FREE TIBET!

(Read while listening to: Imagine by John Lennon)




Dear readers,

From today until the end of the China Olympics, this blog will suspend its normal publishing.

Instead, it will stand by Tibet, posting information and inviting you to help in different ways, so that we can all aid Tibetan people, even if it is just by sending mental vibes of peace and most needed justice.

Tibet has been long occupied by the Chinese government, which has banned all religious and individual freedoms, and has tortured and killed Tibetan monks and civilians as well. As you read and while the games are celebrated, there's concentration camps in Tibet, something that humanity should not be ignoring in 2008, when we call ourselves "civilized" and after we have created the United Nations, claiming to never let again a country abuse another.

But there's hope for human dignity. Despite no country or international organization has taken a real stance against China, there have been peaceful manifestations and several actions from independent, non profitable groups all over the world, demanding the Chinese government to free Tibet and open to the dialogue with the Dalai Lama, their spiritual leader.

Chinese extremists have labeled this global activism as "anti-chinese" and "anti-olympics". But it is precisely the time of the Olympics when we should be more conscious than ever of what the Chinese government is doing in Tibet. The world's attention should not only be focused on the games, but in the fact that there is a country hosting an event that speaks of world peace, while brutally assaulting a weaker one. I think that those actions are the real "anti-olympic" attitude.



Nevertheless, as Buddhists, Tibetans are peaceful people. So this blog now invites you to take peaceful helping actions, in the end, violence can only create more violence.

Here are a few ideas on how you can help:

• Go into any of these group's web pages, you will find much more information, ways of participating, be able to make donations or sign forms that will reach the Chinese government:

http://www.avaaz.org/es/handshake

http://www.savetibet.org/

www.FreeTibet2008.org

http://www.casatibet.org.mx/

• Do not watch the Olympic games. Ratings have a voice too.

• Do not buy Chinese products.

• Leave a comment in this post, sending wishes of understanding, peace and happiness to Tibetans and Chinese as well.

• You can just feel compassionate for the suffering of those in Tibet and held prisoners in China and send them hope from your heart. You don't have to do anything, just send the message from your heart to the universe.

• If you are a catholic, pray. Or if you have any other religion, do whatever you think goes in a case like this.

• Lit a candle and let it burn, think that as it melts, so do anger and hate.
  

As you can see, there are many ways to help. Tibet and China are far away from the American Continent, and out of our political influence, but as John Lennon said in 1969: "It is our responsibility what happens around the world. It is our responsibility for Vietnam, and all the other wars that we don't quite hear about. It's all our responsibility, and when we all want peace we'll get it."

So please do not think that there's nothing you can do or that your mental message will do no good, because it will.

Peace,

Ivonne.