|
On our Photo link, you can see pics from 11 dec Tibetan Chinese efriendship anniversary as well as celebration of Liu Xiaobo, and of the Candle vigil 10 dec in Antwerp Tibetans who have not yet registered their green book for the upcoming Chithue and Kalon tripa election, can go to the Tibet office in Brussels on weekdays, during office hours, for registration of your "green book". The new date for registration, is from 30 november 2010, untill 17th of january 2011. Please froward this message to any Tibetan you know. Thanks Tibetan community Belgium  A peaceful demonstration and candle vigil against the atrocities in Tibet, Organized by www.vriendenvantibet.be/index.html and Tibetan Communities  “FDHR” - International peaceful demonstration for Freedom, Democracy & Human Rights in Brussels. Friday 10th December 2010 – Brussels (Belgium) Gathering: 13.00 o’clock in front of the European Council near Square Schuman (metro Schuman) From 13.00-13.50 o'clock: speeches At 13.50 o’clock: freedom march for human rights to the Chinese embassy From 15.00-16.30 o’clock peaceful demonstration in front of the Chinese embassy 10th December is International Human Rights Day. On this occasion, a coalition of United Nations for a Free Tibet, the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress Belgium and the Free China from CCP Alliance Europe organize a peaceful demonstration for Freedom, Democracy & Human Rights in Brussels. We kindly invite you to participate in this demonstration to show your support. We call upon everyone and each and every organization who supports freedom, democracy and human rights to join our demonstration. Every human being has basic, fundamental rights, rights that can not be limited, prevented or decreased by other individuals, politicians, governments or religious institutions. Everyone should have the freedom of speech, press, religion etc. as described in the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights, adopted and proclaimed by the United Nations in 1948. Nevertheless many people or even whole populations all over the world are still not free and don’t have these human rights or only limited. People of all kinds of nationalities, populations and religions experience the same problems and sufferings not having these rights and freedom: Tibetans, Chinese, the Falun Gong in China, people from East Turkistan, Birma, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, North Korea, Cuba, Sudan, Zimbabwe etc… Therefore this demonstration is organized on the International Human Rights Day to give a signal to the world leaders, governments and politicians that all human beings have the right to freedom and that human rights in general should be respected everywhere. We demand all dictatorial and non-democratic governments and regimes: respect for the human rights as described in the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights of the UN freedom for each individual to express himself and to develop his talents and capacities fully and unlimited (more) democracy On this International Human Rights Day we insist on:
A letter on behalf of the 3 organizing associations of this demonstration will be handed over to the Chinese authorities at the Chinese embassy of Brussels. We will also pay a special tribute to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize on 10th December 1989 for his efforts in the struggle of the liberation of Tibet and the efforts for a peaceful resolution instead of using violence. The Free China from CCP Alliance Europe has organized a petition for the release of Nobel Peace Prize Winner Liu Xiaobo. You can sign the petition online: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/freeliuxiaobo/. All the signatures will be submitted to the European Parliament in Brussels with the Chinese New Year 2011 ( 3rd February 2011). For more information please contact: Dennis Barbion, UNFFT Ambassador for Belgium and Europe and board member of the Free China from CCP Alliance Europe: tel. 0032-50.78.17.55 (home), unfft-europe@gmx.be Karma Tsering, President of the RTYC Belgium: tel. 0032-484.05.63.67, rtycbelgium@yahoo.com Mona Zhimin Tang, board member of Free China from CCP Alliance Europe: atelierchina@live.nl FDHR: www.unfft-fdhr.org (on this website you find more actions worldwide) UNFFT: unitednations4freetibet.com RTYC Belgium: www.rtycbelgium.be/ United we stand, Tibet will be free. The UNFFT team.  _______________________ World Tibet Network News ______________________ Editorial Board: Nima Dorjee, Ryszard Cimek, Tseten Samdup, Thubten (Sam) Samdup WTN Editors: wtn-editors@tibet.ca ____________________________________________________________________ Friday, November 19, 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Issue ID: 2010/11/19 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. ‘Tibet dam is first in series’ ( Hindustan Times)------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. ‘Tibet dam is first in series’ ( Hindustan Times) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hindustan Times November 19, 2010 Construction of Tibet’s first large hydropower station is likely to be the first of more projects to dam the Yarlung Tsangpo or the Brahmaputra that flows into northeast India. On Thursday, th e Global Times said that Fan Xiao, an engineer with the Sichuan bureau of Geological Exploration and Exploration of Mineral Resources, told the paper that the ‘interception of the river was just the beginning of a series of water projects in the region’. The paper said the 510 MW Zangmu hydropower station ‘would not dramatically impact downstream areas’. China has assured India that damming the world’s highest river will not divert water flowing to India. Indian officials have no access to the site of the 1.2 billion dollar project in Gyaca county, 325 km southeast of the Tibetan capital Lhasa. While a latest Xinhua dispatch quoted an official project contractor saying that the river flow would not be stopped during construction, an earlier Chinese media report said ‘the closure of the Yarlung Tsangpo River on November 12 marks the beginning of the construction of the main project of the Zangmu hydropower station.’ On November 15, the China Daily headline said ‘river closed to build Tibet’s hydropower station’. The station will have six 85-MW power-generating units. In May, HT reported that Chinese engineers were lobbying Beijing to dam the upper Brahmaputra in Tibet with the world’s biggest 38,000 MW hydroelectric project and several smaller dams and tunnels. These plans are not finalised. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. His Holiness the Dalai Lama honoured for iconic contribution to peace, social justice (Tibet.Net) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tibet.Net 19 November 2010 New Delhi: His Holiness the Dalai Lama was honoured with the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice by the Harmony Foundation at a ceremony held at the Taj Mahal Hotel yesterday. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Abraham Mathai, president of Harmony Foundation and Vice Chairman of State Minorities Commission, Government of Maharashtra said the Award honours His Holiness as “a living legend, a worldwide icon of conscience, a voice clearly heard over the din of conflicting values, and as a global voice for peace and social justice.” In his acceptance speech, His Holiness recalled his first visit to Mother Teresa’s center in Calcutta where he said he was touched by the spirit of Mother Teresa which was still alive even in her absence. “And that’s very important because even if she’s not there, her followers are still fully committed in continuing her legacy in serving the poor and the destitute,” His Holiness said. His Holiness said all major religions have the same potential to cultivate and strengthen human values such as compassion, forgiveness, and tolerance. Mother Teresa, His Holiness said, was a Catholic nun whose inner strength came from her Christian faith. Faith not only brings individual well-being but also the willingness to serve others, His Holiness added. Speaking on the importance of cultivating inner values, His Holiness said material values have its own limitations as it provides only physical comfort. But a calm and compassionate mind brings inner well-being. His Holiness said by and large many religious traditions have peacefully coexisted in India which he said was due to ancient Indian traditions of religious harmony and Ahimsa (non-violence). Arguments and debates happen between different viewpoints but that’s understandable, His Holiness said. His Holiness expressed his admiration for other award winners of the day saying their selfless and tireless commitment and dedication towards bringing justice and securing rights of the less privileged will go a long way in bringing development and change in India. But real transformation, His Holiness said, should begin from rural communities in India. The award was presented to His Holiness by two representatives from the Kolkata-based Sisters of Missionary, and actress Rani Mukherjee who said she felt extremely privileged to be in the same room as His Holiness as “only a chosen few get blessed by His Holiness.” The Harmony Foundation also honoured a host of other NGOs and individuals for their contribution toward peace, tolerance, equality, and social justice. Among them were Aruna Roy and her organisation Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan for Right to Information and empowerment of women and rural poor; Roy was a prominent leader of the Right to Information (RTI) movement which led to the enactment of the RTI Act in 2005. Mr Colin Gonsalves, a senior advocate of Supreme Court of India for legal aid in addressing human rights; Sewa Ashram, an NGO for their work amongst the homeless destitute in Delhi; Dr Udit raj for Dalit empowerment and emancipation; Mr Y.P. Singh for his campaign against corruption in upper echelons of public service especially in the police and income tax departments; Ms Sumaira Abdulali for advocacy on noise pollution and environment. And Sayed Iqbal Haider, a former senator, federal minister of law and former attorney general of Pakistan was honoured for his activism in human rights. Luminaries from the public life who attended the award ceremony included Justice J S Verma, former Chief Justice of India and Chairman of National Human Rights Commission; GVG Krishnamurthy, former Chief Election Commissioner; Dr T Sangliani, vice chairman of the National Commission for Minorities; Members of Parliament Milind Deora, Jose K Mani, Dr B Mungekar and Sanjay Patil; Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi; and Swami Agnivesh. International guests at the awards included H.E. Mr Ahmad Tariq Karim, High Commissioner for Bangladesh; H E Mrs Khadija Radman Mohammed Ghanem, Ambassador for Yemen; Deputy head of delegation of the EU, Mr Pavel Svitil; Deputy Chief of Mission for Germany, Mr Christian-Mathias Schlaga; Deputy Head of Mission for Austria, Mr Raimund Magis of Austria; and Secretary Nathanael Silva of Brazil. Indian film director and noted human rights voice Mahesh Bhatt was also present. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Mother Teresa 2010 Award to HH the Dalai Lama (CTA WebTV Station) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Watch His Holiness receive the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice ... http://www.tibetonline.tv/videos/312/mother-teresa-2010-award-to-hh-the-dalai-lama ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Dalai Lama: 'I Am a Son of India' (Wall Street Journal) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wall Street Journal 19 November 2010 By Paul Beckett If you thought His Holiness the Dalai Lama was 100% Tibetan, think again. “I am a son of India,” he declared during questions after his appearance at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in New Delhi. Not only has India been his transplanted home since he fled Tibet about 50 years ago, but “this body has survived by Indian daals, Indian rice, so therefore I describe myself as a son of India.” The Dalai Lama has been based in Dharamshala, India, for about 50 years. He also considers himself a “messenger of India” (a line the audience ate up with applause) because he espouses ancient Indian thought, especially the gospel of “non-violent action related with a compassionate mind.” He also noted the India was the only country, in his view, where all the major religions “live together with respect.” He didn’t pander entirely to the audience, however. He said outdated traditions like caste and dowry had to be addressed and changed.The Dalai Lama has been based in Dharamshala, India, for about 50 years. And he weighed in with his own policy prescription for Naxalism: In a country that now has big cities, he said there were still people suffering in India without education or electricity, making them vulnerable to manipulation by Maoists. “Sending more policemen is not the answer,” he said. Providing services is. He reserved a few choice words for his traditional antagonist, Communist China. When asked what he is doing about succession planning, he said: “For me this is not a serious question.” Then he added, laughing: “It looks as if the Chinese government is really seriously looking.” He said he was not wedded to the idea of a successor despite the centuries-old tradition. Rather, he said, “things are always changing” and it should be up to Tibetans to decide whether they want the post to continue. “As far as the Dalai Lama is concerned, there is more concern in the Chinese mind, the Communist mind, than me,” he said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. Succession not a serious issue for me: Dalai Lama (IANS) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 19 November 2010 New Delhi, Nov 19 (IANS): Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Friday said China seemed more concerned than him about his successor. ‘Succession is not a serious issue for me. Looks like the Chinese government is more seriously looking for it,’ the Dalai Lama said while answering questions on the sidelines of the HT Leadership Summit in the national capital. He also said that the continuation of the Dalai Lama as an institution depended on what the Tibetan people wanted. ‘I made it very clear as early as (19)69, if majority of Tibetan people feel that now the Dalai Lama institution is no more needed, we can finish it,’ the spiritual leader said. The Dalai Lama and his supporters fled Tibet and took refuge in India when Chinese troops moved in and took control of Lhasa (capital of Tibet) in 1959. He has since headed the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh. Some 140,000 Tibetans now live in exile, over 100,000 of them in different parts of India. Over six million Tibetans live in Tibet. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. Primary Elections show Tibetans want change, but continuity, too. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ By Bhuchung K. Tsering http://weblog.savetibet.org November 17, 2010 On November 12, 2010 the Tibetan Election Commission announced the results of the primary elections held in October to determine candidates for the post of the Kalon Tripa (the highest executive authority and de facto head of the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamsala) as well as members of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile. The Election Commission has shortlisted six individuals with the highest votes as candidates for the Kalon Tripa (two of them from the United States), 50 names for each of the three traditional Tibetan provinces, and 10 names for the two posts that each of the Tibetan Buddhist and Bon traditions as well as the Tibetan communities in North America and Europe have. You can find a complete list of the names on the website of the Central Tibetan Administration. From the over 79,000 registered voters the Commission announced that 47,000 (around 61 per cent) individuals exercised their right to vote. Since the Nepalese authorities seized some of the ballot boxes from the Kathmandu area, and since the Bhutanese authorities did not allow the votes to be sent to Dharamsala, the Election Commission has decided to treat these votes as having gone to waste. This includes a little over 1000 votes from the Kathmandu area of Nepal and 613 votes from Bhutan. The fact that there has been a sizable increase in the numbers of voter turnout indicates the special interest the elections had for the Tibetan people. There was widespread belief that the outcome of the elections this time would have a strong impact on the future course of the Tibetan movement. Judging by the names of the individuals for the different posts, the Tibetan community wants both change and continuity, but leaning more towards change. The individual with the highest votes (with a good lead) for the post of the Kalon Tripa is Lobsang Sangay, who will be a change as he will be a newcomer to the Tibetan Administration system if he goes on to win in the final elections in March next year. In his campaign, including people who campaigned for him, he has projected the elections as being “among other things … a choice between the status quo and change.” However, the other five names for the Kalon Tripa post (the next highest being Tenzin Namgyal Tethong) are all known entities who have served or are currently serving in different capacities in the Central Tibetan Administration. The fact that they find a place in the shortlist would certainly be an indication of the desire for continuity. Among the names for the Tibetan parliament, over 35 names finding a place in each of the provincial shortlists are individuals who have not served before. Similarly, a majority of the names in the religious, North American and European constituencies are new. Given the nature of the Tibetan election system the above will not be a true picture of the final political landscape. The individuals whose names are listed for the different posts will be given time to decide whether they want to stay or withdraw. Thereafter, some time in December or January next year, we will see a final list of candidates. Leaving aside the challenge that the majority of Tibetans in Tibet cannot participate in such elections, the Tibetan community in exile has confronted very many challenges in their experiment with the democratic process for an entity that has the formal recognition only of Tibetans. The most obvious of these is the fact that the election process has to take place in a host country’s environment, whose understanding, consideration and respect for the system are essential for its smooth running. This became very clear this time with the developments in Nepal. It is certainly an exciting time for Tibetan democracy. Even though currently we are seeing a lull in direct or indirect campaigning, without doubt things will change once the final list comes out. Going by how active people were prior to the primary elections, one should expect much more vigorous campaigning this time as the odds have been narrowed and candidates will be facing stiff competition. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Documentary explores Tibetan women (The Union of Grass Valley) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Union of Grass Valley November 18, 2010 On the Eastern Tibetan plateau of Kham, at an altitude of 14,000 feet, subsistence farmers and nomadic herding families sprinkle the craggy mountains of Nangchen. Their way of life has changed little in over 2,000 years, and for most it is a life of illiteracy, poverty and hunger. The film enters the vibrant community of Kala Rongo, a Buddhist Monastery exclusively for women situated in Nangchen, in remote Kham, Tibet. Here, 300 nuns are receiving spiritual and educational training previously unavailable to them, and radically challenging long-standing social restrictions on their gender. Some are shy, some outspoken, but all are committed to the difficult path they have chosen and to preserve their rich cultural heritage even as they slowly reshape it. Life in Kala Rongo is brought into sharp contrast with a visit to a yak herding family, where the film witnesses the daily life of Tibetan laywomen who share their own stories of work and struggle. The film is an intimate portrait of all of these women, and of their traditional lifestyle transforming on the cusp of modernity. This event is a free educational project of Tibetech.org, a Nevada City-based nonprofit dedicated to bridging Tibetan refugee communities through technology. All are welcome. ______________________________________________________________ Send articles to: wtn-editors@tibet.ca Subscriptions to: listserv@lists.mcgill.ca (subscribe wtnn) Cancellations to: listserv@lists.mcgill.ca (SIGNOFF wtnn)) WTN Archived at: www.tibet.ca Top |