SUNDAY 5 JULY 2009
ANNUAL SPONSORED WALK
Burn O'Vat and Loch Kinord
Tibet Support Group Grampian holds a sponsored walk every year to raise funds for Tibet organisations. The Walk is always an enjoyable occasion in which old and young, regular and occasional walkers, children and dogs participate, with numbers varying from 25 to 50, and finishing at a local tea room. Last year the Walk raised nearly £900. The proceeds are split between Free Tibet Campaign and the Tibet Foundation, which runs aid projects in Tibet.
The Walk this year is around Burn O' Vat and Loch Kinord, and of length about 7 miles. The walking is easy, on tracks, with many points of interest along the way: the Burn O' Vat gorge, a pictish cross, iron-age settlement remains, and a crannog on Loch Kinord. The meeting point is the Burn O’ Vat Visitor Centre (OS map 37, GR 430997) at 10.30am.
If you would like to come on the Walk please let us know your address so that we can send you a Walk Sponsorship leaflet with more information. There is no need to get sponsorship if you don’t wish – many walkers just give a donation.
Route from Aberdeen: Take the Upper (or Lower) Deeside Road through Banchory, and proceed through Aboyne and Dinnet, on the A93. Take the B9119, right, 2m West of Dinnet, to the start point.
Meet at the Burn O'Vat visitor centre (OS map 37, GR 430997) at 10:30am for a 10:45am start. Bring a picnic lunch.
The length of the walk is about seven miles, and we anticipate returning to the start point around 3:00 to 4:00pm. Tea afterwards (optional) in a tea room at Dinnet. (A)
WEDNESDAY 29 APRIL, 7.30pm
TIBET FILM EVENING
In the upstairs Hall at the Chaplaincy Centre (entrance by rear door in Elphinstone Road)
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DATE HAS HAD TO BE CHANGED FROM THAT GIVEN IN THE MINUTES SENT OUT RECENTLY
The films are:
THE TIBETANS: A LIFE IN EXILE (63 mins)
Can Tibetans in exile continue to preserve their culture as the modern world intrudes more and more? The film shows
various aspects of exile life, including the role of monasteries in trying to preserve the ancient traditions. Prominent
members of the exile community discuss the challenges facing Tibetans today.
LEAVING FEAR BEHIND (25 mins)
Tibetan film maker Dhondup Wangchen was arrested by the Chinese authorities in March 2008 for recording the views of
Tibetans about the Dalai Lama, China and the Olympics. Since then he has been held without trial, tortured, and access
to him has been denied. However, his film has been smuggled out to the West.
REFRESHMENTS AVAILABLE AFTERWARDS
EVENTS TO MARK UPRISING DAY
This year will be the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising and the flight of the Dalai Lama out of Tibet into India.
In London and Edinburgh, and around the country there will be marches and protests on
Saturday 7 March and Tuesday 10March. In Aberdeen:
Saturday 7 March 2009
Stall and petition
St Nicholas Street (outside Marks & Spencer), 11.00 am – 3.00 pm
The petition, to be sent to our Scottish MEPs, asks the European Union to urge the Chinese Government to allow an
independent delegation into Tibet, and free access to international journalists. It also calls upon EU member states not
to send/accept trade delegations with China until the breaches of the UN Human Rights act in Tibet have been
investigated and remedied. Signatures for the petition are being collected in Edinburgh, Moray and Aberdeen.
1-10March
Mass Parliamentary Lobby
A mass lobby of Westminster is being organised, to demand recognition of the situation in Tibet.You can download a soample letter here, or find more details on the FTC site
Tuesday 10 March.
Flying the Tibetan Flag
On this day the Tibetan flag will be flown from Aberdeen Town House, to declare our support for the Tibetan peoplein their struggle for freedom from oppression, exploitation and tyranny.
The Town House is at the East end of Union Street, shortly before the turn into King Street.
University Debate
Tuesday 10 March
DEBATE: 'THIS HOUSE BELIEVES TIBET SHOULD BE FREE‘
Old Senate Room, Aberdeen University, 7.15 pm
Motion to be proposed by members of Tibet Support Group Grampian,
and opposed by members of Aberdeen University Debater.
The Old Senate Room is in the Elphinstone Hall building;
enter by a door on the east side facing the playing fields.
Tuesday 14 October.
Talk: 'ARRESTED IN BEIJING:
Olympian campaigning for Tibet' given by Iain Thom.
Aberdeen University, room KCG7, 7.30pm.
Iain Thom, a leading member of Students for a Free Tibet UK, has been a
committed activist for Tibet for many years. He hit the headlines when,
two days before the start of the Olympics, he climbed a
one-hundred-and-twenty foot floodlighting pole just outside the Olympic
'Bird's Nest' Stadium in Beijing and unfurled a 'Tibet will be Free'
banner. He was arrested and detained by the Chinese authorities, and
subsequently deported. Iain will talk about these experiences, and also
cover what happened to other Tibet activitsts at the Olympics in
Beijing.
Tuesday 21 October.
YOGA FOR TIBET
Aberdeen University Chaplaincy Centre
(enter by rear door in Elphinstone Road), 7.30pm
An introductory yoga class will be given by Gordon Edward who holds a Yoga Teachers Diploma from Yoga Scotland and as a Buddhist, incorporates a calm meditative approach to yoga. The cost will be £10, with all proceeds going to the TibetRelief Fund. Participants should bring a yoga or exercise mat and wear loose comfortable clothing.
Wednesday 26 November.
'TIBET BY BIKE - altitude with attitude'
Aberdeen University, room KCG7, 7.30pm
Gordon Casely, a journalist and lifetime cyclist who lives in Aberdeen,
has cycled in six of the world's seven continents, but he describes his
crossing of Tibet as his hardest expedition ever. During the three-week
ride with a CTC group in October 2006, Gordon covered nearly 1000
miles, including six passes over 16,000 ft, plus reaching the Rongbuk
glacier at the foot of Mount Everest at 18,000 ft. With the aid of
comprehensive slides, Gordon will describe both the hardships and
delights of the ride, and also give an insight into the lives of
Tibetans under Chinese rule.
Human Rights Day
To mark Human Rights Day on Wednesday, 10 December, Tibet Support Group Grampian, together with the Aberdeen Branch of Amnesty International, mounted a day-long campaign in the Aberdeen Trinity Centre mall to gather signatures on greetings cards to be sent to Prisoners of Conscience around the world.TSGG collected nearly 200 signatures on four cards - two cards for the Tibetan film maker, Dhondup Wangchen, and two for the Tibetan religious leader,Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche. Dhondup Wangchen was arrested in March of this year for recording the views of Tibetans about the Dalai Lama, China and the Olympics. He has been tortured in prison, and access to him denied. His film 'Leaving Fear Behind' will be shown by TSGG in the New Year Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche was imprisoned in April 2002 on false charges and without a fair trial. He was originally sentenced to death, but this has been commuted to life imprisonment.
Thanks go to the Trinity Centre management for allowing this, the first event of its kind in the mall.
Sunday, 28 September 2008
An afternoon of Music
The Loft, Forres
Contact: Pam Milne, Tel: 01467 620606.
An afternoon of Folk, Bluegrass,
Country, Scottish and Irish Ballads will be held on Sunday 28th
September at 3.00pm by ‘Moonshine Madness’ at The Loft, Forres.
Proceeds from the event will go to the Gu-Chu-Sum school for Tibetan
ex-political prisoners in Dharamsala, India.
The event is being organized by Tibet Support Group Grampian. Tickets are £5, children free, and are available on the door or from the Music Shop, Inverness; Music Centre, Forres; Sound and Vision, Elgin or www.thebooth.co.uk
A similar event was held last year when the Tibet Support Group Grampian raised £300. The Gu Chu Sum school at that time was in danger of closing. Thankfully, it is still open. Gu Chu Sum is an incredible organisation which provides housing, medical assistance, counselling and support for Tibetan ex-political prisoners and their family members in exile. The event on Sunday is raising money for their school in Dharamsala, India, which teaches and supports Tibetans, often Buddhist monks and nuns who have faced years of imprisonment and torture for peacefully protesting for their human rights in occupied Tibet. With scarce funds, the Gu Chu Sum school not only educates its students, but also gives them accommodation and food and empowers them with practical skills to find employment and self-reliance within their community. (See: www.guchusum.org for more details of their work).
All the proceeds this Sunday will be sent through Tibet Relief Fund to the school, to raise urgently needed funds for student accommodation, basic school materials and utilities. The band, Moonshine Madness, are kindly playing for free and The Loft has been kindly donated for the afternoon by the owner, Greg Butler.
The event is being organized by Tibet Support Group Grampian. Tickets are £5, children free, and are available on the door or from the Music Shop, Inverness; Music Centre, Forres; Sound and Vision, Elgin or www.thebooth.co.uk
A similar event was held last year when the Tibet Support Group Grampian raised £300. The Gu Chu Sum school at that time was in danger of closing. Thankfully, it is still open. Gu Chu Sum is an incredible organisation which provides housing, medical assistance, counselling and support for Tibetan ex-political prisoners and their family members in exile. The event on Sunday is raising money for their school in Dharamsala, India, which teaches and supports Tibetans, often Buddhist monks and nuns who have faced years of imprisonment and torture for peacefully protesting for their human rights in occupied Tibet. With scarce funds, the Gu Chu Sum school not only educates its students, but also gives them accommodation and food and empowers them with practical skills to find employment and self-reliance within their community. (See: www.guchusum.org for more details of their work).
All the proceeds this Sunday will be sent through Tibet Relief Fund to the school, to raise urgently needed funds for student accommodation, basic school materials and utilities. The band, Moonshine Madness, are kindly playing for free and The Loft has been kindly donated for the afternoon by the owner, Greg Butler.
For more information about the event, please contact Pam Milne on 01467 620606, or by email.
Photo taken outside the Gu Chu Sum school earlier this year, features some students from the class of 2007-2008 with their teacher.
Sunday 29 June
Annual Sponsored Walk
Annual sponsored walk: Forest of Birse - Carnferg - Glen Cat.
Meet at the Ballochan car park at the end of the Forest of Birse road (OS
map 44, GR 532906) at 10.30am for a 10.45am start. The last four miles of
the road leading to this car park are single track with passing places, so
allow extra driving time. Bring a picnic lunch.
The circular route, all on good tracks, is about 8 miles. We hope to have
lunch on the summit of Carnferg, and anticipate returning to the start
point at about 3.30 to 4.00 pm. Tea afterwards (optional) in the Feughside
Inn, just W of Strachan.
Further details: tel 01224 314127 or 01330 822280
Tuesday 1 April.
Illustrated Talk by Dr Martin Mills:
"The Tibetan Protest Movement: 1987-Now"
"Dr. Martin Mills, Tibet specialist & Co-Director of the Scottish Centre
for Himalayan Research, will examine the religious and political roots of
the Tibetan protest movement, both inside and outside Tibet, over the last
20 years."
Aberdeen University Chaplaincy Centre (entry by rear door in Elphinstone
Road), Uupper Hall; 7.30pm The talk will be followed by refreshments and a
TSGG planning meeting. Free entry; all welcome.
Friday 4thApril about 7.00p.m.
St. John’s Church, West End of Princes Street, Edinburgh :
The 'Singing Nuns'
Also just notified, six of the fourteen “Singing Nuns” who served long sentences in Drapchi Prison
are undertaking a UK tour 8th March-4th April. Edinburgh is the only Scottish venue.
They are being hosted by the Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group at 1.30p.m,
and then will speak and give a public performance of their songs at St. John’s in the evening.
On Sunday 6th April the nuns will be in London as the Olympic Torch will be paraded on that day.
Saturday 5 April, 11.00am - 3.00pm.
St Nicholas Street, Aberdeen,
Campaign Stall
The Olympic torch will be in London on Sunday 6 April on its international
tour. Simultaneously in London, a Tibetan Freedom Torch will be lit and
carried by Team Tibet athletes and four of the singing nuns. To mark this
event, TSGG will have a stall with information and a petition outside M &S .
If you can help on the stall - even for a short time - please contact Liz and Dave.
Talk
Manjushree Orphanage, N.E. India
Tuesday 13 November 2007, 7.30pm, Chaplaincy Centre
(enter by rear door in Elphinstone Road)
At our regular meeting next Tuesday one of our members, Linda Stormonth,
will be giving an illustrated talk about her recent visit to Manjushree
Orphanage, N.E. India. It was almost exactly a year ago that we had an
inspiring talk from Di Gallagher about the orphanage. At that talk we
collected £80 to donate to the orphanage, and we were able to make a
further donation of £150 in the spring of this year. Linda will now be
able to update us on Manjushree, with stories and pictures.
Refreshments will be available after Linda's talk, followed by our regular
'planning' meeting - future events/campaigns, etc.
Exhibition: Journey into Exile
1 - 21 December 2007, Aberdeen Arts Centre
This exhibition has been produced by the charity, Art Refuge UK, which
helps Tibetan refugee children newly arrived in Nepal or India, through
the medium of visual arts and creative play. It is a celebration of the
courage and determination of the hundreds of children, many under 14 years
old, who make the difficult journey into exile each year. The drawings and
paintings on display reflect the children's views of their struggle to
leave Tibet, their experiences and recollections of their long journey to
freedom, and their hopes and dreams for the future. The exhibition also
contains photographs of some of the children.
More images
Performance
by Tibetan monks from the Drepung Lubum Monastery (India)
Wednesday 12 December 2007, Banchory Town Hall; 8.00 - 10.00pm
This event was a great success, with over £2300 raised. Click here for a report and photos.
On a World Peace Tour, the monks present an evening of cultural
performance introducing the main concepts of Tibetan Buddhism and culture.
There will be a demonstration of meditation, Tantric chanting and sacred
masks dance, rarely witnessed in the West.
Tickets: £7.50/ £5.00 concession; contact Claudia van Zuiden by email:
inner-melodies {atsymbol} hotmail.co.uk or
phone: 01339 883889
This is a very rare opportunity for many of us to witness such cultural performance, and we are delighted
to be able to offer you this on wednesday 12th december 2007,in the Town Hall of Banchory,Aberdeenshire.
The Monks are doing a World Peace Tour, and will share their Tibetan
Culture by explaining concepts of Tibetan Buddhism and its perspective on
World Peace and its importance for the World.
The programme will include :
-Introduction
-Mandala Offering
-Receiving the Portrait of H.H. the Dalai Lama
-Debate
-Meditation
-Chant:Chod from the Tantric tradition
-Kangri 'Protector' Dance
Interval 20 mins
-Chant
-Namsea-Dance
-Yak Dance
-Tashi Shospa-Good Luck Dance
-Closing Chant:Shi-Jod
-Prayers of Dedication
We are helping to raise money for the Monastery by facilitating this
event, and will also have a little stall with artifacts made by the monks,
and other products from Tibet and India for sale.
If you feel you would like to donate money to the monks, please contact
Claudia for further details.
We certainly hope that you will join us in this ceremony for Love and
Compassion, and are looking forward to seeing you there.
It may also be of interest that on the weekend before the event in Banchory, the monks will be at the
Shambala Retreat Centre at Findhorn for ceremonial blessings and the
making of a sand mandala. If you would like to find out more about this,
please visit the website www.shambala-retreat.org
Organisers: Claudia van Zuiden and Jason Schroeder
http://www.inner.melodies.4t.com
www.sacredway.co.uk