Candle4Tibet in Trinidad and Tobago: A Local Event of the Global Mārga for Tibet.

There is a global Candle4Tibet event being held globally on Thursday, 7 August 2008. 516,085 people have joined as of right now, and over the next 10 days that number should increase.

It's a peaceful protest for people who are not permitted their culture, their language and who are tortured and even killed for doing so. This isn't about China.

This is about Tibet.

From the official site:

August 7th 2008 is the day before the opening ceremony of The Olympic Games in Beijing. On this day we aim to create the world's greatest LIGHT PROTEST, when at least 100 million people from all over the world will light a candle and say YES to freedom in Tibet!

All you are asked to do is to light a simple candle
on August 7th at 9 pm in your own time zone.

Light the Candle at your home, workplace or in a public place. Put the candle in your Window, or on your desk, or anywhere else where other people will see it and hopefully do the same.

Our light protest will be seen by billions on TV screens all over the world on the day the Beijing Olympics open. We are not against the Olymipcs or anything else for that matter, we stand for Freedom. Period.

On the following day we will issue letters to every head of state in the world to tell him exactly how many people from his country wish Tibet to be free. We will also demand that each one of them will act for the freedom of Tibet.

We will also issue letters to the general secretary of UN, the government in Beijing and to other global organizations with data on global participation.

Here in Trinidad and Tobago, there is a local event in support of the Candle4Tibet light protest which I will be attending. Babita Dubay is organizing it, and while final permission has not been given by the powers-that-be in Couva, the event will tentatively be held on the field in front of the Couva South MP office, opposite the Couva medical center. I have no doubt that the politicians will try to make this their event, but it is not about politicians: It is about freedom to express one's self, and the fact that the world should not stand by and allow the freedom of others to be trod upon simply to assure better economics and international relations. The UN Declaration of Human Rights does not tolerate this... but we do by the same people we elect. It is time to remove the illusion that others are responsible - we are responsible.

We know the origin of this suffering (Samudaya).

We know that this suffering must cease (Nirodha).

We know that the time has come.

And we are willing to walk the path to assure that the suffering does cease (Mārga).

While protests within Tibet have been marred by violence which is easy to condemn, that violence has brought once more the plight of Tibetans to the focus - and while there is empathy for such protests, the sympathy is for freedom - and what those that protested felt was necessary to get their freedom... and ultimately, the price some paid to demonstrate what they are up against.

Stand. Be heard. Light a candle. Be seen. Let your elected representatives know what you stand for - and therefore what they should. If you're in Trinidad and Tobago, click the banner, note on your calendar and most importantly - be there.