The first images are of a long table at which are seated Chuck D of Public Enemy, Q-Tip and some fellow members of A Tribe Called Quest, Ed O'Brien of Radiohead, Sean Ono Lennon, Beastie Boy Adam Yauch whose belief in the plight of the Tibetan people under the oppression of the Chinese Government catalysed him to action and to organise the annual Tibetan Freedom Concerts of which last weekend's are the second, and the Tibetan monk Palden Gyatso, imprisoned and tortured in Tibet by the Chinese government for more than three decades before escaping. As the streaming RealAudio fades in and out, as technicians get it set up correctly, snatches of his story can be heard. No, freedom is not just another word.
Freedom is the right of every man, woman and child - and of the Tibetan people.
The Second Annual Tibetan Freedom Concerts have drawn together an alumni of music's finest that not even Lollapalooza, H.O.R.D.E or any of the touring festivals can rival. And they are here for one reason the Tibetan freedom fight. The reasons for the struggle are detailed in the breakout article, but this is a weekend of meaning, yet there is little preaching. The TFC coordinates major figures in the industries of fashion, music, film and sports to take a stand against human rights violations in Tibet and China, as well as throughout the world. To this end, the coalition sponsors events to educate individuals and companies about the Tibetan situation, and our connections to this and other injustices worldwide.