Whenever there is a chance to stand up to protect basic human rights, I support it. This 'Free Tibet' concert is a brilliant initiative organized by a group of community members in Alaska, of all places.
The purpose of making a free concert is to raise awareness about the situation in Tibet, where Tibetans are suffering because they don’t have basic human rights, like freedom of speech.
Since Tibet was invaded by China back in 1959, Tibetans have to be very careful about what they say as they risk being thrown into prison like Ngawang Sangdrol, one of the performers at the event. She was in prison at age ten and then again from age 13 to age 24 for engaging in peaceful forms of protest.
While in prison, Ngawang Sangdrol got together with 13 nuns and recorded some freedom songs and poems. The group was known as the ‘Drapchi singing nuns’; unfortunately, this simple cultural action caused an extension of her sentence for an extra 6 years.
The free concert is on January 10th, 2009, at the Atwood Concert Hall in Anchorage, Alaska. I certainly hope this event will be a great celebration of Tibetan culture and life.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Human Rights Awareness Events
- Increased demand for concerts and events that support global causes and raise awareness about fundamental human rights.
- Celebrity Activism
- More celebrities and influential people taking a stand and advocating for human rights issues around the world through concerts and other events.
- Online Activism
- Growing trend of using social media and online platforms to promote and organize human rights awareness events and concerts.
Where This Applies
- Event Planning and Management
- Opportunities for event planners to create memorable and meaningful events that draw attention to important causes and provide a positive experience for attendees.
- Music and Entertainment
- Emerging market for musicians and entertainment companies to get involved in activism by using their platform to raise awareness and support human rights causes.
- Non-profit Organizations
- New avenues for non-profit organizations to collaborate with businesses, musicians, and other stakeholders to organize and promote human rights awareness events and concerts.
