Film Screening to Open Critical Discussion on Revolutionary Women’s Struggle in Canada
March 6, 2013 For immediate release Toronto, ON--To celebrate this year's International Women's Day, The Philippine Women Centre of Ontario (PWC-ON) is hosting a film screening, dinner and discussion on the ongoing and historical struggles of women in Canadian society. Featuring Karen Cho's "Status Quo?: The Unfinished Business of Feminism in Canada" (2013), the event will no doubt carry on the critical dialogue on feminism in Canada that the director has sparked as she continues to take her film into Canadian universities, libraries, and various public venues. The screening takes place Friday, March 8th at the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education (OISE, 252 Bloor Street West) Room 5280 from 6 to 8 P.M. (Dinner will be served for five dollars to attendees prior to the screening, to be followed by discussion and dessert.) "Status Quo?: The Unfinished Business of Feminism" will prove an engaging cross-examination of the historical debate surrounding women's issues, such as those outlined by the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in 1971. PWC-ON aims, in its discussion of the film, to make [...]
Philippine Women Centre to celebrate International Women’s Day with a screening of Karen Cho’s Status Quo: The Unfinished Business of Feminism in Canada
February 14, 2013 For immediate release Toronto, ON--In celebration of International Women’s Day , the Philippine Women Centre of Ontario invites all to a screening of Canadian director Karen Cho’s latest documentary "Status Quo: The Unfinished Business of Feminism in Canada." The documentary screening will take place on March 8 at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (252 Bloor Street West) in room 5280, scheduled for 6 to 8 P.M. A $5 dinner is included and a discussion facilitated by Philippine Women Centre members is set to take place following the screening. The documentary delves into the key issues that women face in Canada, drawing parallels between the necessary fight towards women's rights in Canada's previous decades and our current struggles today. Violence against women, reproductive rights, and childcare are among the key issues tackled in the documentary. In marking the advancement of the women`s struggle for equality, development and human rights, the film will remind us all that the struggle for genuine women`s liberation continues today. Join us for a screening of this integral contemporary documentary [...]
Film Screening: “Status Quo? The Unfinished Business of Feminism in Canada”
Join us for the special screening of STATUS QUO? THE UNFINISHED BUSINESS OF FEMINISM IN CANADA, with director Karen Cho and subjects from the film present for a Q&A. This screening is co-presented with the National Film Board of Canada, the Childcare Resource and Research Unit, the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada & the Philippine Women Centre of Ontario. STATUS QUO? THE UNFINISHED BUSINESS OF FEMINISM IN CANADA A sweeping, invigorating and disconcerting doc on the state of feminism, the history of the women's movement & the status of women in Canada. WHAT: Screening of STATUS QUO? THE UNFINISHED BUSINESS OF FEMINISM IN CANADA WHEN: Tuesday, February 5, 6:45 PM WHERE: Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, 506 Bloor Street West, Toronto COST: Suggested donation $2-10 INFO: cinemapolitica.org SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook event Karen Cho / Canada / 2012 / 87 ' / English. This special screening is co-presented by the National Film Board of Canada and will feature special guest speakers including the director and main subjects from the film. SYNOPSIS: Feminism has shaped the society we live in. But [...]
Filipino Canadian youth condemn the provincial government for imposing contracts on Ontario teachers
January 14, 2013 For immediate release Toronto, ON—Members of the Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance of Ontario/Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada (UKPC/FCYA-ON) are outraged by the Liberal Education Minister Laurel Broten’s recent move of imposing undemocratic and unjust contracts on Ontario teachers through the so-called ‘Putting Students First Act’ or ‘Bill 115’. We, Filipino Canadian youth and students, condemn this action and stand firm in our position that this bill does not put students first, but puts the government’s interests to the detriment of teachers and students alike. This move is nothing but part of the provincial government’s neoliberal agenda to slash public funding in education. Despite the government’s attempts to state that Bill 115 is just a matter of teacher’s pay and salaries which the Provincial Government can no longer afford, the issue extends far beyond the imposed two-year wage freeze and slashing of sick days. This bill gives the government power to effectively eliminate collective bargaining rights for Ontario’s 180,000 elementary and secondary school teachers, as well as banning strikes and lock-outs during the two-year [...]
Onward with the Struggle: National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada Mourn Death of Jyoti Singh Pandey, Call Women to Rise Up to End Violence Against Women
For immediate release January 11, 2012 Toronto, ON – The National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada (NAPWC) stands in solidarity with women in India as they mourn the loss of 23 year-old student Jyoti Singh from the gruesome gang rape perpetuated by five men on a moving bus. Such heinous crime is a testament of the brutality of the violence perpetuated against women all over the world, and the vicious nature of patriarchy that lays the foundation for the continuing exploitation, oppression, and subordination of women regardless of cultural origin. While we are saddened and outraged that another woman has fallen victim to violence, we are even more determined and resolved in waging a militant struggle to end violence against women and fight towards genuine women’s liberation. We echo the voices of women in India and other progressive women and organizations in calling for an end to violence against women and in demanding the end to the normalized rape culture that lays blame on the victims rather than the perpetrators, as well as the lack of action [...]
Protect the Land and the Water: Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians in Solidarity with the First Nations’ Idle No More Movement
For immediate release January 3, 2012 Toronto, ON--Members of the Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians and its member organizations stand in solidarity with First Nations peoples who are taking action and making militant protest as part of the Idle No More Movement. Through mass rallies, blockades, demonstrations, and most notably, an indefinite hunger strike by Chief Theresa Spence of Attawapiskat, this movement declares to the whole of Canada and the world that the First Nations peoples will not remain idle while the Conservative government acts with impunity to violate their human rights by wreaking havoc on their lands and waters. Initiated by four Aboriginal women and now expanding to thousands of protesters across Canada and the United States, Idle No More began from the ground up in opposition to the recently-passed Omnibus budget Bill C-45, a bill that tramples on indigenous treaty rights. This bill includes altering the Indian Act and the Navigable Waters Act - changes that could ultimately push for the privatization of reserve lands as well as eliminating federal protections on lakes and rivers in [...]
Employment Insurance changes: A blatant attack against all working people in Canada
National statement December 20 2012 Toronto, ON—SIKLAB Canada, a progressive Filipino Canadian workers’ organization, denounces the latest batch of changes to Employment Insurance as a clear and blatant attack against the democratic rights and overall conditions of working people across Canada. The denial of benefits to migrant workers were implemented on December 9th and the rest of the new rules are scheduled to take effect on January 6th. This latest announcement marks significant changes to the Employment Insurance system but have been quietly announced to the public amidst the rush of the holiday season. As workers and members of marginalized communities who refuse to let these changes pass by unnoticed, SIKLAB Canada maintains that the new EI rules comprise only part and parcel of an entire program of austerity against employment, wages and standard of living, encompassed within the government’s latest roll-out of the neoliberal agenda of globalization. Regardless of workers’ individual status, these changes set the stage to further the oppressive attacks and exploitation toward working people across Canada that we must all continue to expose [...]
The Kalayaan Centre organize an integral and productive workers’ conference held in Vancouver this past weekend
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 [...]
A successful book launch in Vancouver for Habiba Zaman’s latest book: Asian Immigrants in “Two Canadas”: Racialization, Marginalization and Deregulated Work
For immediate release November 15, 2012 Vancouver, BC—This past Friday November 9th, the Kalayaan Centre and its member organizations organized a successful and intimate launching of Dr. Habiba Zaman’s latest book: Asian Immigrants in Two Canadas: Racialization, Marginalization and Deregulated Work, held at the Rhizome Cafe in Vancouver B.C. Dr. Zaman is a professor in the Gender, Sexuality and Women Studies Department at Simon Fraser University and has worked many years with the Philippine Women Centre (PWC) and the Kalayaan Centre. During the book launch, she was able to expand on the critical analysis of labour and workplace hazards in Canada as provided extensively in her book. Specifically, she places focus on the experiences of Asian Canadians, including Pakistani Canadians, Bangladeshi Canadians and Filipino Canadians. The latter experiences, Zaman acknowledges were shared by the Philippine Women Centre and the Kalayaan Centre along with the analysis and research done by PWC-B.C. with the Filipino Canadian community. The book launch was attended by many academic colleagues and community organizers from across Canada. During her presentation, Dr. Zaman placed her focus [...]
New Venue for Vancouver-wide Workers’ Conference
November 7, 2012 For Immediate Release Vancouver, BC - In solidarity with the support workers at Simon Fraser University and members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees - CUPE local 3338 that are currently on strike, the Counterspin Secretariat changed the venue of 'Workers' Struggles amidst Neoliberal Globalization' Vancouver-wide conference. The event was to be held at Simon Fraser University Harbour Centre. The conference will now be held at GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre - 4255 Laurel Street Vancouver, B.C. V5Z 2G9. The date and time of the conference remain unchanged. November 10th 2012, 8AM - 6PM. For more information, contact the Conference Secretariat: Arlene Oropel: 778-317-5265 Andrew Sayo: 604-215-9355 pwc-on@magkaisacentre.org www.magkaisacentre.org
Workers to unite for critical open discussion and presentations at Vancouver-wide conference “Workers’ Struggles Amidst Neoliberal Globalization”
Third announcement November 1, 2012 Vancouver, BC—In the face of the recent cutbacks and the numerous policies that form only part of the neoliberal agenda which is being implemented in Canada as well as across continents, Vancouver’s Kalayaan Centre, its member organizations, and the Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians (CPFC) invite all to a day of open discussion and panel presentations on Saturday, November 10th. Sponsored by the Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Department at Simon Fraser University, the conference is set to be held at the Harbour Centre of Simon Fraser University (SFU) in downtown Vancouver. Conference participants will be invited to speak concretely of the need for genuine alternatives and for a concerted response by Canada’s workers—marginalized and racialized transnational communities, in particular—to the relentless rolling out of neoliberal policies that harshly affect their lives and conditions. This important gathering is set to sharpen the collective understanding of contemporary local and global challenges under neoliberal globalization, advance the need to assert our rights as workers, women, and youth across the globe, and strengthen the resolve needed [...]