Press Release
August 5, 2008

TORONTO, ON – While summertime in Toronto is full of festivals celebrating the diversity of cultures that depict the city’s population, Filipino youth are gathering to identify and explore their Filipino heritage in a month-long workshop series: “Balik Ugat, Balik Komunidad” (Back to the Roots, Back to the Community). Young minds can wander during summer breaks from university, high school, and work, but the workshop promises to energize these minds by uncovering their Filipino roots, identify contemporary issues facing the community, develop skills in activism and organizing, and towards the pursuit for an artistic outlet. The workshops are designed with the intention and purpose of building our capacity to further advance our struggle towards equality, genuine development and full participation in Canadian society.

The BUBK workshop series is hosted by Ugnayan Ng Kabataang Pilipino Sa Canada / Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance-Ontario, and is in partnership with the Philippine Women’s Centre of – Ontario and SIKLAB Ontario. The series will be held bi-weekly, Monday evenings and Saturday afternoons, beginning on August 9th and will run until September 6th. The series will take place at the University of Toronto, St. George Campus.

“This series of workshop is a testament that with the growing Filipino community in Canada, there is a need to advance our educating, organizing and mobilizing work by deepening our understanding of the issues that we face and by building our capacity towards our empowerment, ” says Kim Abis, outreach coordinator, UKPC/FCYA-ON. “By engaging in a collective study to develop our skills capacity and by sharing experiences with members of PWC and SIKLAB, we are strengthening our ability and our resolve to fight for the rights and welfare of the Filipino community in Canada,” stated Abis.

Topics to be covered include:
History of Filipino Migration
The Live-in Caregiver Program and It’s Impacts
Media Skills
Anti-Racism
Arts and Culture
The Women’s Question
Participatory Action Research
Philippine History from Pre-Colonial to EDSA

There is also a practical component consisting of a research and art project that can be included in the upcoming National Research Conference on November 6th to 9th 2008 hosted by the National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada with Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism at and the University of Toronto.

The cost for all 9 workshops is $30 and registration is required. Simply fill out the form and drop it off with your payment to the Magkaisa Centre. Registration forms can also be filled online at https://magkaisacentre.org/bubk-registration/

For detailed information on the individual workshops and their exact dates and times, please see the attached brochure or check out the webpage at https://magkaisacentre.org/bubk/ or contact Kim Abis at the Magkaisa Centre at 416-519-2553.

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