[Reader-list] Tibet

[Pawan Durani]

On 3/20/08, S. Jabbar <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com> wrote:>>>>>>>>And two, ideas.
 The end to slavery, the sun setting on the British Empire,the fall of the
Berlin Wall all happened because someone first imagined it was
possible.>>>>>>>>>>>>

Sonia ,

Doesn't this actually promote people into believing that the violence needs
to be continued to achieve a goal, as in case of Kashmir or for Naxalites ?

Just trying to understand !!!

Regards

Pawan Durani


On 3/20/08, S. Jabbar <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> My views on Tibet and my long support for the Dalai Lama and his peaceful
> 'middle path' (autonomy not independence with full religious and cultural
> rights) on Tibet are well known, as is my support to the right of return
> of
> the exiled Tibetans, Palestinians and Kashmiri Pandits.
>
> Have to clarify though that I did not write the petition in support of the
> Tibetans but merely forwarded the message sent out by the organisation,
> Avaaz, which I fully endorse.
>
> Peerzada Arshad rightly questioned the efficacy of these online petitions.
> Of course I don't believe that me or you taking a few seconds out to sign
> a
> petition is going to change anything in China or anywhere else in the
> world
> where there is injustice.  But even for a few seconds, it has brought an
> issue into our consciousness.  Perhaps we will think about it today,
> perhaps
> we will talk about it with a few friends and colleagues, and make common
> cause with young Tibetans who are struggling to make sense of a world that
> supports China because of its economic and military clout while ignoring
> and
> making irrelevant a struggle that has remained non-violent for over 60
> years.
>
> What does one do? How can one creatively respond to situations like these
> that seem huge, powerful, insurmountable?
>
> The easiest thing in the world is to remain cynical or fall into despair.
> The hardest is to keep faith, optimism and cheerfulness alive.  What works
> for me each time unerringly is to focus on two things:
>
> One, change is the nature of the universe.  Whether we like it or not the
> universe is in flux.  Time flows, things happen. Seemingly unrelated
> things
> sometimes coalesce to bring down the whole house of cards: the
> assassination
> of Archduke Franz Ferdinand caused the First World War and the break up of
> two empires.  Notwithstanding the Vietnamese military pressures on the US,
> the protests in America against Vietnam in the '60's forced the US
> government to rethink its large-scale  interventionist policies for 30
> years
> until Iraq.
>
> And two, ideas.  The end to slavery, the sun setting on the British
> Empire,
> the fall of the Berlin Wall all happened because someone first imagined it
> was possible.
>
> My act of clicking on that petition, (though I'll admit is the worst form
> of
> armchair activism) is because I can imagine that another China, which is
> more humane, more inclusive, more democratic is not only desirable but
> possible.
>
>
>
> On 3/19/08 6:41 PM, "Aditya Raj Kaul" <kauladityaraj at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Yeah. Unlike the other "elite class" of Sarai, Sonia did write something
> about
> > the Tibetans here. I appreciate her. And, on similar lines Pandits
> continue
> > their protest against terrorist and conscienceless killer Yasin
> Malik. You can
> > add your voice by signing here
> http://www.petitiononline.com/ymalik8/
>
> For
> > more details on Malik, visit -
> > www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com/
>
> Thanks
> Aditya Raj Kaul
>
>
> On 3/19/08, S.
> > Jabbar <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > A Million Strong for Tibet: End the
> > violence
> >
> > THE TIBETANS ARE SENDING OUT A GLOBAL CRY FOR CHANGE.
> >
> > After
> > decades of repression, Tibetans are crying out to the world for
> > change. The
> > Tibetan spiritual leader, His Holiness The Dalai Lama, has
> > called for
> > restraint and dialogs: he needs the world's people to support
> > him. But
> > violence is spreading across Tibet and the world, and the Chinese
> > regime is
> > right now considering a choice between increasing brutality or
> > dialogs, that
> > could determine the future of Tibet and China.
> >
> > We can affect this historic
> > choice - China Œdoes¹ care about its
> > international reputation. Its economy
> > is totally dependent on "Made in
> > China" exports that we all buy, and it is
> > keen to make the Olympics in
> > Beijing this summer a celebration of a new
> > China that is a respected world
> > power. The Chinese President Hu Jintao needs
> > to hear that 'Brand China'
> > and
> > the Olympics can succeed only if he makes
> > the right choice. But it will
> > take
> > an avalanche of global people power to
> > get the government's attention.
> >
> > "I find hope in the darkest of days, and
> > focus in the brightest. I do not
> > judge the universe."
> > - The Dalai
> > Lama
> >
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >
> > IMMEDIATE ACTION
> > `````````````````
> >
> > Sign a
> > petition.
> >
> > Click below to sign a petition to President Hu calling for
> > restraint in
> > Tibet and dialogue with the Dalai Lama -- and tell absolutely
> > everyone you
> > can right away. The petition is organized by Avaaz, and they
> > are urgently
> > aiming to reach 1 million signatures to deliver directly to
> > Chinese
> > officials:
> >
> >
> > http://www.avaaz.org/en/tibet_end_the_violence/98.php/?CLICK_TF_TRACK
> >
> >
> > Thank you so much for your help!
> > _________________________________________
> >
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