Daily protests continue in Kardze—Eastern Tibet—while the Chinese government is commemorating 60 years since the “peaceful liberation” of Tibet.  Students for a Free Tibet called for a Global Day of Action to highlight the true reality of 60 years of failed Chinese policies in Tibet.

Watch AFP’s video coverage of the protest here: http://youtu.be/9wblX_aN3Es

The protest included speeches by former political prisoners Ngawang Sandrol and Phuntsok Nyidron, Amnesty International’s T. Kumar, Dorjee of RTYC, Ngawang Tashi, and Alim Seytoff of the Uyghur American Association.

The International Tibet Network’s “17 Points of Disagreement: 60 Years of China’s Failed Policies in Tibet” pamphlets were distributed.

View, download, and share the pamphlet here: http://www.chinasfailedtibetpolicies.org/

The protest was covered by AFP, and included quotes from SFT’s Executive Director Tenzin Dorjee.

Click here to read the article: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j8JeRJKXvv23NDgu6i6W0RuZH0KA?docId=CNG.561caa8da42ba25c5ee1f3158a926c28.da1

Did you stage a Day of Action for Tibet on July 13th? Send us your stories, photos, and videos for us to post on our blog or website! info[at]studentsforafreetibet.org

If you haven’t already heard of Lhakar (“White Wednesday”), it is a Tibetan-born, non-violent form of protest that promotes Tibetan culture. Every Wednesday – in honor of the Dalai Lama’s soul day – Tibetans make a special effort to, essentially, be Tibetan. This summer, Tenzin and I plan to do celebrate Lhakar by spreading awareness regarding the Chinese occupation of Tibet.

Last Wednesday afternoon, I was standing in the middle of Union Square wearing the Tibetan flag as a cape, and a sign around my neck, reading, “CHINA: STOP FORCING TIBETAN NOMADS OFF THEIR LAND”. It was most certainly not a familiar feeling for me. In fact, I don’t think it was for anyone who passed by me, either, considering how many funny looks I received from the countless New Yorkers passing by. Zaeda and Tenzin wore paper-constructed yak masks along with their flag-cloaks.

I wasn’t even aware of the nomad rights violations taking place in Tibet until the four of us starting researching about it. In 1998, Qi Jingfa, China’s Agriculture Vice Minister, announced “all herdsmen are expected to end the nomadic life by the end of the century”. That goal was not met, but the Chinese government is still doing what they can to force Tibetan nomads – who have lived nomadically for approximately 9,000 years – to settle.

We were able to collect 80 signatures in Union Square supporting Tibetan nomadic rights. Those signatures were signed on postcards, all of which are addressed to Ban Ki-moon, the current secretary general of the United Nations.

We’re planning on doing something a little more creative with the postcards than just simply mailing them, but that’s something we’ll keep you updated on. As far as our Lhakar Wednesday goes, I’d say it was pretty successful. After all, it’s always fun making friends with perfect strangers!

If you’re at all interested in learning more about what’s happening in the world of Tibetan nomads, visit http://nomadrights.org/ for more information.

For more information on Lhakar, visit http://lhakar.org/.

Preparing for take off!

Mobile phones are playing an increasing role in movements for social change. Since the birth of smart phones, documentation of rights abuses, mobilization, and mass communication have been revolutionized.  As smart phones get smarter, we have an ever-expanding market of apps to make our work for Tibet more effective.

Apps for Android:

BhoView: Tibetan Text Viewer
BhodView lets you view any Tibetan webpage by using the “Share Via” feature of other apps like Browser, Email or Messaging. Just open a Tibetan website, email, or message and click “share,” then select BhodView. A great app for anyone who wants to view Tibetan on their phone. Free.

Congress
Congress is an amazing app. It’s a pocket directory that allows you to quickly get detailed information (including photos and bios) on your members of Congress, and what they’re up to. With Congress you can follow the latest bills and laws, and see floor activity and votes as they happen.

This is the perfect app for Tibet Lobby Day or for becoming more fluent and up-to-date in US congress happenings and info. A must have. Free.

Tibetan News & Music
A great new app which brings Tibetan video newscasts from Voice of America and Radio Free Asia as well as the latest headlines from Phayul.com to your Droid. As an added bonus, Tibetan News & Music also brings you the best new Tibetan music videos. A big shout out to Digital Vajra for developing this. Free.

uTalk Tibetan
uTalk is a good app for learning basic Tibetan phrases, numbers, and vocabulary. uTalk has an interesting  recording and playback function, although it didn’t prove to be too useful. The word games and quizzes are perfect for a long subway ride. Even without Tibetan font support, uTalk displays Tibetan letters. This is a great app for anyone who wants to learn Tibetan or expand their vocabulary. Price $9.71. Also available for iPhone for $9.99

Beiks Tibetan English Dictionary
The Tibetan-English Dictionary is for both Tibetan speakers who need to look up words in English and English speakers who need to look up words in Tibetan. This was my personal favorite of the Tibetan dictionary apps. This app is not in the Android market. Price $12.95.

English Tibetan Dictionary
English Tibetan Dictionary (Romanized) is travel dictionary to translate English to Tibetan displaying a list of words in Romanized Tibetan. The dictionary also translates from phonetic Tibetan to English. The dictionary has an impressive collection of words but also lacks some basic ones. Price $4.02. Also available for the iPhone for $2.99

Free2Work
Free2Work is an awesome app. Free2Work promotes transparency by rating major brands based on their policies to address this human rights issue. With Free2Work, you can easily find specific Companies, get updates from other activists, see the latest video and photos from the field, and share information. Learn how companies like Nike, Adidas, and Patagonia are rated and how they are improving. Also available for iPhone. Free.

Obscura Cam
A “Visual Privacy” photo app developed by The Guardian Project with Witness. Obscura Cam detects faces in photos, then protects the identity of the subjects by obstructing their faces. It also removes EXIF metadata from photos. This is a fantastic app and it’s inspiring to see apps head in this direction. A great app for human rights defenders an d activists living under repressive regimes. Free

Orweb: Privacy Browser + Tor
Enhance your privacy, break through firewalls and communicate more safely. Orbot is the official port of Tor to Android. Tor is a network of virtual tunnels that allows people and groups to improve their privacy and security on the Internet. Devoloped by the Guardian Project and the great folks at Tor. Find more about Tor for the iPhone here. Free.

Gibberbot
Another great app by the Guardian Project. Gibberbot is a secured chat client capable of firewall and filter circumvention, surveillance blocking and end-to-end encryption. Free.

Twitter
Share instant updates with your friends, favorite organizations, and the world. Twitter has been successfully used for organizing protests, and keeping the world updated as events are happening. It has played a key role in revolutions and freedom struggles. As citizen journalism becomes increasingly important, Twitter is an essential app for any activist. TweetDeck makes it easy to link and post to all your social networks. Twitter and TweetDeck are also available for iPhones. Free

Qik
Qik Video makes it easy to shoot video and have it stream live to the web. Many Androids come with Qik built in. For long live-casts, use apps like Ustream. Also available for iPhone. Free.

Apps for iPhones

PhayulNews
Phayul News’s iphone app is a great way to read headlines from the Tibetan world. News is updated hourly Free.

AiCandle
AiCandle  is Amnesty International’s iPhone application. Read the latest international human rights news and share news and actions and with your friends, colleagues and fellow activists via Facebook and email. A true activist app. Highly recommended. Free.

Human Rights Watch
This app brings you the week’s foremost human rights news from around the world as well as Human Rights Watch’s in-depth reports, allowing you to learn more about current challenges and opportunities to create change. Highly recommended. Free.

Tibetan Dictionary
The Tibetan Dictionary combines several dictionaries into a single app. Words can be searched for in both English and Tibetan, taking advantage of the Tibetan language support added in iOS 4.2. This is definitely the best Tibetan dictionary for mobile phones. Free.

MyCongress
MyCongress is a portal to detailed information about your elected U.S. Congressional officials. Track their news, video and Twitter feeds. Look up their official Open Congress profile or contact them directly. MyCongress helps you get in touch with your government. Great for Tibet Lobby Day. Free.

TibetanReading
TibetanReading is a great app by Sonam Chusang.  It is designed to help Tibetan language students to read Tibetan letters correctly, based on Lhasa or Central Tibetan dialect. What seems to be difficult task of reading Tibetan syllable is explained with simple and clear steps together with simple examples. This application covers all the aspects of Tibetan consonants, vowels and complex combination. It also has some cool audio features. Price $3.99.  Tibetan Amdo Reading is also available.

Writing Tibetan
This cool app is also by Sonam Chusang. It is designed to learn step by step strokes as one learn how to write Tibetan letters and vowels.  Price $1.99.

For more Tibet related apps, take a look at http://buddhistapps.com run by Thupten Chakrishar. Also, take a look at the work of Nathan Freitas and others to bring Tibetan to Android phones. More information on Tibetan dictionaries for Android phones can be found here.

If you have reviews for these apps or additions to make, please use the comments section below.

-Updated 8/20/2011

Students held banners with the slogan "Protect our Grasslands!"

On May 23, thousands of Southern Mongolians, led by students, took to the streets of Shiliinhot. Protests demanding the Chinese government respect the rights of Southern Mongolian herders quickly spread across Southern Mongolia.

Students as young as 12 along with herdsmen held banners reading, “defend the rights of Mongols” and “defend the homeland,” and shouted slogans as they marched to Government offices.

These protests erupted after a 100-ton coal-hauling truck owned by a Chinese company crushed a local herdsman, named Mergen. “These coal-hauling trucks have randomly run over local herders’ grazing lands…killing numerous heads of livestock… [and] further damaging the already-weakened fragile grassland,” wrote the Mongolian blogger Zorigt.

The mass protests by Southern Mongolian students and herdsmen in Shiliinhot and Hohhot have sparked a massive security clampdown. As a result, many universities across Southern Mongolia are under strict curfew and martial law has been imposed.

Like in Tibet, Chinese populations now dominate Southern Mongolia’s major cities. Resulting from China’s land divisions, Mongolians now make up only about 17% of the population of Southern Mongolia.

In 2008, the Tibetan uprising rocked the Chinese government’s hold on Tibet and gave birth to a new generation of Tibetan activists. Following the Tibetan uprising, thousands of brave Uyghurs protested in the streets of Ürümqi for rights and freedom. Will the brave herdsmen and students of Inner Mongolia triumph? Or will China be faced with another long-term freedom struggle?

Mongolian herders marching toward the Banner Government.

Mongolian demonstrators beaten by Chinese police.

A Mongolian nomad holding a flag: "Peace for the Mongols, freedom for the Mongols!"

I set the intention of running the Jemez Mountain 50k trail marathon last October. I had recently returned from a series of devastating mudslides in Ladakh, India where over 1,000 people lost their lives. I came back in a difficult place, needing some time to heal and reconnect with friends and family. I also came back keenly aware of the preciousness of this life, and with a renewed sense of what is possible for the human being, how much brilliant potential we carry around with us every day. The heart of the yogic traditions and practice that I’ve studied for years is the systematic and total transformation of the human individual. If there’s one thing my time in India last year taught me, it’s that this transformation is not a lofty ideal — it is a real, tangible, thing. After years of somewhat non-committal practice in which the transformation of myself remained a ‘nice idea’, I felt it was time to put all the concepts into actual practice and, more importantly, I felt a clear path to do so.

From the beginning, when I set the intention of running this race — the first race of its kind that I’ve ever run — I set goals. Personal goals, fundraising goals for my beloved charity, Students for a Free Tibet, and, of course…. the ultimate goal.

My personal goal was always to finish the race top ten in my age group. For my first ultra, I decided this would be a good measure of success. I’d never been much of a runner before — though I did grow up hiking and backpacking on the trails of New Mexico — but I knew something of my physical and spiritual potential from my yoga practice, and wanted to deeply challenge myself — not just to finish the race, but to finish strong, stronger than would be expected from a first time marathoner.

The fundraising goal was one I felt achievable — $5,000 in pledges for Students for a Free Tibet.

And of course, the ultimate goal…. winning the race. What if, I asked myself as I began to log some fairly impressive training times, what if by some miracle I could actually win. Although I knew from the start that there were professional trail runners competing in this ultra, and that it was by all counts a very difficult course, I let myself dream of winning, for motivation and inspiration, if nothing else.

In the Tibet movement, we have always had a very one-pointed and somewhat lofty goal — freedom for an entire nation. It is easy sometimes to look at the current situation in Tibet and feel discouraged, to feel that the task is too daunting and that our efforts — since they have not yet resulted in freedom — are falling short of our goal. But our work along the way pays off daily in deeply significant victories. In a sense, we are still at the beginning of the race… and as in any race of significant length, its important that we pace ourselves, that we stop and replenish, that we recognize and celebrate our victories along the way, and that we not overlook the value and significance of each of those little victories. Each of them deeply matter, and each of them move us toward the goal. Our path to freedom is a long one — and although there is a lot of urgency in the Tibet situation, I would like to also suggest that its OK that it is a long path, because that actually works in our favor. We will outlast them. If we are steadfast in our conviction of the rightness of our cause and we pace ourselves for a nice, long ultra run, we will eventually win. They will lag, and we will outlast them.

On race day, I kept a good pace at the back of the leader pack for the first 10 miles to the base of Caballo Peak. I climbed the 2,000 steep vertical feet to the top slowly, still shaking off the cobwebs from the lack of sleep the night before. I had decided that the descent down Caballo would be the first time I would open it up and risk a little real speed. Downhills are my strength — something about having the steep trails of New Mexico in my childhood blood — and after a 10 mile warmup I wanted to start attacking the course a little more. I paused a minute in the gorgeous sunny meadow at the top and popped in my headphones for the first time to give me some extra juice for the run down. One of the race staff made a comment about the other racers she’d seen running with headphones on.

“Yeah,” I grinned. “But I bet they’re not listening to bagpipes.”

I tore down the mountain full speed, flying past racer after racer on the descent. If I could keep this pace on the downhills and keep my energy levels up on the uphills I knew I stood a good chance of breaking the top 20. I screamed around a corner at top velocity, felt my left foot slide out from under me on loose Jemez pebbles, went airborne for a long second in which i registered that there was nowhere I was going to land but on a bed of sharp rocks, and then slammed down hard.

I got up immediately. Both knees and elbows were bruised and bleeding, my left hand was completely numb and immovable, and a lot of the skin of my right forearm was missing. It all hurt like hell, but nothing felt like more than surface scratches and bruises. Until I started to run again and felt a stabbing pain in my right knee. It had landed squarely on a rock and — while there was no twisting or structural damage — it was badly bruised and hurt every time i stepped or moved or tried to bend that leg.

Immediately, I knew that this was going to badly effect my finishing time. I knew that there were still 20 miles left to run. And I knew that with every single step of that 20 long miles I was going to feel that knee screaming at me.

I kept going. To me, looking back on Saturday, this was the defining spiritual breakthrough of this run — not some amazing finishing time, not “winning” which of course was never going to happen on my first ultra — the fact that I kept going. And in keeping going, I learned a lot about myself over the next 20 miles. And I learned a tiny little bit about what we call pain.

In a couple of the pre-race writeups and interviews I referred to drawing on a small amount of the immense strength and courage of Tibetan political prisoners I’d worked with. People like Ngawang Sangdrol, whose steadfastness and perseverance in the face of extreme suffering had been a great inspiration to me. As I labored up the next hill (there’s an immediate 1,200 foot climb after the Caballo descent), shedding all my expectations of a top 10 or top 20 finish, I put my words into action. I visualized the former prisoners I had worked with and I asked them for strength.

As my knee kept telling me in no uncertain terms to immediately stop what I was doing, I repeated to myself — whatever this is, this is not pain. Ngawang Sangdrol — SHE suffered pain. This is nothing. Its not pain. In fact its not even you…. I remembered the Vipassana insight meditation I had practiced, in which you go deep into a sensation, strip away all the external labeling of it, and just dive into what the actual sensation is. And time and time again, as I dove into it, I found it wasn’t as dire as my mind made it out to be. In fact, it was hardly anything at all.

This is your spirit running, I told myself. Your spirit is so much vaster than that little body on the trail. That tiny voice crying out to you from your body, that’s not even you.

Over the hours, as the pain continued and the number of miles I’d logged began to physically wear on me and each step required me to access deeper and deeper reservoirs of determination and strength, I found that I could use all these deep emotions that I have around Tibet and the Tibetan cause to propel me forward. My deep-seated anger at the Chinese government for all they’ve done to the Tibetan people rose to the surface.

However, I quickly discovered that the baser emotions of anger, frustration, rage, and a desire to defeat or to destroy only got me so far. They served as short term fuel. They gave me a quick burst and just as quickly dissipated. What I needed to get me through was far deeper. Serenity. Acceptance. Peace.

I would imagine, that if you asked political prisoners like Sangdrol what kept them going for all those years, it wasn’t anger. In fact, I imagine the angriest of prisoners were probably the first to break. If someone like Sangdrol can be motivated by something far deeper than anger, why can’t we?

At mile 22, I found that peace. Or rather, it found me. I stopped fighting. I got out of the way. And everything shifted.

I crested a ridge and came into an open meadow as the soundtrack from Gladiator kicked in :) and suddenly the pain stopped being pain. It just became the way things were. I accepted it for exactly what it was. And that acceptance gave me strength.

I’m sure you could find a scientific explanation for it involving endorphins and serotonin and the body’s natural pain killers kicking in. But it was more than that. It was something that over the last year I have experienced quite a bit. One of the most important and vital experiences for the human being, and one that gets lost all to frequently in our culture of individual achievement, in which we expect ourselves to forge our way forward with no outside assistance — it was Grace.

There is a place where human effort ends and grace begins. There is a place where we let go and let ourselves be carried by currents far greater and stronger than we are. And in that letting go, we are carried to places more profound than we could have ever gotten through our own effort alone.

In relation to our work for Tibet, I would like to offer the idea that our own effort can only carry us so far. If we rely solely on our effort, we will exhaust ourselves. There are things — most things, in fact — that happen outside of us. Outside our small spheres of control, outside the Chinese government’s tiny manipulations. The gears that are at work in the turning of this world are so much vaster than our minute lives.

Grace is available to us, and will continue to come if we are open to it.

What does this mean in relation to our daily work for Tibet? It doesn’t mean at all that we should let up in our effort — certainly it was a great deal of effort that took me across the finish line and that effort is a necessary aspect of our work. It means in addition to effort, we bring in all the other qualities necessary to running a good, long race. We pace ourselves. We replenish. We ask for help. We let go of doubt and cynicism. We remember the ideals that we are working for involve peace and compassion and we see how that is reflected in our word, our deed, and our lives. And we draw from the immense spiritual resource that the Tibetan culture has to offer us.

In the end, I did not, of course, win the race :) But I did finish top ten in my age group. Together, we raised about $12,000 for SFT. And most importantly for me, I had a moment where I experienced some pretty deep adversity, I immediately readjusted expectations, and I kept going.

These experiences aren’t remarkable — they are what dedicated trail runners go through, all across the world, every time they run. And there’s nothing particularly remarkable about my finishing time. As of today, there are just over three dozen people in the world that have run the Jemez Mountain 50k faster than me. And I can tell you with full conviction that this will be true for exactly 364 more days, so I hope they enjoy it while they can.

;)

Until next time,

Josh

In the early morning hours on Monday, May 9^th, a group of us drove from New York to Washington D.C., to raise our voices at the U.S. China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. When our van pulled up in D.C., Tibetans were already confronting four full buses of Chinese officials and military personal.

SFT board member, Tenzing Barshee, unveiled a Tibetan flag in the face of Deputy Chief of the People’s Liberation Army, General Ma Xiaotian. Tibetan palas and amalas placed flags over the windows of their buses as activists confronted the Chinese officials.

As Tibetans in Ngaba, Eastern Tibet continue to experience repression from Beijing, Tibetans in D.C., brought their voices straight to the Chinese leadership.

By 1:00 PM, we gathered in front of the State Department. As 20 of us began to raise our bull horns, voices, and flags, we were joined by the 8 Ngaba Peace Marchers. During the previous 7 days, the marchers had epically walked from New York to Washington D.C., and insisted on walking the distance from Capitol Hill, where they lobbied their congressional representatives, to the State Department.

For the next 3 hours, we had unprecedented access to limousines and buses full of Chinese officials. We hounded them.

It was reported,”…protesters chanted “Shame on China!” and held signs outside the building that read “China — Stop Military Crackdown in Ngaba, Tibet! (Huffington Post)” and “Tibetan protesters demanded that China ensure the freedom of monks at the Kirti monastery (AFP).”

Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton responded to the Dialogue by saying, the Chinese leadership “is trying to stop history, which is a fool’s errand” and called Beijing’s human rights record “deplorable.”

That night, back in New York, as I walked home, exhausted, my face burned by the sun, and my voice lost, I thought of the 8 marchers who tirelessly walked from New York to Washington D.C. I thought of the hundreds of monks, students, and lay Tibetans in Ngaba whose calls for human rights and freedom we delivered to the Chinese leadership.

It indeed was not a good day to be a Chinese official.

Click here to view photos from the protest.

Max Ruppersburg, Co-President of SFT’s Emory University Chapter, attended the meeting along with Tsondue Samphel, and a few Tibetan monks.  Here are his reflections on the day:

I went with several other members of SFT Emory to the AGM meeting this past Thursday to help support SFT’s advocacy work concerning the company’s new hotel in Lhasa.  A Tibetan faculty member came with us to serve as a spokesperson and ask the company’s board what they would be doing to ensure Tibetan’s rights are respected and asking that the CEO meet with SFT HQ to discuss these measures.  SFT HQ had already sent a letter to the CEO but had received no response, so we were going to make sure that they were hearing our message.  Our plan was to hand out the open letter to investors to those people walking into the meeting.  We weren’t very many in number—most of us student monks, and one non-Emory volunteer.  The spokesman and I checked with hotel management that we could hand out the letter outside the hotel, but when we approached the hotel again we were greeted by security who informed us that we could only hand out papers off of their property, which meant in the satellite parking lot or on the sidewalk.  So we took our flags and our papers and stood in front of the hotel on the sidewalk, our efforts somewhat incapacitated. They had one police officer arrive shortly after we came and he hung around outside while we were there.
Although it seemed like we weren’t able to reach anyone coming to the meeting, it was our presence there that seemed to make the difference.  They definitely knew we were there. I had tried to offer the CEO and President, Frits van Paasschen ,one of SFT’s letters while his town car drove into the hotel—Tibetan flags and monks behind me.  The President and CEO asked to have a private meeting with our spokesman and address his questions before the investor meeting, answering SFT’s questions and expressing the company’s willingness to discuss their employment practices in dialogue.  Our spokesman, Tsondue Samphel, also spoke during the investors’ meeting but he was not allowed to distribute any of the letters to the investors.

Opportunities to act don’t arise very often in Atlanta and at first it seemed like we weren’t doing much of any good, but it proved to be a powerful reminder of how small acts can make a difference and that even by showing your willingness to stand up for these issues you can get big companies’ attentions, which is most certainly a positive step.  I think it’s an important thing for people to remember, especially those who don’t often get a chance to act, that every opportunity to act is important because you never know what kind of positive impact it might have.

Max Ruppersburg
SFT Co-President, Emory University Chapter

Do you believe Tibet will be free?

Are you committed to youth empowerment and leadership?

Can you help SFT grow and inspire people to act for Tibet?

If you answered yes, you should consider running for SFT International’s Board of Directors and help lead the organization that is coordinating a nonviolent force of Tibetan youth, students, and supporters for Tibetan freedom.

Want to know more? Check out SFT’s current Board of Directors: http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/boardofdirectors

If you’re an SFT member, being a part of the Board of Directors is a great way to have a strong voice in the future of the Tibet movement and to make a significant contribution to the restoration of Tibetan independence.

The majority of SFT’s Board members hold elected positions, and we currently have several openings. Read the information included below, and if this sounds like something you want to be a part of, RUN FOR THE BOARD!

All applications are due no later than Monday, May 30, 2011.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:
SFT International’s Board of Directors is responsible for setting the overall policies and long-term organizational goals of SFT and raising money for SFT’s operations worldwide. Board members are required to commit to two years of service and we are now accepting applications for the 2011-2013 term.

Board members must actively participate in fundraising, meetings, discussions, and committee work for the duration of their term of service. Board members are expected to assist and act as advocates for staff, national coordinators, regional contacts, and chapter members. Board members are expected to work within the requirements of service established by the Board and for the express purpose of advancing the mission of SFT worldwide. Board members report to the Executive Committee of the Board.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Active participation with SFT within the last three years;
• Ready access to e-mail;
• Ability to travel to weekend meetings twice annually;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills;
• Understanding of SFT’s mission and familiarity with SFT history & structure;
• Commitment to non-violence and determination to get things done;
• All candidates must be a minimum of 18 years of age.

Members of the Board of Directors are required to fulfill 4 out of the 5 priorities listed below:

1. Minimum of 5 hours per week of board work;
2. A commitment to raise a minimum of $3,000 per fiscal year;
3. Active involvement in at least one Board committee;
4. Attendance at 3/4 of all mandatory Board meetings (two per year) and conference calls;
5. Significant participation in at least two fundraising events each year (i.e.: SFT’s annual events, house parties, ask or cultivation meetings, etc.)

HOW TO APPLY: Assuming you meet the above requirements, all you need to do is fill out the application form below and hit reply to this email. You can also answer the questions below and paste your responses in an email to nominations@studentsforafreetibet.org.

Your responses will help SFT chapters and individual student members decide who to nominate. Applications must be received no later than Monday, May 30, 2011.

If you have any questions, please reply to this email or contact the Nominations Committee at nominations@studentsforafreetibet.org

We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Yangchen

Nominations Committee
SFT International’s Board of Directors
nominations@studentsforafreetibet.org.

–

Students for a Free Tibet
Board of Directors Membership Application

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW, COPY & PASTE RESPONSES TO REPLY VIA EMAIL TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION.  nominations@studentsforafreetibet.org.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, May 30, 2011. Elections and appointments will be finalized in July, 2011. If you have any questions please contact nominations@studentsforafreetibet.org

Name:
SFT Chapter/Alumni Chapter (if applicable):
Address:
Phone #:
Email:
*Your email address can be made available to the SFT membership during the nominations process. Please specify ‘YES’ if you would like your email to be published with your application, or ‘NO’ if you would not.

Part I: General Experience

Please list two of your most relevant experiences and/or skills, personal or professional, which make you a qualified candidate for the Board of Directors of Students for a Free Tibet International. How will these two experiences/skills benefit the board and SFT? Please list only two.

Please also mark “X” if you are a(n):
_Accountant
_Lawyer
_Web Programmer
_Graphic Designer

Part II: SFT Experience
Please list your three most relevant experiences as a part of, or with, Students for a Free Tibet.

Part III: Personal Statement
Please write a personal statement of at least 100 words, but no more than 300, which outlines why members of SFT should nominate you to the Board of Directors. You may wish to address the following questions: Why are you interested in serving on the Board of Directors? How will you make time to include Board activities and tasks in your daily life? How would you hope to shape the development of SFT? Where would you like to see the Tibet movement go? What do you hope to accomplish while serving on the Board of Directors?

Part IV: Photo and Resume (both optional)
Over the years we have had the SFT membership request that a picture be posted with the candidates’ applications. This will help them to identify candidates: they may not remember your name but may recognize your picture. You may also send us a CV or resume providing additional information about your background, education, or work history.

Due to security concerns, please do not send your resume or photo as an attachment. Instead we will send you details on how to share these files securely on you have submitted your application to
nominations@studentsforafreetibet.org.

(Please note: SFT does not send emails with attachments. If you receive an email from us with an attachment, it is likely a virus, so please delete and contact info@studentsforafreetibet.org)

As His Holiness exited with his entourage, he stopped to speak with a few of us. I held out a khata (traditional greeting scarf) and as I greeted him, he held my hands and said, “Don’t give up; you all must continue your work. Never lose hope, because change is definitely coming.”

He went on to say that in light of the increasing pace of change in China, it is important to work with the Chinese people – writers, intellectuals, artists, the opinion-makers of society.

The previous day, I had spoken at a conference bringing together Chinese dissidents, Tibetan activists, Mongolians, Uyghurs, and Taiwanese to discuss opportunities and develop strategies for advancing our respective struggles for freedom, democracy, and human rights.

I explained to His Holiness that our global network was engaging in strategic Chinese outreach by connecting with key democracy advocates, writers, artists, students, lawyers and intellectuals. He assured me our efforts will make a difference and that change is imminent.

In that moment, I felt the immensity of the work ahead of us, but also had the distinct feeling that victory was inevitable.

With your help we can bring about freedom in Tibet. Please donate today to support SFT’s work.

http://sft.convio.net/site/Donation2?df_id=1345&1345.donation=form1

As we build new and strategic alliances, we must continue to challenge China’s abuses in Tibet at every turn. I was reminded of this minutes after His Holiness left, when I joined Lobsang, the official videographer for the award ceremony.

Lobsang is from Ngaba, the county in Amdo, Tibet that is under attack by Chinese security forces. His 15-year-old cousin, Norbu, was shot dead by China’s armed police on March 16th, 2008 for taking part in a peaceful protest for Tibetan freedom.

Three years after the day Norbu was shot, Phuntsok Jarutsang, a 20-year-old monk, lit himself on fire in an act of protest against China’s repression, and troops have since laid siege on Kirti monastery.

Right now, U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, are meeting with Chinese officials in Washington, DC. Urge the U.S. Administration to raise Tibet and human rights during this week’s U.S.-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue.

Together, we can ensure that one day soon, people like Lobsang – and all Tibetans – are united with their families and homeland.

Please support SFT today: http://sft.convio.net/site/Donation2?df_id=1345&1345.donation=form1

Thank you for all you do for Tibet,

Tenzin Dorjee (Tendor)
Executive Director

Racing for Freedom from John Silverstone on Vimeo.

Long time Tibet activist and SFT board member Josh Schrei is taking his activism for Tibet to a new level, and truly putting his body on the line by running 50km in one shot to raise funds for our hard-hitting campaigns and actions. Josh is not just an amazing athlete…he is a Rangzen warrior…just check out this short video shot and directed by John Silverstone and you’ll know what we’re talking about. Please spread the word and if you can, support Josh’s race – the 50k Jemez Mountain Trail Race – on behalf of the Tibetan people.

Please donate here: studentsforafreetibet.org/ultrarace

Read Josh’s poignant and moving Huffington Post article following the 2010 devastating earthquake in Kyegundo, Tibet: ” To Die With Dignity in Your Own Land: Tibet, China, and the Politics of Disaster.” Read more of his blog posts here>> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-schrei