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SFTYC Calendar Year - Ten Key EventsI. 36th Anniversary of Tibetan Youth CongressOctober 15, 2005: San Francisco Tibetan Youth Congress (SFTYC) celebrated the 36th founding anniversary of Tibetan Youth Congress with Bay Area Tibetans and supporters at the First Congressional Church in Oakland. Mr. Tashi Wangdi, the representative of H.H. the Dalai Lama to North America addressed the crowd followed by Ventrul Rinpoche and Chime Lhamo, TANC President. The showcase of cultural song and dance competition amongst the different Bay Area Tibetan locales was entertaining. The highlight of the evening was the play "Spirit of Tibet", written and directed by Dawa Dorjee, General Secretary of SFTYC and an English major student at University of San Francisco. The play focused on three of the key historical figures of Tibet namely, Songtsen Gampo - the 33rd King of Tibet, His Holiness the great 5th Dalai Lama Lobsang Gyatso and Gedun Choephel, the legendary Tibetan writer and explorer. The play was a reflection of Tibet's rich historical and cultural heritage through the appearance of these three figures that shaped significantly the course of Tibetan history. The evening was a celebration of Tibetan pride. II. Tibet Day November 20, 2006: SFTYC did a screening of "The Cry of the Snow Lion" as part of the 20th Annual Tibet Day. III. Tenzin Delek Rinpoche January 26, 2006: San Francisco Tibetan Youth Congress and the Bay Area Students for a Free Tibet led a protest for the immediate release of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche in front of the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco. The day marked three years since Lobsang Dhondup was executed by Chinese authorities and Tenzin Delek Rinpoche's death sentence was commuted to life-in-prison. About 30 Tibetans and supporters gathered in front of the Chinese Consulate at 2PM and shouted slogans till 5PM with a half hour recitation of prayers over a candle light vigil. The protest concluded with the Tibetan national anthem. It was a pledge for the Tibetans in the Bay area and worldwide to not rest till Tenzin Delek Rinpoche is released. IV. Google Protest February 14, 2006: Bay Area Students for a Free Tibet and Tibetan Youth Congress staged three different protests against Google; the Mountain View based Search Engine Company. Google launched a web search engine custom-built to the Chinese authorities' specifications that blocks access to information about Tibet, human rights, and other topics sensitive to Beijing. This deal outraged many, especially the Tibetans. Hence, in addition to staging protest on January 25 outside Google headquarters as well as during the visit of Google China President, Kaifu Lee's visit to Stanford, Students for a Free Tibet launched a site called www.noluv4google.com, an online platform to criticize Google for its unethical decision in joining hands with China and backstabbing the value of freedom. This nationwide action against Google drew much media and press. Time magazine covered this SFT and TYC led protest in its February issue. V. 47th National Uprising Day March 10, 2006: SFTYC led this year's national uprising day. The involvement from the younger Tibetans was outstanding. Many helped out with the banners. Some took part in SFTer Thupten Tsering's directed political theatre. The march started out from Berkeley in the morning with addresses from key note speakers such as Berkeley Council member, Chris Worthington. The march continued to San Francisco City Hall where Paul Karp, assistant to Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and Margary Farrar, assistant to Congressman Tom Lantos spoke as well. Then marchers continued down Geary Street to the Chinese consulate, where few guest speakers gave touching speeches and few artists performed a song with inspiring lyrics to never Give Up. Everyone preceded shouting for Tibet's Independence in the rain and the protest concluded at 5 P.M. VI. Nangma Concert May 6, 2006: SFTYC welcomed Tibetan folk music group, Nangma, to University of San Francisco. Nangma is a group of artists trained in many different styles and genres of Tibetan music and dance with more than thirty years of experience performing and teaching. It was a memorable evening of entertainment. The proceeds from momo sale at the concert went towards budget for annual North America Regional Tibetan Youth Congress conference to be held in San Francisco in August, 2006. VII. Panchen Lama April 25, 2006: Many Bay area Tibetans came out on the streets of Berkeley Downtown and San Francisco Chinese Consulate to express their concerns for the 11th Panchen lama Gedun Choekyi Nyima, who was abducted at the age of six by Chinese authorities on his recognition as the 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet. The Panchen Lama turned seventeen this year but with no news of whereabouts to the Tibetans and the world outside. Bay area Tibetans prayed for His safety and long life through a candle light vigil in Berkeley downtown. VIII. Reject the Railway July 1, 2006: On this fateful day, China opened its Tibet Railway. Nonetheless, Tibetans and supporters worldwide opposed the Railway as a black death to Tibetans. SFTYC gathered the Bay area Tibetan community and staged its demonstration in Berkeley downtown. Each protestor wore a black bandana around his/her arm as a symbol of rejecting the Tibet Railway. There was a live speech from the Students for a Free Tibet headquarters in New York, to which everyone listened in and shared a unanimous anger towards China's attempt to consolidate its control over the Tibetan land. IX. Screening of Following Kunsel July 22, 2006: As a part of its fundraising event for the annual NARTYC conference in August, SFTYC screened "Following Kunsel" - a film directed by a young Tibetan Filmmaker, Thupten Nyima. This film is about a young Tibetan girl in New York named Kunsel who won the hearts of hundreds through her passionate singing of Tibetan songs of different genres. The film carried a broader message for the Tibetan at large to pass on our rich culture and traditions to our future generation. |
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