And how did it play out?

The events collaborated on by SFTCalgary and the TAA for yesterdays Global Day of Action were a “success”. All of our objectives and goals we had in mind were met: gather the Tibetan/Tibet supporting community, protest and rally so that people in Calgary hear our voices, and get signatures on our petitions!

But the struggle isn’t over. One achievement is just a stepping stone to the actual place of success. Wow, that totally sounds like it could be a spiritual quote or something. I feel very empowered today. Here are some pictures from our demonstrations down below. Thanks again to everyone who came out and to those who volunteered at our table and those who signed our petitions-which will be on their way to Ottawa pretty soon. Also, shoutout to SFTCanada who successfully lobbied in Ottawa yesterday and to SFTHQ who I’ve heard through the grapevine did a fantastic job unfurling a banner in France yesterday, the eve of the G20 Summit. My thoughts and prayers are with you guys, hoping for your safe return back to North America!

-Tsering Asha Leba, Co-Chair SFTCalgary

sft exec spent all night making this herself!

Global Day of Action Nov 2nd – Calgary and the Community

Since March 2011, eleven Tibetans, ten monks and one nun, have self-immolated, with at least five having lost their lives. Nine of these self-immolations took place in Ngaba, with six of the monks from the Kirti Monastery, and two in the Kardze region. That the protests have geographically spread means that the rejection of China’s rule is not isolated to one area.

Self-immolation is much more than just taking one’s life; it is an act of desperation, a cry for the rest of the world to pay attention to the human rights crisis and continued abuse that has been taking place in Tibet for over fifty years.

Tibetan monks and nuns are not only risking harsh penalties by self-immolation, but are also violating the Buddhist faith by attempting to take their lives. This highlights the complete desperation Tibetans feel as they risk everything to bring to light what the world seems to have forgotten.

We must act now. This Wednesday, on November 2, 2011, Students for a Free Tibet Calgary and the Tibetan Alberta Association will be protesting and marching in solidarity with fellow Tibetans in Tibet, and Tibetan support groups worldwide. Together we will be asking the Chinese government to ease tensions in eastern Tibet, and commit to using a multilateral approach to resolving the issue.

The protest will begin at 2 p.m. at the Chinese Consulate. At 4 p.m., we will begin to march from the Chinese Consulate to the Olympic Plaza, where there will be speeches and a vigil.

Please come to learn, protest, and support. We cannot allow the Tibetans to continue to sacrifice their lives, but this will continue to happen until we can put all our energy into helping end the crisis.

Please contact Tsering Asha Leba, Co-Chair SFT Calgary at:

sftibet@ucalgary.ca

asha@studentsforafreetibet.org

-Kathleen Gordon

10th Self Immolation in Tibet

This morning, the 10th Tibetan has self immolated. In the Kardze region of Tibet (Eastern Tibet):

Dawa Tsering, a young Tibetan monk, self-immolated at 9:30 am during a ritual dance event in Karze. He was taken to a hospital, but his condition and whereabouts remain unknown.

-The Tibet Post

Please read here for more information.

And contact us to get involved!

sftibet@ucalgary.ca

Enough! Global Intervention to Save Tibetan Lives – Calgary Style

First off, welcome to Students For a Free Tibet Calgary Chapter! With all of things going on in SFT and all of the news updates we post, having this blog is going to be super useful. On here you’ll find updates from various members of SFT Calgary, stories of interest relating to Tibet, Tibetan Communities and Supporters, and lots of activism! I hope everyone who reads this enjoys this site and learns a little more about us and what SFT is all about.

On that note, yesterday was our first big action of the semester. The Tibetan Association of Alberta organized a protest and candle light vigil for a dedicated time of six hours. That’s love. The reason for this? Recent self-immolation of Tibetan monks and nuns in Tibet. As of today, nine Tibetans in Tibet have decided to set themselves on fire, in protest of the PRC’s continued human rights abuses and religious oppression. Five have died. We saw this as a desperate, last attempt, by people in Tibet and knew that their message must be carried on by what little we could do. So yesterday, all around the world, Tibetan communities and supporters staged actions, protests, vigils, in hopes that these voices will finally make the change and impact desperately needed in Tibet.

I was so moved and impressed by the global map I saw, pinpointing who and where in the world people were participating in the action. You can find it here.

This totally reinforces my belief that what we’re doing, the objective we’re pursuing, is not futile, and is very realistic. So realistic I can almost taste it. I have to keep this short, but I want to end with saying THANK YOU, to everyone around the world. I feel so motivated now and I hope you do too!

Want to learn more? Here you go,

http://standupfortibet.org/

http://www.facebook.com/sftcalgary

http://sftcanada.wordpress.com/