November 26, 2012
For immediate release
Vancouver, BC—Originally set to take place at the Simon Fraser University Harbour, the Kalayaan Centre’s Workers’ Struggles Amidst Neoliberal Globalization conference took place at the GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre daycare; a venue switch promptly made in solidarity with Simon Fraser University’s striking CUPE support workers. The conference demonstrated the strength and commitment of the Kalayaan Centre’s organizers and members to push workers’ struggles to the forefront amidst Canada’s shifting economic strategies, and intesifying implementation of neoliberal policies that have impacted workers, women, racialized and other marginalized communities the most. The Kalayaan Centre, and its member organizations called on allies, activists and other participants from across the province and Canada to come together for this important and necessary gathering. The conference took place on the heels of the Ontario based Magkaisa Centre’s own effective and successful Workers’ Struggles Amidst Neoliberal Globalization conference held this past August.
As a member of the Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians, the Kalayaan Centre and its member organizations ensured that the strength of national organizational ties and the alliances built with other progressive individuals and organizations were well established. The necessity to bring out a critical analysis of labour and the economy among others, as highlighted during the conference, cannot be without a collective and united resistance necessary in countering the impacts of neoliberal policies. As workers’ struggles must be placed at the forefront of the analysis of the current economic crisis, last weekend’s conference presented the crucial panels of the August conference in Toronto with several speakers including Simon Fraser University professor Dr. Habiba Zaman, Reuben Saramugam of the Ugnayan Ng Kabataan Pilipino Sa Canada/Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance-Ontario (UKPC/FCYA-ON), Qara Clemente from the Philippine Women Centre of Ontario, and York University PhD candidate Chris Vance coming out once again to present their research, analysis and experiences.
The four panels titled: “The Global and Canadian situation”, “Transnational communities in Canada—their struggles and resistance,” “International solidarity and the working class,” and “Moving forward towards the revolutionary road” reiterated the role of the transnational working class within Canadian economy, local resistance and organizing within the progressive Filipino Canadian community and beyond, the need to bridge local struggles with international struggles in different parts of the world, and the necessity to continue creating the conditions for revolutionary change in society.The addition of several speakers in each panel, included University of British Columbia Geography professor Dr. Geraldine Pratt; Philippine Women Centre of Ontario’s chairperson Joy Sioson; SIKLAB-Canada’s national chairperson Cora Cadiz; SANSAD’s (Secular and Democratic South Asian Diaspora) Harjap Grewal; and writer/artist Charlene Sayo brought further dynamic insights, theories and experiences to the table and challenged all participants to realize the possibilities of genuine social change by actively engaging in the working class movement in Canada or wherever they may be.
The need to advance the role of the working class in creating genuine change was brought to the fore and taken up seriously by all participants who engaged critically with one another, prepared to continue building the dialogue and the imperative resistance that the conference called on everyone to take up.
For more information, contact the Conference Secretariat:
Arlene Oropel: 778-317-5265
Andrew Sayo: 604-215-9355
pwc-on@magkaisacentre.org
www.magkaisacentre.org