May 28, 2010
by P H Yang Photography (phyang.org)

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"Our commitment to Non-Violence under the leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, is quite sincere," said Professor Venerable Samdhong Rinpoche (and to Tibetans as the 5th Samdhong Rinpoche), Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government-in-exile from the hilltops of Dharamsala.

The eminent scholar, philosopher and author of the 2006 book  "Uncompromising Truth for a Compromised World" then discussed the conditions in Tibet since the 1950's when he went into exile in India along with the 14th Dalai Lama. The importance of continued non-violence or peaceful resistance was underscored.

The Panel on Non-Violence was organized by Friends of Tibet and the  event was hosted by the Co-Presidents of the Stanford Chapter, Tenzin Seldon and Joshua Fouse on campus.

Besides the Tibetan Prime Minister, the panelists included Rebiya  Kadeer, a prominent political activist and President of the World Uyghur Congress since 2006, as well as Stanford history professor and scholar Clayborne Carson, who is also Director of the Martin Luther King  Institute.

Kadeer has been active in defending the rights of the largely Muslim  Uyghur minority, who she says has been subject to systematic oppression by the Chinese government. Kadeer is currently living in exile in the United States.

Professor Carson briefly retraced the non-violent civil rights movement led by Dr Martin Luther King.

The panelists discussed the different types of nonviolent approaches to resolving an issue and why nonviolent direct action is useful and necessary in the context of the political movements. Each panelist gave an insightful history pertaining to their struggle.

The speakers exemplify diversity not only experience and identity but also diversity in thought and approaches to nonviolent activism.

The event was well attended by Stanford students and attracted activists from the community. Quite a few Tibetans and Uyghurs including 3 year-old Rabia and her sister Afeila (14) came all the way from Concord.

A lively questions and answers period followed with some pointed questions from the audience. George Qiao, a PhD candidate in History questioned whether the presentation from Kadeer was balanced. The panelists stayed behind to have a dialogue with the attendees.

Hopefully, such exchanges will improve the understanding of different enthic groups in China and the world.