Fourth Announcement
November 15, 2011

Toronto, ON – The progressive Filipino Canadian community are gearing up to take the next steps toward genuine settlement and integration in Canadian society as the Ontario-wide conference titled “Counterspin: Building a Movement for Social Change” boldly asserts the community’s role in helping build Canada’s history. It will take place at the University of Toronto campus, Claude T. Bissell Building on November 19th and will continue the next day at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

As “Counterspin” provides the context of globalization, its particular impact is undoubtedly felt most, in the Filipino Canadian community, by the women, workers and youth. However, the issues faced by Filipino women, workers, and youth in Canada under neoliberalism does not mean that as a community, Filipinos are powerless to the various government labour policies and program implementations that relegate Filipinos to low-wage service sector jobs and deskill many members in the community. Against this dominant pattern, community members will affirm their crucial roles as builders and makers of Canadian society who have the tools to counter these relegations and create their own path towards genuine settlement and integration.

Panel speakers include members from the various fields of arts and culture, political science, literature, law, and community based organizations. Some of these include internationally-renowned feminist Ninotchka Rosca, Emmanuel Sayo, community organizer of Philippines-Canada Task Force on Human Rights and David McNally, a leading Marxist scholar, activist and professor in the Political Science department at York University. They will provide the context of how globalization and transnationalism under the neoliberal agenda directly affect the Filipino Canadian community. In the arts and culture area, Marissa Largo, a PhD candidate and art teacher at Mary Ward will bring out the history of how arts and culture play a role in community-building. To speak on the issue of social services within the community, Danielle Bisnar, Ilyan Ferrer, and Cecilia Diocson will bring forth the analysis of social services coming from the Filipino Canadian community itself. Speakers from the Magkaisa Centre will be part of the panel to elucidate the community’s experiences and analysis necessary to take the next steps toward genuine settlement and integration.

The third installment of “Counterspin” will stamp a historical mark in the movement for genuine social change in Canada that recognizes the struggle of the working class, youth, and women at the forefront of Canadian society. It will assert the working class struggle of the community as part of genuine women’s liberation, fearlessly carried out within the next generation of Filipino Canadians. The Magkaisa Centre invites all to be part of this dialogue to continue building this culture of resistance and furthering the strides towards full participation in Canadian society.

“Counterspin: Building a Movement for Social Change”
Ontario-wide conference
Organized under the auspices of the Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians (CPFC)
Claude T. Bissell Building, Room 205, University of Toronto
Registration is $20.00 (includes meals and conference materials)

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REGISTER NOW: http://bit.ly/counterspin3

For more information, contact the Conference Secretariat:
Bryan Taguba
(416) 519-2553
pwc-on@magkaisacentre.org
www.magkaisacentre.org
Twitter: #Counterspin3