A few weeks back, a new set of history books consisting of 12 volumes have been published in China with the aim to re-write the history of Tibet. The books represent Tibet as an integral part of China since ancient times, a contested claim. The question of who is writing these books, who is publishing them and if Tibetans have any say in their own history is a major one. However, for Tibetans, it is only another step by the Chinese government that seeks to delegitimize any kind of Tibetan epistemology and their culture. In this context, it is important that crucial steps are taken to preserve Tibetan culture and knowledge, which is only possible through struggling for equal human rights and dignity for Tibetans. Our conference aims to centralize Tibetans and their voice, with the aim to raise awareness about Tibet and engage youth to be involved in solidarity with Tibetans.
The two-day conference organized by Students for Free Tibet is a community-focused event that aims to draw attention to Tibet, a region rarely heard of in mainstream news and media. There is a large Tibetan community within UK and Westminster has been home to many, drawing upon their experiences we aim to create awareness about Tibet amongst students of the University of Westminster and dwell upon the politics of activism, identity, dominance, and human rights. The conference also seeks to provide hands-on training and skills to young activists including legal knowledge on their rights within the UK, to increase participation
Conference Program: 22nd & 23rd November 2019.
Day 1: Board room, University of Westminster
9:30 am – Registration
10:00 – 11:45 am – Academic panel with 4 speakers [Dr Dibyesh Anand, Promod Tandon, Lama Kyab + Kusang Kalden] (TBC)
11:45 – 12: 10 pm– Coffee Break
12:10 – 1:30 pm – Legal protections for Activists: A Workshop
1:30 – 2:30 am – Lunch
2:30 – 4:00 am – Pema Doma SFT International: Strategic Non-violence Training (Campaign planning, Direct Action)
4:00 – 4:15 pm- Coffee break
4:15 – 5:30 pm – To be announced (Keynote Speaker)
Day 2: Fvyie Hall, University of Westminster, Regent Campus
10:00 – 10:15 am – Introduction by Drukthar on SFT UK
10:20 – 12:00 pm – Pema Doma: Grassroots Activism training
12:00 – 12:15 pm – Coffee Break
12:15 – 1:30 pm – Panel on activism (Pema Doma, SFT International, Yangkyi, SFT France, TYAE President, SFT UK chaired by Tenzin- details TBC)
1: 30 – 2:30 pm – Lunch
2:30 – 4:00 pm – Social Media training [Pete]
4:00- 4:20 pm – Speech by Tibetan Activist Dawa
4:30 – 5:00 pm – Concluding remarks
Evening: 6:00 – 8:30 – Community Engagement: Cultural program, Dinner & Drinks
Registration for all non-University guests is mandatory. Please note, the details of the conference program are subject to change depending on the speaker’s availability. Any changes will be notified to the participants.
For any further queries, feel free to write to sft.soc@su.westminster.ac.uk or a.menon@westminster.ac.uk.
We look forward to hosting you!