KASAMA June 2006

a dialogue between Indigenous and Asian Australians

Filipino-Australian Deborah Ruiz Wall, Adam Aitken of Anglo-Thai heritage, and Alexis Wright of Aboriginal-Chinese heritage, featured at the 27th May 2006 Sydney Writers Festival event in the Liverpool Regional Museum.

Poems of Possibilities, Passions and Politics

Book Review by Emere Distor

Reconciliation, Love and other poems is a compilation of poems that explore possibilities, passions and politics as represented in the life of its author, Deborah Ruiz Wall.

Keep Him My Heart: A Larrakia-Filipino Love Story

Gary Lee’s play "Keep Him My Heart: A Larrakia-Filipino Love Story", had only six performances in a beautiful outdoor setting at the Darwin High School Tank on 20-22 & 27-29 August 1993. Ever since our colleague Bong Ramilo told us about the production, it’s been our dream to somehow get to talk to the author about the play. This year, during June 9-12, the indigenous arts festival “The Dreaming” had its second production at Woodford and Gary Lee was on the program! Emere Distor and Dee Hunt tracked him down and he very generously agreed to be interviewed.

SOS SMS FOR OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS IN DISTRESS

CENTRE FOR MIGRANT ADVOCACY (CMA) - PHILIPPINES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELIEF / ACTION ON REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE:

Making Dreams Come True in the Philippines: Helping Children Smile Inc.

Since its first mission in 1996, Helping Children Smile Inc. has provided a brighter future for more than 400 children in the Philippines.

Lyn Nielsen, one of the crew of volunteers who raise funds and administer the project, brought our attention to the work they’ve been doing for the past 10 years.

We were the babies of the Second Vatican Council

John Bartlett first went to the Philippines as a newly ordained Columban Father in 1971. He left the country and the priesthood in 1980 returning to Australia with a new self awareness. Twenty-five years later John’s first novel has been published.

Towards A Distant Sea is based on his experience as a young Catholic priest in Mindanao during the martial law era. he was in Brisbane in march to promote the book. Dee Dicen Hunt caught up with him for a chat about those years.

IGO: Igorot Global Organization

A more tolerant world through cultural sharing

The Igorot peoples of the Gran Cordillera Central have had six international gatherings since 1995. The most recent took place for the first time in Australia.

17 Church People Killed

As we go to press CONTAK Philippines (Church Office for International Network in the Philippines) has circulated a list of church workers killed in the Philippines since April 2004.

LHMU News

Clean Start Campaign targets AMP in Brisbane

Brisbane cleaners gathered outside Santos House in Brisbane’s CBD on Thursday 18 May 2006 to inform tenants of the building the conditions they work under to keep their workplaces clean.

New Publications

Copies of the proceedings of the quarterly Advocacy Forum Series and other resources may be downloaded for free from the CMA web site at http://www.pinoy-abroad.net

Daniel Boone Schirmer

activist author, scholar and historian

DANIEL BOONE SCHIRMER activist author, scholar and historian devoted his life to human rights, social justice, anti-fascism, anti-imperialism and Philippine solidarity work.

Students Of Sustainability: National Environment Conference

July 9-15 @ University of Qld.

J.P. Alipio, Friends of the Earth, Philippines will be presenting the Didipio community’s case against Australian company Climax Arimco Mining Corporation.