Losar Pledge: Because I am Tibetan

This Losar, Tibetans are making a pledge to do something once a week – or once a day – to strengthen Tibetan identity and to weaken China’s control over Tibet.

Fill out the pledge form or add as a comment below and your pledge will be added.

“I pledge to translate inspiring quotes from other freedom movements to share with Tibetans once a week on Facebook, Twitter, and blogs.”
- Tenzin (Tendor) Dorjee

“Because I am Tibetan, this Losar I pledge to study/practice Tibetan 1 hr per day.”
- Lhadon Tethong

“This Losar 2137, I pledge to honor my Tibetan heritage and wear chuba once every week. It will be my Tibetan Wednesday, my day of remembrance of my culture, my people, and our struggle.”
- Tenzin Dolkar

I pledge to support any effort for a FREE TIBET till the last breath of my life.
- Nawang Lhautara

I will speak in Tibetan at home and with my friends!
- Tenzin Dechen (Berkely, CA)

This Losar, I pledge to make more of an effort to learn and speak my language, Tibetan, so that when we return to Tibet, I’ll be able to communicate with my fellow brothers and sisters.
- Tenzin Lobsang (Toronto, Canada)

This Losar I pledge to write at least one persuasive letter to a government official, informing them on the macabre situation taking place in Tibet, and encouraging them to take action to support Tibet.
- Tenzin Lhanze (United States)

Because I am a Tibetan, I pledge to do my “shandon” (Reciting tibetan prayer books) everyday.
- Jigme Namgyal (United Kingdom)

This losar, I pledge to pray every morning for my country TIBET to get our rangzen back soon and will read more books about Tibet.
BOD GYAL LO!
- Tenzin Dolma

I am sorry to say that as Tibetan, I don’t even know Tibetan. This Losar, I pledge to learn the language.
- Namgyal

I plan to try to speak in Tibetan to all my Tibetan friends.
Also, I will/am having a soup and discussion on Tibet at my college.
I am going to a class to talk about Tibet.
Bhod Gyalo!
- Ngawang Gonsar (Duluth, MN)

PLEASE IF YOU ARE TIBETAN, PLEASE DON’T CELEBERATE THIS NEW YEAR AGAIN,PLEASE TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS & FAMILY NOT TO CELEBERATE THIS IS A TIME TO STAND TOGETHER & MAKE OUR COUNTRY FREE, DON’T GIVE UP, EVERY THING IS POSSIBLE, YES WE CAN MAKE OUR COUNTRY FREE ONEDAY, LOVE YOU ALL….LONG LIVE H H THE DALAI LAMA….
- Norbu Samdup (New York, USA)

This Losar, as a family, we pledge to practise the rich traditions of Tibet every day.  We pledge to always be mindful of being  Tibetan and to become ambassadors of Tibet.  We pledge never to bring harm to the Tibetan name.
We will celebrate Losar because we are Tibetans.
- Nyima Gyaltsen (Canada)

I pledge to make sure my daughter learns to read and speak Tibetan, and I will continue to Tibet work for always.
- Jordhen (Canada)

Being a tibetan,pledge to learn the language more effectively and all prayers to those BRAVO who have laid their lives for all the tibetans.
- Tenzin Donsal (Bylakuppe)

I pledge to speak only in Tibetan to those who understand Tibetan.
- Tenzin Jigme

This Losar I pledge to spread and inform the sufferings of Tibetan inside Tibet  from cruel chinese regime.
- Tenzin C Woesung

BECAUSE I AM TIBETAN…This Losar 2137, I pledge to speak Tibetan as much as possible with my Tibetan fellow brothers and sisters and continue to learn about the rich history of my beautiful home,Tibet.
- Nawa Dolker (Madison, WI, USA)

This Losar I pledge to celebrate by honoring my father who always tried to make me read his books, listen to his songs, and play various Tibetan instruments; for the first time in my life I see why he did so.
- Tsetan Dolqar (Madison)

this losar i pledge to honor great tibetan culture and pray daily specially for tibetans inside tibet who are mistreated by red chinese every single day.                                                                                                                                                    – Tsering (Delhi)

I will say ” bod gyalo” every morning when I wake up and pray for the eternal peace of the Tibetans living under Chinese pressure without any freedom when I go to sleep.
- Ugen

This Tibetan Losar, being a Tibetan, I pledge to study and practice Tibetan atleast Twice a week.
- Lobsang Topgyal (Bangalore India)

My Losar Pledge is to keep our national struggle to continue and to remember myself those Tibetan lost their lives under Chinese rule. I am not going to Celebrate this Losar because to known so many our people got killed under Chinese rule and many of them staying under suffering day and night in Chinese prison. We know people in Tibet given their lives for freedom, we tibetan living in free country not celebrating Losar for two years nothing. I feel this is one way to show our solidarity.

I really appreciated all your good works for our struggle.
- Lobsang Rabsel (India)

i will keep my identity of being a tibetan and lets fire at the Chinese authority to know that i am a tibetan….
- younten phuntsok (bangalore)

Because I am Tibetan, I will learn to have more tolerance and compassion for others every day. Peace to the world!
- Chodak Hunter (England)

this year losar, i pledge to study Japanese two hours per day and will present how much our brothers and sisters are struggling under Chinese rule.
- Nima Bhuti

I pledge to study very hard for the cause of Tibet.
- Dega (Class V Dharamsala, India)

To remind students under my guidance and care the tragedy that is TIBET and motivate them that Pen is truly mightier than sword 24*12.
- Tenzin Tsultrim

Display the Tibetan flag where ever i can, house, car, work and on my bag. Study and learn my prayer to vanquish all suffering and ignorance.
- Rapten Chhoyang (Toronto, Canada)

I have pledged with my family members, five of us ( two boys and a girl all over 20yrs, self and my wife) that we will speak in Tibetan within the family and to other Tibetans hence forth.
- Ngodup Tsering (Albany, CA)

My family is participating in a clothing drive instead of buying new clothes for Losar
- Theresa Dhondup

Because I am Tibetan I pledge to embrace my culture to the fullest once a week.
-Tenzin Tsangyang

Because i am a Tibetan I wil let my children watch Tibet related movies/ documentaries on every Fridays instead of going out for a Hollywood movie.
- Norbu (Olympia, WA)

This Losar I pledge to do more for the people inside Tibet!
- Leda Nornang (New York)

i pledge to honor my Tibetan heritage and wear chuba, eat tsampa, never lie like chinese ccp leader. you know like who? hu jintao. correctttttttt…free tibet. tibet will never die..down with ccp.
- sonam tsering (astoria new york)

I Pledge to spread the Tibetan culture and heritage to my International friends more often.
- kunzang (Monterey, CA)

This Losar, I pledge to work towards representing my country in all aspects. Firstly, As a member of the Tibetan Volunteers for Animals (New York) i will make every effort to strengthen our cause and uphold the name of Tibet. Secondly, i will continue to learn more about what the tibetan buddhism has to offer. Lastly, i will make an effort to speak in tibetan with all my fellow tibetans.
- tenzin kunsang (new york)

This year, I pledge to share stories of Tibetans through my writing. I pledge to study, trace and experience the exile’s trek my grandparents and parents made. I pledge to continue learning my language and never give up on Rangzen.
- Tsering Lama (New York)

I’ve always thought of reading and writing more in Tibetan, but always the thought slipped away. This Losar, I pledge that I will make this happen. Bhod Gyalo!
Tenzin Choedon (India)

I pledge to keep the Tibetan Freedom Movement alive by doing it on the daily basis not every March 10th and eat momos at the Tibetan restaurants.
- Tenzin Jampa Samdo (Cambridge, MA)

My resolution for the coming Losar is to restart reading old school prayer book once in month as i am afraid if i ever forget those.
- Kyipa (Milano, Italy)

Because I am Tibetan, this losar I pledge to learn Tibetan an hour a day.
- Dolma Lhamo

Losar – Because I am Tibetan, I pledge to study and deepen my knowledge about Tibet’s Political History, which is very much needed for Tibetans, struggling for their independence. …. Bodh Gyalo
- kunchok Sangpo (Delhi-SFT)

Losar – Because I am Tibetan, I pledge to study and deepen my knowledge about TIbet’s Political History, which is very much needed for Tibetans struggling for their independence. Bodh Gyalo.
-kunchok sangpo (Delhi-SFT)

i pledge to do what ever i can in the smallest sense for my country TIBET.
- karma (cheannai, india)

I pledge to prostrate 13 times every day.
3 for Lord Buddha and 10 for our struggle.
- Tseten Anak

i pledge i shall talk in pure tibetan,no hindi,english,
urdu,marathi,nepali,french in between when i talk in
tibetan.
but for those word there is no translation in tibetan.
i am not going to create new of my own.
with our permission i am going to use as it is.
- tenzin chokdup (india)

i pledge to read more books written in Tibetan languages,so that i can preserve my precious mother language.And gonna pray for free Tibet whenever i visit Boudhanath  stupa.
- tenzin tenpa (kathmandu)

Always always Speak Tibetan at home. Obsewrve Tibetans festvals and any kind of tibetan ceremonies. Wear Chupa during the gathers or when we go to stupas.                                                                                                                                                           – lhakpa Dolma (USA)

Whenever and where ever i get the opportunity to introduce myself, I am going to mention clearly that i am a Tibetan because there are still many people who have not even heard of Tibet. And it hurts.
- Sonam Diki

I pledge I shall talk in pure Tibetan, no Hindi, English, Urdu, Marathi, Nepali or French in between when I talk in Tibetan. For those words that there is no translation in Tibetan, I am not going to create my own, with our permission I am going to use as it is.
- Tenzin Chokdup (India)

I pledge to read more books written in Tibetan languages, so that i can preserve my precious mother language. And gonna pray for free Tibet whenever i visit Boudhanath stupa.
- Tenzin Tenpa (Kathmandu)

Always always speak Tibetan at home. Observe Tibetan’s festivals and any kind of Tibetan ceremonies. Wear Chupa during the gathers or when we go to stupas.
- Ihakpa Dolma (USA)

I will try to spread the word.
- Hala

Whenever and where ever i get the opportunity to introduce myself, I am going to mention clearly that i am a Tibetan because there are still many people who have not even heard of Tibet. And it hurts.
- Sonam Diki

I love Tibet. I love my land. I am Tibetan because I love my Tibetan sisters and brothers. I never forget Tibet.
- Maria Dobrucka

I pledge not to mix English with my spoken Tibetan.
-Tenzin Dhongyal

I will seat and meditate one hour per day, follow practice.
- Rafael

བོད་རྒྱལ་ལོ།2137   ལོ་གསར་པའི་དམ་བཅའ།
My Pledge for Losar 2137:-
ལོ་འདི་ནས་བཟུང། ངས་རང་ཉིད་དང་རང་གི་ཁྱིམ་ཚང་གི་དོན་དུ་ཇི་ཙམ་བསམ་པ་དེ་ཙམ་དུ་ངས་རང་གི་རྒྱལ་ཁབ་”བོད་”འདིའི་དོན་དུ་སེམས་འཁུར་བྱ་རྒྱུའི་དམ་བཅའ་བཞག་ཡོད།
I pledge to think about our Country “TIBET” as much as I think and thought for my Family and Myself.
འདི་ལོ་ནས་བཟུང། ངས་རང་ཉིད་ཀྱི་ཉིན་རེའི་ཕྱག་ཚོད་24 ལས་ཉུང་མཐར་ཕྱག་ཚོད་1  ནས་2   བར་རང་གི་རྒྱལ་ཁབ་”བོད་”དང༌བོད་ཀྱི་རིག་གཞུང་། རང་གི་ཤ་ཁྲག་གཅིག་པའི་བོད་མི་རིགས་ཀྱི་ཆེད་དུ་གཏོང་རྒྱུའི་དམ་བཅའ་བཞག་ཡོད།
I pledge to spend atlest 1-2 hrs of 24 hrs of day working for TIBE & TIBETAN.
རང་ཉིད་རང་དབང་དང་རང་བཙན་མེད་པའི་མི་རིགས་གཅིག་ཡིན་ནའང་། ད་བར་བདེ་སྐྱིད་ངང་འགྲོ་བ་མིའི་ཐོབ་ཐང་དང༌། རང་ངོ་རང་ཤེས། རང་འགན་རང་འཁུར་བཅས་གྱི་བསམ་ཤེས་ཐུབ་པ་ཙམ་མ་ཟད། དངོས་སུ་ལོངས་སུ་སྤྱོད་རྒྱུའི་གོ་སྐབས་བཟང་པོ་རག་པ་འདི། གོང་ས་ཐམས་ཅད་མཁྱེན་པ་སྐྱབས་མགོན་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་མཆོག་དང༌བོད་གཞུང་གི་བཀའ་དྲིན་དང༌། བོད་ཀྱི་རིག་གཞུང་བཟང་པོ་དང་ལྷག་བསམ་ལྡན་པའི་བོད་མི་རིགས་ཀྱིས་སྨོན་ལམ་ཉག་ཅིག་ལས་བྱུང་བ་ཡིན་པས། ངས། ལོ་ནས་བཟུང་རང་ཉིད་ཀྱི་མ་འོངས་པའི་མི་ཚེ་གང་པོ་དེ་རང་གི་རྒྱབ་”བོད་”དང་བོད་ཀྱི་རིག་གཞུང༌། མི་རིགས་བཅས་ཀྱི་མདུན་ལམ་བཟང་པོའི་ཆེད་དུ་ཞབས་ཞུ་བྱ་རྒྱུའི་དམ་བཅའ་བཞག་ཡོད།

I pledge to serve/dedicate my future-life for TIBET & TIBETS CULTURE & TIBETAN community, because I am borne as TIBEATN and I believe, what I am now is by the grace of His Holiness the Dalai and Tibetan Exile in Government. རེས་གཟའ་ཉི་མ།  ཕྱི་ལོ།2010   ཟླ།02  ཚེས།14    ལོ་གསར་ཚེས་1    ཉིན།   Date: Sunday, 14th Feb 2010 (Losar 1st Day)
- Dr. Dranyi Dawa Tsering

I pledge to read and learn on Tibetan history once in week.
- Kunchok (USA)

Click here for more suggested actions to take in the lead up to and on Losar. Tibet supporters are also pledging to take action for Tibet this coming year, view pledges here.

Chinese citizens share their thoughts about Google

The French website Aujourd’hui la Chine has posted candid interviews with two Chinese citizens who joined a group of Google supporters outside of the company’s headquarters in Beijing.

The interviews are in French but we’ve translated them below. It is quite striking how openly they speak about the significance of Google’s decision and the lack of freedom of expression in China.

Woman:
Today, I brought flowers to thank Google. I support them. I thank them for having spoken the truth and for having shown the reality of censorship. There are so many sites that we don’t have access to; the web is not free and this, no company ever says publicly. All the companies that are here make compromises with the government…either to access the Chinese market or to negotiate under the table. Google has spoken the truth.

Man:
Me, I’m a fan of Google. It helps me a lot with my work and my every day life. Baidu provides mostly the Chinese version of info, but because we now live in a global village, we also need international info…which isn’t the same as Chinese info. Frankly, Baidu isn’t the best.

Woman:
Baidu isn’t useful. It cooperates with the Chinese government and I don’t want this corporation to influence my day-to-day life. There’s no point in negotiating with the government. Freedom of expression isn’t negotiable, it’s a human right.

SFT Canada’s Tsering Confronts HDI/Continental Minerals’ Executives

Footage from HDI/Continental Minerals Shareholders’ meeting in Vancouver, Canada on June 24th. Tibetans and their supporters protested at the meeting to intenisfy pressure on the company to Stop Mining Tibet.

Smurf Emancipation Day – SFT UK’s response to China’s propaganda

SFT UK’s response to China’s new propaganda holiday:

The smurfs also held a protest outside the Chinese Embassy in London on Saturday.

New Photos from Tibet: March and Protest by Monks on Losar

RFA  just posted photos of an amazing protest march and candle light vigil by monks on the first day of Losar: Mangra County, Tsolho Prefecture:  http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/tibet-march-02262009163337.html

About one hundred monks from Lutsang Monastery marched approximately 1 km to the Mangra County Govt. Building, where the made several demands.

Lutsang Monastery is located in Mangra Country, a few hours from Rebong. Monks from this same monastery also took part in a protest last year on March 10, 2008:

Lutsang Monastery (Mangra County, Tsolho ” Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture “): A protest has been reported from the traditional Tibetan area of Amdo in Mangra County, Tsolho (Ch: Hainan) ‘Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture’ (”TAP”) Qinghai Province. About 137 monks from Lutsang Monastery in Mangra County, Tsolho “TAP” and 215 laypersons from the area were barred by the Mangra County People’s Armed Police (PAP) forces when they converged outside the County Assembly Hall where a government sponsored show was going on. Sensing a protest by the Tibetans, the show was forced to discontinue. Later monks and laypeople started shouting slogans “Long live Dalai Lama” and “The Dalai Lama should return to Tibet”. At the moment there is no report of Tibetans having been arrested from the area, although, the concerned authorities are known to be investigating those involved in the protest.

CNN: UK police arrest Tibet activists during Wen visit

A lot of action in the UK today….

LONDON, England (CNN) — Pro-Tibet activists jumped security barriers and scuffled with police outside the Chinese embassy in London Sunday as hundreds of demonstrators gathered to protest a visit by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

Protesters carrying Tibetan flags chanted “China Murderers,” and “China Out of Tibet,” as Wen, on a three day trip to Britain, arrived at the embassy.

China has long been criticized by the international community for its human rights record in Tibet. Tibetans are pushing for autonomy from China and greater religious freedom.

Wen was greeted at the embassy by a firecracker display in honor of the Chinese New Year before being escorted inside by security personnel.

A group of protesters attempted to jump over security blockades when Wen’s motorcade arrived at the embassy. Several were wrestled to the ground by police and arrested.

Video and the full story are here…

BBtv (Beijing): interview with pro-Tibet videobloggers in hiding.

Last week, eight American citizens were detained in Beijing for participating in pro-Tibetan sovereignty protests near the site of the 2008 Olympics, with Students for a Free Tibet. Two videobloggers who documented those protest and guerrilla art installations evaded detention, and spoke to Boing Boing TV on Friday Beijing time about why they were there, what they witnessed, and why it mattered.

Jay Dedman and Ryanne Hodson of Ryanishungry.com spoke to us over Skype from a hostel in Beijing. One of the actions they documented in photo and video was the hanging of an “LED throwies” light banner, shown below, which read “FREE TIBET.” We agreed to hold this Boing Boing tv episode until after we received word that they’d safely left the country. They have returned home, so I am posting the piece today.

View the original post at http://www.boingboing.net/2008/08/25/bbtv-beijing-intervi.html

CitizenReporter.org Podcast on Brian Conley & Beijing6

Bicycle Mark posts:

The following podcast features an interview with Brian’s wife, Eowyn, who explains what she knows about Brian’s situation, the group, and people who have risked their freedom and well-being in protest of the Chinese government and their disregard for basic human rights. More information can be found here. Please listen to the program and do pass on the link, otherwise all we have is the image of the mainstream press… the picture perfect images of the olympic games and China on television.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

view the original blog post here

NY Times on NYC Projection Action

Jim Dwyer of the New York Times has a fantastic article about the New York City digital projection action on the Chinese Consulate. Dwyer covers how the action was done, what made it effective, and the ensuing battle with the IOC and YouTube to keep video of the action online.

The pictures were four and five flickering stories high. And for about 25 minutes on the night before the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Games, that video, produced by Students for a Free Tibet, looped against the wall of the consulate. The modern Olympics have always been a theater for sport, commerce and politics, tightly controlled by the International Olympic Committee and the host country. This year, there are stages everywhere….

For pure spectacle, it was hard to top the anti-Chinese video that was streamed onto the consulate wall. Giant projections have been used in other protests — in Los Angeles, for instance, critics of the Catholic hierarchy’s handling of sex-abuse allegations streamed pictures onto the cardinal’s residence. The tactic is a linear descendant of the rock and slingshot, with images catapulted into stinging view by a 5,000-lumen projector.

The article goes on to show how SFT pushed back on the removal of the YouTube video of the protest and how we were able to get the video back online.

A few hours later, Mr. Gulotta said, a friend sent him an e-mail message asking if he had taken down the video. He went to YouTube and saw that it had been removed by a “third party” — the International Olympic Committee — on the grounds that the use of the Olympic rings was a copyright infringement.

Mr. Gulotta struck back, filing an appeal to YouTube, arguing that the brief appearance of the rings amounted to “fair use” under copyright standards.

“The I.O.C. was safeguarding China’s image,” Mr. Gulotta said.

Representatives for the Olympic committee did not respond to a request for comment on Friday, but they had previously said that their request to YouTube was made automatically by a software robot that searches for unauthorized uses of the Olympic logo. (Normally, the use of the rings is limited to commercial sponsors who have paid for the right.)

In any event, the video was restored to YouTube this week. “That part of the operation got more attention than the action itself,” Ms. Nirankari said.

So far, no one has tried to prohibit such projections. Ingenious as the tactic is, it does involve hijacking someone’s property, if fleetingly. Mr. Gulotta agreed that the projections had to be used “responsibly,” but he said the Chinese government had it coming. “If any individual had done anything to the level of what the Chinese government has done in Tibet,” he said, “they would actually be inviting this onto themselves.”

This is great coverage and the sort of article that really shows how creative and innovative SFT has become in an effort to bring global attention to China’s brutal, illegal occupation of Tibet while the Olympics are going on. As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention and you can be sure that SFT will keep finding new ways to bring Tibet into the international spotlight until Tibet is free.

High Tech Action @ NYC Chinese Consulate

File this digital projection action onto the Chinese consulate in New York City as one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen…

Click here to view video of the action.