Our list of speakers is constantly in flux. To inquire about who may be available this school year, please contact SFT's Grassroots Coordinator at chapters@studentsforafreetibet.org or (212) 358 0071.

The following scholars, artists and leaders have been individually selected to represent SFT during this school year. Each of these resource persons is uniquely accomplished in his respective field of study. We encourage our chapters to enrich their campuses and communities by inviting these experts 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.

Thomas Laird has worked as a journalist for Time, Asiaweek and Newsweek. His photography has appeared in two books and more than fifty magazines. His most recent book is The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama. This book records the first time the Dalai Lama has spoken at length about the story of Tibet. Over the course of three years, Laird spent more than sixty hours with His Holiness in candid, intimate interviews that covered His Holiness's beliefs about history, science, reincarnation, and Buddhism. In his talks and readings, Laird brings his meetings with the Dalai Lama to life in a vibrant historical narrative that outlines the essence of thousands of years of civilization, myth and spirituality.

Tenzin Dickyi, a 22 year-old Tibetan woman born in India and raised in the United States, took a break from the straitlaced curriculum of Harvard University and went to Tibet on a political pilgrimage of her stolen homeland. After two months of teaching English to young Tibetans while studying their local dialects, eating tsampa three times a day while visiting bars and monasteries in all three provinces of historical Tibet, and occasionally speaking advanced English to Chinese settlers just to piss them off, she has returned with first-hand accounts of how and where the Chinese government has stabbed and backstabbed the Tibetans. The stories and photos that form part of her presentation The Land of Melting Snows are at once heartbreaking, haunting and inspiring.

Han Shan was born and raised in Baltimore. After serving as the WTO Action Coordinator in the lead-up to the historic demonstrations against the World Trade Organization in Seattle, he became Program Director of the Ruckus Society. The Washington Post called Han "one of the most visible figures of the protests" against the WTO, World Bank and IMF. He served on SFT's Board of Directors for three years before serving as SFT's Development Director for another three years. He is a producer for the independent film production company Rikshaw Films. Currently working on a documentary film about global opinion of the U.S., he recently traveled to Israel, Palestine, India, and Afghanistan.

Thupten Tsering, a Tibetan filmmaker living in California, grew up in Nepal and India and attended the Tibetan Children's Village School in Dharamsala. After co-directing the award-winning feature film "Windhorse," he began working for SFT in 1999 as the Grassroots Coordinator. He left the staff in 2001, but still spends countless hours organizing and fundraising for SFT in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2004, Thupten received a Galen Rowell Memorial grant from the International Campaign for Tibet and is currently working on a film project to document the stories and memories of Tibetan elders. In his talk, "The Discontents of Tibetan Youth," Thupten will address the challenges, the frustrations and the temptations facing Tibetan youth today.

Sonam Zoksang, renowned Tibetan photographer, left behind the comforts of exile life and travelled to Tibet to capture the spirit of his ancestral homeland and its people. His photos - of breathtaking landscape and deep human suffering - tell the story of his adventures and experiences in Tibet. The emotionally charged narration of "Going Home: Tibet" is peppered with anecdotes and jokes.

Mikel Dunham, author of Buddha's Warriors, toured North America last year as SFT's featured speaker, talking about the CIA's involvement in the Tibetan Resistance against Chinese invasion. This year Mikel's talk will focus on the Tibetan refugee situation in Nepal and India, where he is a regular traveller. He is currently writing a book on the Maoist insurgency in Nepal.

To book or inquire about any of the following speakers, please contact SFT's Grassroots Coordinator at chapters@studentsforafreetibet.org or (212) 358 0071.