Update: SFT Canada Calls on Harper to Stand Up for Tibet!

Students for a Free Tibet Canada has been busy this week urging the Canadian government to take a strong stand for Tibet as Prime Minister Harper embarked on his first official trip to China.

Ottawa and Montreal: RISE UP FOR TIBET!

Between December 2^nd-6^th, Prime Minister Harper will make his first official trip to China since being elected almost four years ago. As a send-off, Tibetans and Tibet supporters, as well other China rights groups will be holding a demonstration on December 1^st at Parliament Hill. 

This will be a peaceful demonstration with Tibetan, Uyghur, and Chinese democracy and human rights groups joining hands in efforts to urge Prime Minister Harper to stand up for human rights when he meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao. 

We encourage everyone to attend this historic event to let the Canadian government know that we are counting on them to uphold Canadian values of freedom and justice, and that putting trade with China and the “almighty dollar” above human rights is unacceptable.

What: Rally to call on Prime Minister Harper to stand up for human rights while in China

Location: Front lawn of Parliament Hill, Ottawa

Date: Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Time: 9:30am-12:30pm

If you’re in Montreal, there will also be a candle light vigil that evening to call on the Canadian government to speak out for human rights.

What: Candle light vigil

Location: Complexe Guy Favreau, 200 René-Lévesque Ouest, Montréal

Date: Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Time: 5:30pm

If you can’t attend either of these two events, you can still take action by writing to Prime Minister Harper to urge him to speak out for Tibet when he’s in China.  To send a letter to the Prime Minister before he leaves for China, please click here!

Let’s all rise up for those who cannot in Tibet and China!

Prime Minister Harper: Take Action on Tibet!

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will be making his first official visit to China and meet with President Hu Jintao between December 2nd-6th.  The Prime Minister’s first trip to China presents a strategic opportunity to make real progress towards a just and lasting resolution for the Tibetan people.

Canadians have overwhelmingly shown support for the Tibetan people in their peaceful struggle for freedom and human rights as seen by the unanimous decision by the Canadian Parliament to bestow the highest honour of Honorary Canadian Citizenship to His Holiness the Dalai lama, one of the most respectd leaders of all time.

In November 2006, Prime Minister Harper was even quoted as saying he wouldn’t “sell out” on human rights to promote trade and investment with China. One year later, he met with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in his Parliament Hill office, against the Chinese government’s wishes.

As this is the Prime Minister’s first visit to China since being elected almost four years ago, it is an unprecedented opportunity for him to uphold the Canadian values of human rights and democracy by speaking out for those who have been violently denied these rights.

Please TAKE ACTION by urging Prime Minister Harper to speak out for Tibet during his trip to China.  We also encourage you to send a letter and call your local MP insisting they urge the Prime Minister to stand up for Tibet during his visit to China.

To see SFT Canada’s letter to Prime Minister Harper, please click here. 

TAKE ACTION HERE!

Urgent: Four Tibetans Executed in Tibet

It is with great sadness that we let you know Tibetan rights groups recently confirmed that three Tibetans, Lobsang Gyaltsen, Loyak, and Penkyi were executed on October 20th, 2009 in Lhasa. There is a report that a fourth Tibetan may also have been executed. Read SFT’s press statement.  

We urge you to also call your Members of Parliament and let them know how serious this matter is and that you expect the Canadian Government to take immediate action and condemn these killings. 

If you are in the Toronto or Vancouver areas, please  join us for a candle light vigil this Sunday, October 25th, in memory of the 4 Tibetans killed.

Toronto: 5-7pm at the Toronto Chinese Consulate (240 St. George Street).  Contact: lobsang@studentsforafreetibet.org

Vancouver: 6pm at the Vancouver Chinese Consulate (3380 Granville Street). Contact: klaravrbova@yahoo.com

TAKE ACTION HERE!

Help SFT Canada Win Wednesday’s Facebook Challenge!

You can help turn $10 into $1,000 for Students for a Free Tibet Canada. It’s not magic, it’s the Facebook Causes Giving Challenge.

And, beginning at 3pm (EST) TODAY (Tuesday, Oct. 20th) until 3pm (EST) TOMORROW (Wednesday, Oct. 21st), SFT Canada is in it to win it! www.causes.com/sft

This 24hr challenge is SFT Canada’s opportunity to win $1,000 and to help SFT HQ win the 1st place challenge prize of $50,000 by Nov. 6th, when the challenge ends. 

Please help us win by donating $10 once between 3pm (EST) TODAY (Tuesday, October 20th) and 3pm (EST) TOMORROW (Wednesday, Oct. 21st):  www.causes.com/sft

Wednesday is an auspicious day to win! Tibetans inside Tibet have come to honor “Lhakar” or “White Wednesday” as the day on which His Holiness the Dalai Lama was born. Every Wednesday, Tibetans across Tibet are taking simple and concrete actions – such as visiting monasteries, eating in Tibetan restaurants, speaking in Tibetan, and wearing traditional clothing – to reaffirm their identity and celebrate the resilience of Tibetan culture in the face of China’s oppression.

This is SFT Canada’s day to take action! 

1. Go to the Tibetan Freedom Movement’s Cause: www.causes.com/sft
2. Select donate (if you don’t have a Facebook account, choose the “Donate Without Facebook” option)
3. Donate $10 and invite all your friends and family to do the same (you can only donate once per 24hr period)

Here’s the deal: Every 24 hour period (3pm EST – 3pm EST the next day) until November 6, 2009, the cause with the greatest number of unique daily donations wins $1k. The organization with the greatest number of daily donations at the end of the challenge wins $50k. You do not need a Facebook account to take part.

If you can donate more than $10, please give $10 on different days so that each of your donations counts towards SFT’s total number – bringing us one step closer to winning $50K. You can only donate once per 24hr cycle. 

Here are other ways you can help: 

- After you donate, please call or text 1 friend. Tell them what you did and ask them to do the same.

- Have a telethon party tonight with a group of friends and phone everyone you know to encourage them to donate $10 to help SFT Canada win the challenge.

- Forward this message to any friends or family before the challenge ends on Wednesday at 3pm (EST)!

With your continued support, Tibet will be free!

SFT Canada Tour Update!

It’s been a whirlwind month at Students for a Free Canada. His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s visit to Canada took me across the country and back and I wanted to share some highlights from the tour with you.  

My first stop was in Vancouver where I met with students from the University of British Columbia, Simon Frasier University, and the University of Victoria. We tabled at both His Holiness’s public talks and spoke to dozens of students about Tibet and SFT.   

My next stop was Calgary where I joined SFT Calgary members who ran a very succesful booth at the the Calgary Saddledome where His Holiness was warmly received. SFT Canada’s merchandise sold like hot-cakes! 

Last but not least, I made my way back east to Montreal where we set up information tables at His Holiness’s public talk at the Montreal Bell Centre. SFT Montreal introduced our new line of French t-shirts and bilingual brochures which were widely popular.  

Successful fundraisers in support of SFT Canada’s important work for Tibet were hosted by both SFT Montreal and SFT Calgary.  

It goes without saying that it’s always an incredibly inspiring and humbling experience to hear His Holiness the Dalai Lama speak. I’m also so happy to have met SFTers from across Canada – their passion for Tibet and commitment to SFT was felt in every city I traveled to.  

I want to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers who helped on the tour and every single SFT supporter I met along the way.  

We collected hundreds of petitions calling for the release of Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen, sold lots of SFT merchandise, and most importantly, many people told me about how energized and inspired they were by SFT’s creativity and far-sighted vision for Tibet freedom. 

In hope, 

Tenzin Lobsang and everyone at SFT Canada 

P.S. If you would like to support our work for Tibet in Canada, please donate today! Even the smallest gift makes a difference. 

Join SFT Canada’s Board of Directors! – Présente ta candidature pour le conseil d’administration d’?ÉTL Canada!

DEADLINE EXTENDED: APPLY TO BE PART OF THE STUDENTS FOR A FREE TIBET CANADA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Do you believe Tibet will be free? 

Do you want to inspire and enable people to work for social justice?

If so, run for SFT Canada’s Board of Directors and help lead the organization that is at the forefront of the Tibet movement in Canada . You will be making a significant contribution to bringing about an end to human rights abuses in Tibet, and ultimately to the restoration of Tibetan independence.

Being a part of the Board of Directors is a great way for you to have a strong voice in how Tibetan and non-Tibetan youth can play a critical role in the Tibetan movement. The majority of SFT Canada’s Board members hold elected positions and we currently have five such positions open on the board. 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 Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009.

September 23rd: Dhondup Wangchen Global Day of Action!

September 23rd is the Global Day of Action for Dhondup Wangchen, the Tibetan filmmaker who made the remarkable documentary Leaving Fear Behind.  Because of his involvement with the film, he has been charged with “inciting separtism,” a charge that carries a severe prison sentence in China, and his trial could take place any day now. Dhondup Wangchen’s lawyers have been barred from representing him, casting serious doubt over the fairness of his trial.  He has been subject to torture while in detention and is in very poor health.

Take part in the Global Day of Action for Dhondup Wangchen and organize an event in your city!  Whether it’s demonstration, banner hanging, candle light vigil, petition signing or film screening of Leaving Fear Behind, let’s make our voices heard and demand the release of Dhondup Wangchen!  For ideas or petitions and letters you can download, please click here! 

Flaherty: Speak out for Tibetan Filmmaker, Dhondup Wangchen!

Canada’s Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is set to lead a high profile trade mission to China from August 8-14th. In an effort to improve trade relations with the Chinese government, Flaherty will be joined by the heads of Canada’s banking industry.

Flaherty’s trip comes as Tibetan filmmaker, Dhondup Wangchen, awaits trial on severe charges in a Chinese court in Xining (Qinghai Province). Dhondup Wangchen is being persecuted for making the film, Leaving Fear Behind, which documents the views of ordinary Tibetans in Tibet. His lawyer has been barred from representing him, casting serious doubt over the fairness of his trial, and the legitimacy of China’s judicial system.

Please TAKE ACTION by sending a letter urging Minister Flaherty to raise Dhondup Wangchen’s case during his trip to China.

TAKE ACTION NOW!

SFT Canada’s Back-To-School Workshop

In preparation for the fall school semester, Students for a Free Tibet Canada will be holding a back-to-school training workshop on August 29th in Toronto! For those of you who have never been to an SFT conference but are interested in joining or starting up a chapter at your school, this training is a must!

Workshops include how to start and maintain a chapter, grassroots organizing, fundraising, non-violent direct action, campaign strategy, and a lot more!

It is also a great opportunity to meet, share skills and strategize with fellow freedom fighters from all over Eastern Canada. French translation is available if required.

So start planning your travel arrangements and fill out the application form below.

Upon receiving your application, we will send you an email confirming your attendance to the training. If you are coming from out of town and need accommodations for Friday and Saturday evening, please state so in the form below.

*Travel plans deadline: August 24th

The registration fee per participant is $20. This fee covers lunch and dinner on the day of the conference and accommodation (if required).

Send in your application to canada@studentsforafreetibet.org by Sunday, August 23rd!

APPLICATION FORM
First name:
Last name:
Age:
Current address:
Permanent address (if different):
Current telephone:
Permanent telephone (if different):
E-mail:
University or school name (if applicable):
Have you ever attended an SFT Canada conference or SFT action camp?

PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS WITH CARE

1) Are you a member SFT or another Tibet support organization? If so, which one?

2) Are you a highschool or university student?

3) Is there an SFT chapter at your highschool or university? Have you been involved with the chapter? If so, for how long?

4) Are you interested in starting a chapter at your school, university or in your community?

5) Do you have any dietary needs? (vegetarian/vegan, allergies, or other)

6) Do you need us to provide accommodation during the conference?

Please send your registration details to canada@studentsforafreetibet.org as soon as possible!