The latest network news report comes from the SFT group at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, who already have some great things lined up...

Our group has got off to a great start this year with loads of new members signed up and a productive first meeting. We’ve already got one big event planned, “Tibet Awareness Week”, which will be happening from 19^th-23^rd November. Over the week there’s going to be a cake stall fundraiser, a slide-show presentation, 4 film screenings and a talk by former political prisoner Phuntsog Nyidrol [right] on 21st November with Amnesty International. For further details of this or if you’d like to get involved in our group, join the SOAS SFT Facebook group “SOAS Students for a Free Tibet!”

Remember to send your group news to students@sftuk.org

Uyghurs, Taiwanese, Falun Gong and Tibetans joined voices on Chinese National Day, 1st October 2007.

Iona Liddell from SFT UK voiced the breadth of human rights concerns amongst the many peoples of China, "It is so obvious, in the run up to the Beijing Olympics 2008 we should be working more together, uniting our voices, all supporters and all peoples facing persecution under the Chinese Government".

Rebiya Kadeer, a successful Uyghur business woman turned refugee after her arrest by the Chinese authorities for speaking out about the Uyghurs basic human rights, gave an address at the event outside the Chinese Consulate in London. Her family in the Uyghur region remain in detention and incommunicado as punishment for such brave acts.

SFT UK's national networking and training conference is your chance to meet and be inspired by other students and young people campaigning for Tibet. Participatng in workshops run by experienced campaigniners, including UK activists from the Everest base camp and Great Wall protests, you will learn the skils and confidence to motivate others into action.

We at the SFT UK network can't wait, this is the first SFT conference to take place in Bristol, and the first to welcome two commited American SFT campaigners from SFT HQ in NYC. This year is critical for Tibet, the Beijing Olympics 2008 offers us our greatest opportunity to achieve the freedom of speech and religion that Tibetans desire.

BOOK NOW to ensure your place - email Ben (his address is on the flyer)

For more information visit: www.sftuk.org

Exciting news from Leeds University Tibet Society

On Monday 8th October, Leeds University Parkinson Court will play host to six Tibetan Buddhist monks, who will be making a sand mandala. A sand mandala is an important ritual in Tibetan Buddhism, where the monks use a variety of tools to lay the sand in the intricate design of a mandala. The sand mandala will be a colourful, beautiful and mesmerizing spectacle for all those who visit the Parkinson Court from 8th-12th October.

The monks themselves are Tibetan exiles, from Drepung Gomang monastery in south India. Drepung Gomang monastery was built following the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1949. Ten years later, Tibet's spiritual and temporal leader, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet following a failed uprising by lay Tibetans in the capital, Lhasa. Depung Gomang is named after a monks school in Drepung, near Lhasa, which was for a long time the world's largest monastery. Whilst Tibetan Buddhism has been spread across the world following hundreds of thousands of Tibetans following the Dalai Lama, those remaining in Tibet have been subjected to a brutal repression of their religion, culture and human rights.

LUU Tibet Society have organised the event, which is a first for the university of Leeds. Their president, Suzi Hale said 'Not only is Tibet an important geopolitical and human rights concern, it is also the home of a deeply spiritual people, and it is vital that Tibet's history, culture and religion are preserved. We're delighted that we can share a fascinating and beautiful religious ceremony with all those associated with the university. We hope that this will spread awareness about Tibet and it's rich religious culture and that the construction of the sand mandala and ceremonies will be peaceful and enjoyable for everyone.'

The opening ceremony will be at 10 am in the Parkinson Court, and the mandala will take 5 days to build. The sand mandala will be made in the Parkinson Court from 10am till 4am from Monday to Thurday, and all are welcome to come and look. Please be quiet around them as the construction of a sand mandala is a religious ritual and requires great concentration. There will be a stall selling Tibetan crafts and Buddhist goods, and one monk will be on hand to field any inquiries. Once the monks have finished (around Friday morning), the mandala will be on show for only a few hours before the closing ceremony at 3 pm. The sand mandala's short lifespan symbolises an important part of the Buddhist canon; that all things are impermanent.

For details, please;
e-mail: unitibet@leeds.ac.uk
visit: www.whatabouttibet.com
phone: 07872017285

With Freshers' Weeks happening all over the UK and a couple of new SFT groups popping up, we thought it would be nice to bring you some news about what SFT groups get up to. So here's a report from Aaron at the Durham University Tibet Society that he sent us over the summer holiday...

In preparation for the founding of Durham University Tibet Society 2007, the following year has been a great success in the laying of foundations. In January we coordinated with the People & Planet Society to raise awareness and held ''Night for Tibet''. Around 40 people attended and were enthusiastic to learn, a presentation summarising the Tibet issue was followed by a showing of 'The Forbidden Team' film. Throughout the year we have vigorously leafleted the Durham area and created new contacts and support in the process, particularly within the university.

Our big event to finish term before the summer break was titled 'Lick for Tibet', where lollipops enticed 18 students and staff in Stockton to sign up for Durham University Tibet Society, despite being one of the quietest days on campus due to exams. This paves the way for our second 'Lick for Tibet' event to be held at the Durham Freshers Fair in October.

If you've got any news about your group that you'd like to see posted up here, please send it to students@sftuk.org