Chemi Lhamo Discusses Activism with Linden Students
By Melody Barclay, Elementary Core Teacher
Our junior students recently welcomed Chemi Lhamo, a community activist and the Vice-President of Equity at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU). Chemi has worked with organizations like Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) and has committed to a variety of projects in her own community related to developing community, strengthening cultural bonds, organizing workshops, and non-violent protests drawing attention to Chinese-occupied Tibet. Chemi has also worked as an intern at Parliament where she occasionally ran into some important people.
Chemi arrived at Linden wearing her traditional Tibetan dress, as it was Lhakar Wednesday. On Wednesdays, Tibetans wear their traditional dresses in an effort to preserve Tibetan culture. She shared that she has worn a traditional Tibetan dress every Wednesday since she was in high school.
Chemi also shared her personal history with activism. She spoke to the students about how she recognized her own privilege upon a trip to India, the country she was born in, when she met a young, orphaned boy. She asked herself the question, “Why me?” She thought about why she was someone who had the opportunities that she did and not someone else. As a result, she felt the need to give back. For Chemi, giving back meant advocating for rights and justice. Chemi’s talk reminded the girls about kindness, that change starts from within, and about the importance of standing up for what you believe in.
Thank you for inspiring our students, Chemi!
Photo credit: Melody Barclay