NEW YORK – The word is out: Tenzin Tsundue will finally visit North America! Mr. Tsundue, arguably the most famous face of Tibetan youth activism, has agreed to speak at the March 10 rally in New York, where unprecedented throngs of Tibetans and supporters are expected to gather to commemorate the Tibetan National Uprising in 1959. Mr. Kalsang Phuntsok, the president of Tibetan Youth Congress is also scheduled to speak. The other well-known personality who will be delivering the keynote speech at the rally is Kasur Gyalo Dhondup la, brother of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Mr. Tsundue, Kalsang Phuntsok and Kasur Gyalo Dhondup la will also share a panel the following day at a Tibetan symposium in Queens, New York, organized by the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, where they will speak on the future of the Tibetan freedom struggle.
This March 10, a new mantra of Tibetan uprising is invading the banners, placards, websites and other forums: “Out of Exile, Into the Streets!”Mr. Kalsang Phuntsok la, Mr. Tsundue la and Kasur Gyalo Dhondup la are headlining an impressive list of leaders and activists who will address a crowd that is tired of exile and plan to fill the streets of New York in an epic march across the city from dawn till dusk, in the tradition of the Tibetans of a past generation who took to the streets of Lhasa on March 10, 1959. Other high profile speakers include Professor Robert Thurman, America’s preeminent Buddhist scholar, and Mr. Jamyang Norbu, award-winning author and pamphleteer.
Following his public appearances on March 10 and 11, Mr. Tsundue will embark on a tour of the various Tibetan communities in North America. He will be visiting Washington D.C, Portaland, Minnesota and San Francisco.
