Building a movement for social change: Filipino Canadians and allies gathered in Toronto for the 3rd Counterspin conference
Conference Communiqué December 9, 2011 With over 120 participants, “Counterspin 3: Building a movement for social change” Ontario-wide conference, once again, heightened, with militancy, the pivotal and crucial role of marginalized communities in Canada, such as the Filipino Canadian community, to intensify the building of a genuine progressive movement that will bring about social change in a country that continues to systemically deny communities of colour their full participation and entitlement. Held at the University of Toronto and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education on November 19th and the 20th, respectively, “Counterspin 3” is a continuation of the Filipino Canadian community’s assertion to counter their intensifying social and political exclusion as manifested in their struggles against systemic racism, gender oppression, and economic marginalization. Organized by the Magkaisa Centre, and under the auspices of the newly formed Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians (CPFC), “Counterspin 3” is symbolic of the desire of members of the Filipino Canadian community to create a path towards their just and genuine settlement and integration in Canada. Launched in Montreal on May 2010, and [...]
Once again, Minister Jason Kenney is no Santa Claus to temporary foreign workers in Canada under the LCP
National Statement For immediate release November 28, 2011 Toronto, ON – With the recent announcement by Immigration Minister Jason Kenney to slash approvals of over 7,000 permanent residency applications made through the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP), progressive Filipino Canadians firmly maintain that under the Conservative government’s policy-imposed age of austerity for all working-class Canadians, no amount of change or “improvement” can be made to the LCP and the endemically exploitative nature of the immigration system itself while it continues to stamp and seal entry to workers to toil under conditions of modern-day slavery. With the passage of two years since Kenney’s holiday announcement of cosmetic changes to the LCP, we have seen no real improvement in the conditions of the Filipino Canadian community. Instead, amidst a worsening healthcare crisis and an ailing global economy, we have only witnessed the continuing marginalization and exploitation of Filipino Canadian women, youth and workers. We refuse to be duped by the blatantly aggressive attacks against our community as the unabated expansion of temporary migration continues to extend our vulnerability and to hold [...]
Countdown to “Counterspin” speeds up as conference fast approaches
Fifth Announcement November 16, 2011 Toronto, ON – In just a few days, Ontario’s Filipino Canadian community will readily advance their struggle for a just and genuine settlement and integration to greater heights as “Counterspin: Building a Movement for Social Change” commences. Only several days remain in the countdown to this historic two-day conference that will counter the community’s cycle of marginalization and impermanence by creating a unified movement that strives for full participation in Canadian society and embraces their pivotal role in creating genuine social change. Organized under the auspices of the Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians (CPFC), “Counterspin” will advance the successes from its previous occurrences in Montreal and Vancouver at the University of Toronto’s Claude T. Bissell Building and Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. A press conference will be held on November 19th for members of the media. Interviews will be provided by speakers and organizers such as award-winning novelist and internationally-renowned feminist Ninotchka Rosca, long-time community organizer and human rights activist Emmanuel Sayo and the Executive Director of the National Alliance of Philippine [...]
Filipino Canadians continue to create tools for social change as builders of Canada’s history
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 [...]
Building a home by building a movement for social change at “Counterspin” conference
Third Announcement November 7, 2011 Toronto, ON – As the deepening crisis of neoliberal globalization is becoming increasingly apparent, the Filipino Canadian community across Ontario is readily countering their marginalization through “Counterspin 3: Building a Movement for Social Change.” Organized under the auspices of the Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians (CPFC), this historic gathering will advance the community’s struggle for genuine settlement and integration at the crux of the movement of the working class. Building on the success of the previous “Counterspin” conferences in Montreal and Vancouver, the conference will awaken all to their realities and their potential in building a vibrant and enduring movement for social change that puts the struggle of the transnational working class at its fore. At the first panel, Ninotchka Rosca, an internationally-renowned writer and revolutionary feminist will counter imperialism’s narrative of temporary migration for Filipinos around the world by understanding the right of the transnational working class to take root and create a home wherever we are. Emmanuel Sayo of the Philippines-Canada Task Force on Human Rights will elucidate the concept of [...]
Registration now open for “Counterspin: Building a Movement for Social Change”
Second Announcement Ontario’s growing Filipino Canadian community buzzes with excitement as the Magkaisa Centre prepares to host Toronto’s first ever Counterspin conference. Determined to carry on the successes of previous Counterspin conferences in Montreal and Vancouver, the progressive Filipino Canadian movement towards genuine integration and settlement in Canada will accelerate into high gear on November 19th to 20th less than a month from today. Organized under the auspices of the Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians (CPFC), this two-day conference titled “Counterspin: Building a Movement for Social Change” will have five panel lectures featuring a number of local and international academics, community activists and artists. Day one will begin with guest speakers Ninotchka Rosca, the acclaimed international author and feminist; long-time community activist and organizer Emmanuel Sayo, a member of Philippines Canada Task Force on Human Rights; and Professor David McNally of York University. Their panel will focus on creating and nurturing the new path towards social change by introducing the context of transnationalism, globalization and the struggle for genuine settlement and integration. Panelists and community organizers from the [...]
Standing strong in exposing Canada’s neoliberal agenda as Occupy Toronto movement marches on
Toronto, ON – Members of the Magkaisa Centre marched with over 2,000 people at the Occupy Toronto rally on October 15, 2011 as a show of solidarity and support with the Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York. Initiated in that city over a month ago, “Occupy” is now a growing global movement spanning across cities and countries, which speaks directly of the increasing awareness and dissatisfaction of peoples against corporate greed and the current financial crisis felt by billions worldwide. Marching under slogans such as “We are the 99%” and chanting to expose the “rising gap between the rich and the poor,” progressive Filipino Canadians recognize this increasing stratification not only as chants but as harsh realities felt in the lives of the growing Filipino Canadian transnational community. With the Philippines now the largest source of immigrants in Toronto and the whole of Canada, Filipino Canadians are denied their genuine settlement and integration in Canadian society as they are relegated as sources of cheap and temporary labour through neoliberal labour programs such as the Live-in Caregiver Program [...]
National women’s organization congratulates the Philippine Women Centre of B.C
To the Philippine Women Centre of B.C., The National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada (NAPWC) sends our warmest and most militant greetings of congratulations to the Philippine Women Centre of B.C., and its newly-elected Board of Directors at its recently-held Annual General Meeting. For over 20 years of Filipino Canadian women’s organizing, the PWC of B.C. has served as an example and inspiration to thousands of Filipino Canadian women to take great pride in continuing the long history of our struggle and resistance as working-class women of colour in Canada. The NAPWC salutes the great courage and determination of the new Board of Directors, all your members, and volunteers in your commitment to march forward and continue the pioneering work of the PWC of B.C. for equality, genuine development and women’s liberation. Your fervor in advancing the struggle of our growing community for genuine settlement and integration in Canada is integral and central in our efforts to build a progressive movement for social change – a movement that puts the struggles of marginalized workers, women and youth [...]
Nurturing ‘the soul of our city’ by cultivating the path towards our genuine settlement and integration
National Statement For immediate release October 18, 2011 With the Philippines now rising as Toronto’s No. 1 source of immigrants, as recently reported in the National Post’s “Ten ways to nurture ‘the soul of our city,’” the Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians (CPFC) recognizes the significance of this number beyond sheer quantitative measure – that the presence of over 250,000 transnational Filipino Canadians in the heart of Canada’s economic engine has been driven by the full-scale expansion of the neoliberal agenda of globalization. As our entry into Toronto is facilitated by neoliberal labour and immigration policies that stamp and seal our admissibility under the pretext of becoming sources of cheap and disposable labour, our growing community is immediately denied their full participation in Canadian society despite upholding the bare bones of the economy. To get to the heart of “tackling Toronto’s complex quality of life issues” is to genuinely address the growing Filipino Canadian community’s needs of settlement and integration towards their full participation and entitlement as necessary in truly nurturing “the soul of our city.” It is [...]
Ontario-wide conference to advance the movement towards genuine settlement and integration
Conference Announcement Toronto, ON – The growing Filipino Canadian community from across Ontario and beyond will teem eagerly with life as they take great strides towards transforming history and settling and integrating into Canadian society as the Ontario-wide “Counterspin: Building a Movement for Social Change” conference takes place this November 19th and 20th (venue TBA). All are welcome to join the flourishing discussion and contribute towards concrete action in building a movement for social change. Organized by the member organizations of the Magkaisa Centre under the auspices of the Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians (CPFC), this two-day conference will take the necessary steps towards building a movement for social change by placing the struggles of the transnational working-class at its fore. By drawing from the distinct histories and resistance of the Filipino Canadian community’s struggle for genuine settlement and integration, the conference aims to put forth a transformative new paradigm that places the struggle of the working-class at the heart of ending the crisis of neoliberal globalization in Canada. “Counterspin” will bring the struggle for genuine settlement and [...]
“Maleta Stories” illuminate the streets of Toronto at the Nuit Blanche public art event
Toronto, ON – Over 2,500 people gathered at Marissa Largo and the Magkaisa Centre’s groundbreaking “Maleta [Suitcase] Stories” art exhibit for one ecstatic and sleepless night as Toronto’s annual Nuit Blanche public art event lit up the streets. As the first-ever Filipino Canadian community-based project featured in this internationally-renowned art event, “Maleta Stories” set over 2,500 migration stories alight from participants whose own histories unfolded into one collective web of migration. Hosted at the University of Toronto’s Centre for International Experience, the exhibit transformed Toronto into an enduring testament of the Filipino Canadian community’s struggle for genuine settlement and integration. This dynamic and interactive two-part exhibit brought to the fore the vital role played by transnational communities in propelling Toronto’s development as Canada’s economic engine. At the venue, thousands of visitors were invited to record their own “Maleta Story” of migration on baggage tags and hang them onto strings jutting out from the building, thus adding to a web that chronicled Canada’s economic development through the contributions of immigrants. Visitors drawn inside experienced the Filipino Canadian [...]