Report submitted by: Jim Sullivan (sullivanj@bnjpdl.grics.qc.ca) - CTC Montreal

Tibet continues to attract a considerable amount of media attention, but on Wednesday, January 10th, CBC Newswatch and Thursday, January 11th on CBC Newsworld, aired a story with a difference. CBC host Dennis Trudeau introduced a segment entitled "Local Hero" which featured Thubten Samdup and celebrated his many years of devoted service to the Tibetan community in Montreal.

This weekly program, which recognizes individuals who have worked to make a difference in their community, opens with a shot of Thubten on stage, singing at the annual Tibetan bazaar.The scene then shifts to the Samdup's basement office where Thubten or "Sam" as he is known to many of his friends, works late into the night on his computer sending out information updates on Tibet via the Internet. Commentator Geri Bearer notes that Thubten is president of the Canada Tibet Committee (CTC), an active member of the Tibetan Cultural Association and that twice a year, Thubten uses his annual vacation time to travel to India as the North American representative to the Tibetan government-in-exile.

Besides lobbying for Tibet and helping to preserve Tibetan culture, we learn that Thubten has taken on the system in an effort to help Tibetans immigrate to Montreal and other parts of Canada. Two years ago Phurbu Tsering was reunited with his wife and children after three frustrating years of waiting and red tape. Phurbu admits that he and others owe much to Thubten for his willingness to give so freely of himself to help reunite Tibetan families.

While recognizing that his work for the Tibetan community is very time consuming, monopolizing his evenings and weekends, Thubten admits a certain amount of frustration with governments that continue to ignore what is happening to Tibet and with the fact that everyone wants to go to China "to make a buck". The interview ends on a positive note with Thubten expressing his conviction that Tibet will one day be free.

We Montrealers are enriched by the presence of the Tibetan community and the Tibetan community is fortunate to have such a tireless advocate working on their behalf. If moral courage, selflessness and conviction are the qualities of heroism, then Thubten Samdup has earned the distinction of being named a "Local Hero".