Solidarity Philippines Australia Network (SPAN)

KASAMA means friend, companion, comrade...
KASAMA March 2012
Volume 26 Number 1

No woman is free until all women are free!

Brisbane International Women’s Day Collective

For over a century, International Women’s Day has been marked by protests organised to highlight and build the campaigns for women’s rights. These days, the history of IWD is too often hidden behind the dazzle of corporate funded luncheons and government sponsored talk-fests. But that was never what the women’s liberation movement was about.

Ana Borges IWD Rally Brisbane 10th March, 2012

Working in a Domestic Violence Shelter

An extract from the Womens's House paper read by Ana Borges at the Brisbane IWD Rally

In 1975 a group of women in Brisbane got together and formed an organisation to work for the liberation of women. This organisation became known as Women’s House.

These women were motivated by the discrimination and disadvantage experienced by women. The following words written by Joyce Stevens in 1975, goes a way to explain what angered them. A friend told me this may have been a song, I’m not sure...

Philippines to host 5th World Social Forum on Migration

26-30 November 2012 Manila

The World Social Forum on Migration (WSFM) International Committee representatives from the United States of America, Palestine and Philippine-based Asian regional organization announced that, for the first time, this global event will take place in Asia and will be held in the Philippines on 26-30 November 2012.

Filipino Women March against U.S. Military Expansion in the Philippines and the Pacific

Unity Statement, Philippines International Women’s Day, March 8, 2012

On the occasion of the International Women’s Day 2012, we, Filipino women declare in strongest terms possible, our opposition not only to increased presence but to U.S. military presence per se on Philippine soil.

International Women’s Network Against Militarism
8th Gathering — February 19-25, 2012 — Puerto Rico

Forging Nets for Demilitarization and Genuine Security

DECLARATION: The 8th Gathering of the International Women’s Network Against Militarism, that occurred on February 19-25, 2012, reunited 26 women representing 8 countries gathered in Puerto Rico. Delegates from the Philippines, Guahan (Guam), Japan, Okinawa, South Korea, Hawaii, and the United States joined their counterparts in Puerto Rico to evaluate the growing military threat and develop strategies to counter the impact of militarism, military contamination, imperialism and systems of oppression and exploitation based on gender, race, class, nationality and sexual orientation.

Putting Poor Rural Women at the Center of Communications for Development

Presentation by Isis International at the Panel Session on Rural Women – Poverty – Crises – Rights, UN CSW 56, New York, 2012

Over the 38 years of our existence, we at Isis International have participated in a number of CSW meetings and countless other UN sponsored events. In this time so much has changed and yet so much has not. The existence and work of the CSW has served to surface human rights violations often hidden, has given a human face to the harsh statistics of mal-development, has created and implemented a structure to address the multi-dimensional aspects of human development. Indeed, the status of women is now put on the political, social and economic agendas of governments, it is allotted resources for the actualization of such agendas, and the process is increasingly consultative, participatory, and inclusive of women.

GENDER AND CLIMATE CHANGE: Toolkit for Women on Climate Change

This toolkit on Gender and Climate Change is part of an important endeavour by Isis International to explore innovative and strategic ways to communicate gender justice and climate justice issues, especially from Southern feminist perspectives.

In the Garden of BenCab

StarWeek Magazine, 25 March 2012

MANILA, Philippines — Proclaimed a National Artist for Visual Arts in 2006 and declared by lovers of heritage, culture and the arts as the country’s best selling painter of his generation, Benedicto Cabrera, better known as BenCab, is a big man. And by that, I don’t just mean he’s built big – which he is – but that he has a lot in him, of him, to give. Unlike other artists, he is not very cavalier about giving remarks, and in that sense, he is very careful, very deliberate about what he says.

Tropical Storm ‘Sendong’

a roundup of initial reports

Data from Final Report on the Effects and Emergency Management re Tropical Storm “SENDONG”
Still stunned, survivors of Sendong have yet to really mourn
This Can Happen Again!
Mapping Our Way to Disaster Risk Reduction Management by Celeste Ann Castillo Llaneta

Filipina Invited to Speak on Trafficking at UN CSW, Stanford and UCLA

Coalition Against Trafficking in Women-Asia Pacific – Press Release – February 29, 2012

New York, New York — Anti-trafficking advocate Jean Enriquez presented the vulnerability of women in the rural areas of the Philippines to trafficking, at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW) on Feb. 29. She underscored the accountability of local governments, miners and loggers in recent calamities which disproportionately killed rural women and children in Mindanao, and rendered rural women even more vulnerable to violence against women, such as sex trafficking.

Asian Cam Models: Digital virtual virgin prostitutes?: a view

Deborah Ruiz Wall critiques book by Dr. Paul W. Mathews

Mathews’ rendering of his participant-observation research on the use of digital technology by the sex industry indeed as the writer himself says, ‘raises more questions than it answers’.

My interest, after reading his book has turned towards exploring the motivation of the researcher and his methodology rather than the substantive result of his research.

Campaign for Australian Ratification of the Migrant Workers Convention

The United Nations International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (“Migrant Workers Convention”) is an international agreement governing the protection of migrant workers and families. Signed on 18 December 1990, it entered into force on 1 July 2003 after the threshold of 20 ratifying States was reached in March 2003. The Committee on Migrant Workers monitors implementation of the convention, and is one of the seven UN-linked Human rights treaty bodies.

To: All Filipino Citizens Abroad

ALL FILIPINO CITIZENS ABROAD, not otherwise disqualified by law, at least (18) years of age on the day of elections, may now participate in Philippine national elections under the Overseas Absentee Voting Act 2003 (Republic Act 9189).

For purposes at the 2013 national elections, qualified Filipinos abroad may vote for Senators and Party-List representative. The voting period is from April 13, 2013 until 3:00pm (Philippine time) of May 13, 2013.

Centre for Philippine Concerns Australia

Centre for Philippine Concerns Australia (CPCA)

CPCA is a national network of Filipino individuals and organisations in Australia committed to advancing the Filipino people's interests. It was formally established in November 1991. The CPCA national office is located in Melbourne. There is also a Brisbane Branch office. There are CPCA members currently living in Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territories and in the Philippines itself.

Deaths & Disappearances
Includes updated summary of the Violent Deaths and Disappearances of Filipino Women and Children in Australia as at 18th July 2011.

Filipino Women & Sexual Violence: Speaking Out & Providing Services
Paper presented to the Immigrant Women's Support Service Forum "Sexual Violence in a Gender, Cultural and Human Rights Framework" on 24th November, 2000, by Dee Dicen Hunt and Cora Sta. Ana-Gatbonton, Centre for Philippine Concerns Australia (Brisbane Branch). You can read the other papers presented to the forum on the IWSS website.

Filipino Community Organising on Women's Issues in Australia
Paper presented by Dee Dicen Hunt at the 'STOP THE TRAFFIC SYMPOSIUM: Addressing trafficking in women for prostitution' organised by Project Respect held on February 25th, 2002 at RMIT University, Melbourne.

Vivian Alvarez Solon
Comprehensive list of links to Kasama articles about Vivian’s case, submissions from CPCA-Brisbane and Justice Alliance for Vivian to the Senate Inquiry into the administration and operation of the 1958 Migration Act and links to other documents including the Palmer Inquiry Report and the Senate DFAT Committee Interim Report “The removal, search for and discovery of Ms Vivian Solon”

Centre for Migrant Advocacy

Centre for Migrant Advocacy (CMA)

CMA advocates for the rights of Filipino migrants everywhere – whether they are land based or sea-based migrants and Filipino immigrants or permanent residents and their families.

SOS SMS FOR OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS IN DISTRESS

CENTRE FOR MIGRANT ADVOCACY (CMA) - PHILIPPINES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELIEF / ACTION ON REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE:

ATTENTION: all Filipino citizens abroad, 18 years old and above

Please do not forget to register for the 2013 overseas voting for senators and party-list representatives in the Philippines.
Registration period ends: October 31, 2012
Makialam, Makilahok, Magparehistro! (Intervene, Participate, Register)
- Ellene Sana, CMA

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