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Students For a Free Tibet is a non-profit student-led organization that claims to use education and nonviolent direct action to advance the cause of Tibetan independence and separation from China.

History

Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) was founded in 1994 by Tibetans, supporters, and students in New York City to use the influence of young people in order to press for human rights and independence in Tibet. Initially, SFT's activities were focused on awareness-raising amongst fellow students on campus and at events such as the 1994 Lollapalooza music tour. Students for a Free Tibet's profile and membership grew with the advent of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts at which the group served as the main way interested youths could get involved in the Tibetan independence movement.

As SFT's membership and profile grew, the organization took on a greater role in the International Tibet Independence Movement. SFT began coordinating with other Tibetan Independence Groups and human rights and environmental organizations to wage campaigns against companies and other institutions alleged by SFT as supporting China's governing of Tibet.

Currently SFT is an international network of more than 650 chapters in Universities, Colleges, High Schools, and communities in over 35 countries. SFT's International Headquarters remains in New York City. There are also a few satellite offices and organizing hubs; SFT Canada has an office in Vancouver, British Columbia and SFT India has an office in Dharamsala, India SFT now has a number of programs including a Free Tibet! Action Camp.

Programs

Students for a Free Tibet defines its core programs in two parts: Campaigns and Leadership Training.

By its definition, SFT wages political, economic, and human rights campaigns. Its political campaigns are focused on generally advocating for Tibetan independence by pressuring both Chinese officials as well as SFT members' government representatives. SFT is well known for coordinating protests of Chinese dignitaries when they visit foreign countries. SFT's economic campaigns focus on attempting to prevent foreign corporations and other institutions from assisting China's governing of Tibet. These efforts have included boycotting Chinese-made goods as well as successfully pressuring the World Bank to cancel a loan for a controversial project involving moving Chinese settlers into a Tibetan area. SFT's human rights campaigns are focused on improving the situation of Tibetans in Tibet by advocating for increased freedoms and rights and for the release of political prisoners.

Students for a Free Tibet's Leadership Training is focused on developing representatives for the Tibetan separatist movement. A primary part of this is an annual Free Tibet! Action Camp at which dozens of young people gather for a week-long activism training. The Action Camp is based on a model developed by The Ruckus Society, an Oakland, California-based direct action training organization that earned notoriety for its involvement in the 1999 Seattle WTO Demonstrations. Students for a Free Tibet has been associated with the anti-globalization movement and it shares members with other liberal and human rights organizations and movements, including The Ruckus Society, Greenpeace, and Amnesty International.

External links

• Students for a Free Tibet homepage
• Students for a Free Tibet blog
• Students for a Free Tibet's Online Advocacy Center

• Organizations
• Tibet