nyamrup
ONE WORLD. ONE DREAM. FREE TIBET!
Introducing nyamrup, a new blog for Tibet
14 Feb 2007 23:45 EST
nyamrup arose out of a recommendation at Students for a Free Tibet's ninth Action Camp at San Diego for us to get involved in the world of online media and ‘blogs’ as a means towards both media experience and expanding the network of writing and reporting about Tibetan political issues. After much delay, and with the urging and support of my friends, I'm finally launching my blog, nyamrup, themed on solidarity.
The Tibetan word nyamrup (tib: མཉམ་རུབ་ , wylie: /mnyam rub/) means coalition, in the sense of a group of people who come together and rush with unified strength upon a foe. I spent a lot of time searching for an appropriate name for the sort of message of solidarity I wished to convey. Tendor, of Students for a Free Tibet was instrumental in helping me. I have him to thank both for the final name, and for teaching me the Tibetan word for “solidarity”, dungsem nyamkye (tib: གདུང་སེམས་མཉམ་སྐྱེད་, wylie: /gdung sems mnyam skeyd/), which I would have used were anyone (even Tibetan!) able to say it ten times fast.
In the spirit of solidarity with the Tibetan struggle, I will focus my attention in writing on:
- Actions taken by Tibetans and supporters.
- China-boycott resources and reviews of alternate non-MIC products.
- Connections between Tibetan issues and global social, political, environmental, labor, and economic justice.
- Refutation of Chinese and Western ‘scholarly’ arguments that ignore or undermine the political reality of Tibet.
- My love, appreciation, and respect for Tibetan language, culture, and society - which is not divorced from the political landscape!
I believe writing should be not just for the sake of writing, but aimed at making concrete measurable impact in the real world, and hope to follow this principle in writing for nyamrup. So far I have become excited about conducting and publishing research about Made-in-China products - not just what's made in China, but also what's not and how to focus on the things that really affect China's bottom line. I'm also writing on SFT actions, the ingredients of sophistication that have gone into them, and how to build that even further in the future.
Finally, this writing will be a personal challenge for me in how to go beyond the level of having strong positions and argumentation on the Tibet issue, to the point of genuine solidarity. To this end, and to the ultimate end of the Chinese occupation of Tibet, I dedicate my writing.
Bhö Rangzen! བོད་རང་བཙན་ Free Tibet!