27th Annual Tibet Fair: "A Celebration of Community, Culture, and Heroic Compassion"

Tibet Day is the Bay Area's premiere celebration of all things Tibetan. Enjoy food, art, culture, dance, and educate yourself on the situation in Tibet. Sponsored by Tibetan Association of Northern California and Bay Area Friends of Tibet.

27TH ANNUAL TIBET DAY
CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY, CULTURE AND HEROIC COMPASSION WILL TAKE PLACE ON DECEMBER 8, 2012 (9:30AM-10PM) AT BERKELEY ADULT SCHOOL, BERKELEY, CA

In effort to preserve the art and culture of Tibet, Bay Area Friends of Tibet (BAFoT) and Tibetan Association of Northern California (TANC) are pleased to invite you to the 27th Annual Tibet Day Festival: A Celebration of Community, Culture and Heroic Compassion. This is the largest annual celebration day of Tibetan culture in Northern California. Over the last 26 years, Tibet Day has showcased and educated people on the culture of Tibet to over 10,000 visitors, and has helped create many local businesses and non-profit organizations.

“Tibet day is a day for celebrating Tibetans’ innermost and most profound aspirations” says Giovanni Vassallo, BAFoT’s president. Prepare yourselves to be inspired by live performances, films and panel discussions! You will also have a chance to admire and buy the rich ancient arts and crafts from local Tibetan and Himalayan merchants, and enjoy authentic Tibetan dishes. This year, Tibet Day will bring you back to Tibet’s past as a peaceful Buddhist nation through folk songs and dances. We will as well screen a few documentaries, including “Leaving Fear Behind”, a film by Dhondup Wangchen which describes the current living conditions in Tibet. This is the 5th year Dhondup Wangchen has been in prison for producing this film. You will have a chance to hear from and speak to Lhamo Tso about her journey as the wife of the imprisoned filmmaker.

To celebrate the Tibetan’s culture of love and compassion, world-renowned scientists Drs. Paul Ekman and Emilana Simon-Thomas will be addressing the topic of compassion through presentations and panel discussions.

Tibet Day 2012 will be graced by wonderful performing artists, including the famed Tibetan opera performer, Loten Namling, TANC school children, the Dharma Bums, TseringCho, Semshug Pundha, Gyurme Tethong, and more.

Tibet Day supports Tibetans of the San Francisco Bay Area and proceeds will help raise
funds to renovate the community center of the Tibetan Association of Northern
California (TANC) for the Tibetans of Northern California, host to the 3rd largest
population of Tibetans in the United States. It is a community that brings messages of
peace and harmony for all, as well as an awareness of our universal precious human
rights. Tibet Day promises to be a great place to showcase and share community,
people, and a rich cultural heritage with the public.

The mission of the Tibetan Association of Northern California (TANC) is to empower
Tibetan-Americans of all ages to thrive in the United States, while promoting the
continuity and development of Tibetan social, cultural heritage and artistic traditions.
The center will provide a mixture of social services and educational, recreational, and
cultural programming to the Tibetans and Northern California communities.
Please join us in celebrating the 27th Tibet Day on Dec 8. For more info about the Tibet
Day, please go to http://www.friends-of-tibet.org/

MORE ABOUT BAY AREA FRIEND OF TIBET (BAFoT)
Bay Area Friends of Tibet advocates independence for the Tibetan people and
educates the public about Tibet, Tibetan history, culture, and its people. Through
grassroots demonstration actions, outreach and education, we promote human rights,
Tibetan self-determination, and peaceful resolution of the situation in Tibet. We are a
bridge between Tibetans and non-Tibetan people. BAFoT helped sixty-seven Tibetans
and their families resettled in Northern California over the years. For more info on
BAFoT, please visit: http://www.friends-of-tibet.org/

MORE ABOUT TIBETAN ASSOCIATION OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA (TANC)
The mission of TANC is to preserve the Tibetan culture and to promote self-rule in
Tibet. To this end, TANC seeks to raise awareness about Tibet in the United States and
to support the development of Tibetan social, cultural and artistic traditions in Northern
California. For more info on TANC, please visit http://www.tanc.org/

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Contact
Thi Thach or Kunjo Tashi
Program Director,
Tibet Day Festival, BAFoT & Tibetan Association of Northern CA
bafot [at] friends-of-tibet.org or board [at] tanc.org
415-264-3264
510-893-1850