Action Camp Reports

Tenzing Chemey has been with us at Free Tibet! Action Camp in San Diego, California. He’s a phenomenal photographer and has been posting diary entries on his experiences at Camp. Check out his site 10zing.us for info on what we’ve been up to the last few days.

Action Camp Tech Workshop

Here’s some great media created at Action Camp!

And here’s a great video!

Click To Play

Great article on Free Tibet! Action Camp VIII

Simon Denyer of Reuters has written a fantastic article about SFT’s Free Tibet! Action Camp VIII that just concluded in Dharamsala, India. The article extensively quotes Lhadon Tethong, SFT’s executive director and Han Shan, SFT’s former development director.

This is a training exercise for the Beijing Olympics in 2008, but these students will not be competing. Instead they aim to run a vociferous campaign against Chinese rule in Tibet and reinvigorate their campaign for independence.

“With the Olympics coming up, we will have a platform,” said Lhadon Tethong, executive director of Students for a Free Tibet.

“The eyes of the world will be fixed for a moment on our enemy, our oppressor,” said Tethong, born in Canada and whose father fled Tibet in the early 1950s as Chinese troops took control.

“This is an opportunity we can’t miss,” she said.

It’s a great article - I recommend you read the whole piece.

PS — So far Denyer’s article has been picked up by the Washington Post, The Guardian, and Sports Illustrated (???) to name a few notable outlets.

Arrived in Dharamsala

The majority of SFT’s trainer and staff crew for Free Tibet! Action Camp VIII arrived in Dharamsala, India Friday night. For those of us coming from North America, it was a long, tiring trek that would require an abacus or a slide ruler to tally exactly how long we’d traveled and what time it was where we started our travels from. Our arrival in Dharamsala was greeted by the crew from SFT India and we quickly retreated to the famed McLlo restaurant for a late dinner.

Relaxing with friends at McLlo after too many hours of travel.

On Saturday we took our first look at the location for SFT’s first Action Camp in India. The SFT India crew had already spent a couple days preparing the grounds for the camp - clearing out the camp site, building needed facilities, and generally setting the table for what promises to be a landmark event in the movement for Tibetan independence. Activists and organizers from India, North America, and Europe are coming together in the center of the Tibetan exile community to provide training specifically crafted to shape turn young activists into the leaders who will be the future of the movement. SFT was founded around the belief that student activism is an unstoppable force for global change and justice - this Action Camp aims to add fuel to the fire of passionate Tibetan and Indian youth activism for Tibet.

The view from our campsite is fantastic!

We had an early taste of the potential this camp has to truly influence the next generation of organizers for Tibet on Saturday night. Lhadon and Tendor gave a talk to about 300 fifteen to eighteen year-old students at the famed Tibetan Children’s Village school (TCV). The students listened with unbroken attention as Tendor and Lhadon spoke about activism and how youth leadership is critical for the future of Tibet. The talk went for about fifty minutes and there was to be ten minutes for questions at the end - but that simply wasn’t enough. The TCV students asked serious, thoughtful questions - one after another - for an hour straight. Once the questioning officially wrapped up, students continued to come and talk to Lhadon, Tendor, and the rest of the staff and trainers in attendance for another forty-five minutes! When we finally left we were sure that the TCVers would go back to their rooms around campus and numerous discussions about the role they can play in the fight for Tibet would break out. Little did they know that we would spent the rest of the night marveling at how engaged the TCV students were at the talk, how sharp their questions were, and how excited we all were knowing that many of them would likely join us full-time in the struggle for Tibetan freedom once their schooling was done.

Tendor speaking to TCV students.

Today’s Sunday and we’re about to move all of our staff and trainers from McLeod Ganj down to the camp site. Students arrive in two days and we still have a lot of work to do. We’ll be posting updates as frequently as possible, so please stay tuned!

In solidarity,
Matt

Action Camp Concludes…

For your reading pleasure, here’s the press release that SFT sent out at the end of FT!AC VIII.

FREE TIBET! ACTION CAMP IN EUROPE CONCLUDES

[SFT] June 27, 2006

DUSSELDORF - Students for a Free Tibet seventh annual Free Tibet! Action Camp VII came to a climactic ending on yesterday evening, with participants enacting complex and dramatic direct action scenarios to practice all they had learned throughout the week. After a closing circle at which new graduates of the training promised to fight harder as the Beijing Olympics approaches, everyone packed up their tents and backpacks at the serene Pauenhof Retreat Center near Dusseldorf, Germany and exchanged farewells and promises, before leaving for their respective homes.

“Every time I attend an SFT training, I feel as if my batteries are recharged and I can go back to London to continue the work for Tibet with a fresh reserve of energy, inspiration and commitment,” said Ben Martin of SFT UK. He was one of the 40 participants who attended this action camp, representing Tibet support groups and student groups from 12 different countries in Europe, America and India. This was SFT’s second action camp in Europe and seventh annual action camp.

“I’m truly glad I came,” said Ngawang Dhargyal. “The workshops I attended and the climbing training I received gave me many brilliant insights into effective organizing and activism. I will surely use these tactics when I return to my own community.” This was Dhargyal’s first time at Action Camp; he was one among several Tibetan participants.

Free Tibet! Action Camp VII featured special evening guest presenters such as writer-activist Tenzin Tsundue from India, former political prisoners Gyaltsen Dolkar and Namdrol Lhamo now residing in Belgium, and singer-songwriter Techung from the United States.

“I feel stronger now that I know that there are many other people like myself working in different corners of the world, fighting for Tibetan freedom through simple yet powerful tactics of activism,” said Tenzin Tsundue, whose moving presentation Poetry and Politics was an emotional highlight for many participants who were meeting this youth leader for the first time.

On the last day of the Action Camp, a group of participants from the “Advanced Training Track” – young SFT leaders who have attended previous camps and are learning to be activism trainers themselves – organized a surprise presentation at lunchtime where they asked participants the question, “Where will you be in 2008?” The 2008 Beijing Olympics was one of the running themes of this Action Camp, discussed in workshops and around bonfires. Participants put their names on a blank world map, indicating where they will help in the organizing of local demonstrations, rallies at the Chinese consulates during the Olympics. More than a few participants put their names next to a dot on the map marked “Beijing.”

“With the Beijing Olympics only two years away and so many young Tibetans and supporters preparing for the event, activist training and planning like this camp needs to happen more often in more places,�? said Matt Browner-Hamlin, Operations Director of Students for a Free Tibet. “At SFT, we’re busy building the resources and plan to make it happen.”

Free Tibet! Action Camps have created a network of young leaders and a new youth movement for Tibet that is providing strategic vision and leadership to the Tibetan freedom struggle. The first Free Tibet! Action Camp was held in Florida in January, 2000. It was co-sponsored by The Ruckus Society and the Milarepa Fund. Since then, SFT has trained over 400 students and young Tibetans through these annual Action Camps. Many Action Camp alumni have grown into positions of leadership in the Tibet movement, and many others now work within their communities to bring awareness and activism to larger audiences.

Students’ Action Camp Update

Here is the french team from the European Free Tibet ! Action Camp

A short sharing of our witnesses before we go to the bonfire.

During this week we learned how to create and empower a chapter so that we can really create a strong network of activists in France.

We are glad to meet activists and tibetan personalities, who share so much about their experiences. It inspires us a lot.

And now we are in a hurry to act in our country and make the chinese government really upset!!! ( as we actually started to do last year! )

Visit our site in : www.tibetlibre.org

Hey Action Camp!

Guest post authored by FT!AC VII participant Pema Yoko from the UK.

The path the Tibetan government has ruled is a non-violent one, so therefore we must seek knowledge and try to practice these, however, slow or frustrating it can be. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, stresses the importance of education, as this is the key for a better future.What is so inspiring about Students for a Free Tibet is the interaction with the community and the supporters and the stress of educating oneself with these training camps. SFT is one of a kind and it is definitely something that is much needed in the Tibetan Community, especially with the use of these camps.

The only disappointing aspect of this experience is not seeing enough Tibetans, and if you are a Tibetan from Europe reading this, where were you, man?! Coz, for real, you will gain so much for yourself and for your community, you can pass down so much knowledge to others. The camp is filled with various work shops, such as nonviolent action, action planning, scouting, dealing with media, and within in these you learn about history of other nations as well as your own, other political activists and so on. I think also you can learn a bit of your culture as SFT invite people like, Techung (Tibetan singer), they provide video and slide installations showing Tibetan movement all over the world, which is very inspiring as a Tibetan.

Although I was only at the camp for 2 nights, I believe it works, it is giving us an opportunity to take control and lead, to be good speakers, like Lhadon, Tendor, and Thupten and I think if we can do that, then I believe Tibet has better chance than ever.

Although I am not officially a member of SFT, I very much support it. In London we have set up a new group called “Tibetan Youth in UK�?, we are voluntary group supporting the Tibetan Issue and the Tibetans in the UK, since we have started we have been working closely with SFT-UK. They have been a big help to us, with guidance and support. This is highly important for organizations or groups and communities around the world, coz at the end of the day we all work hard and strive for the same thing, so we should have harmony amongst each other and work together for a FREE TIBET!!

….�?ya get me�??!

Action Camp Photos

You can see some photos on the right, but more Free Tibet! Action Camp photos on my flickr feed. Enjoy!

Action! Action! Action Camp!

I’ve been in Germany for SFT’s Free Tibet! Action Camp VII since Friday morning and now is the first time I’m having a moment where I can sit down and reflect about all that’s going on around me.

As I said, I arrived with five other staff and volunteers from New York Friday morning. We spent the weekend setting up the Pauenhof Center for the start of Action Camp. It’s our second year here in Sonsbeck (about 40 minutes away from Dusseldorf), so we know the area well, which has made shopping, airport runs, and the tracking down of supplies much easier. That said, it takes a tremendous amount of work to put on our camps and the staff and volunteers have been pulling 18-20 hour days the last few days and are looking forward to another week of more of the same!

Right now the first day’s trainings are coming to a close. Most of our students arrived last night. It’s great for me to see many familiar faces from last year’s camp. This year our returning students are either in our advanced track “Training for Trainers” or working as volunteers. We’re also lucky to be joined by even more fantastic climbing trainers from here in Germany - activists who have a a true wealth of knowledge about direct action skills, tactics, and strategies. Throw in the old SFT stand-bys and our new students are in for the week of a lifetime.
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SFT UK Conference in London

Reporting from Gatwick Airport, London (actually way south of London)

One thing I know for sure is that everyone who participated in this weekend’s SFT UK (and Tibetan Youth UK) conference is sound asleep and will not wake up in time to go to class or work. Because they’re exhausted - not tired (it’s different) - after the full-power, high-steam workshops, trainings, and discussions that took place at the School of Oriental & International Studies (SOAS).
With a few dozen participants from eleven universities in the UK and many Tibetans from the local London community and the representatives of the newly formed Tibetan Youth UK (led by the charismatic young leader Karma), the conference was bound to be an outstanding success. It was clear that the SFT UK board had put countless hours into preparing this conference - and getting as many students as possible from around UK to take the train or bus - I mean, coach - to London and be part of a unique learning experience where young Tibet activists and Tibetans got together to inspire each other and learn form each other.
Well, I think I just heard my flight announcement. Signing off with big cheers to all SFT UK team for the hard work and bulldogged determination!