Our list of speakers is frequently updated. To book or inquire about the speakers, please contact SFT's Grassroots Director at tdolkar@studentsforafreetibet.org or (212) 358 0071.

The following scholars, artists and leaders have been selected to represent SFT during this school year. We encourage our chapters to enrich their campuses and communities by inviting these speakers to give a presentation, show a film, or spend an evening with the students.

Geshe Lobsang Tenpa, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, received his geshe degree from Drepung Monastery. He is a student and long-time friend of Trulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, a widely respected teacher in eastern Tibet now serving a life sentence as a prisoner of conscience under Chinese rule. Geshe Tenpa has traveled across Europe and America, introducing audiences to the truth about Tenzin Delek Rinpoche. In his talk "Sentenced to Death," Geshe Tenpa will tell the story of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche's life, his contributions to Tibetan society, and his ongoing struggle as an innocent man serving a life sentence.

Ngawang Sangdrol, the youngest of the Drapchi-14 political prisoners, spent 11 years in prison for chanting Tibetan independence slogans in Lhasa. Ngawang was only 13 years old when she was first imprisoned by the Chinese authorities. Later, when she and a group of nuns in prison recorded freedom songs and smuggled out the tapes, her sentence was extended to 21 years. Following international campaigns on her behalf, she was eventually released in 2002. A symbol of hope and resistance to many Tibetans over the past decade, she continues to inspire Tibetans and supporters around the world. Ngawang currently studies English at Columbia University in New York.

Tendor, Executive Director of Students for a Free Tibet, is best known for the high-altitude protest staged on Mt. Everest base camp in 2007, that landed him and four other activists in Chinese detention. Born in India, Tendor graduated from the Tibetan Children's Village in Dharamsala in 1998 and from Brown University in 2003. He worked at the National Endowment for Democracy before joining SFT headquarters in 2004. He won the first Light of Truth national essay contest held by the International Campaign for Tibet. A published writer of essays, Tendor is also a spokesperson for the Tibetan freedom movement and is a frequent guest commentator on Radio Free Asia and Voice of America.