley and Mary Cooskey- the new committee, have shown themselves to be brilliant and dedicated activists to we can be sure the group’s tireless work for human rights in Tibet is set to continue!

Photos Submitted by: Liam

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