The Countdown Continues
Migrants celebrate Tribal Filipino Sunday; launch anti-WTO formation
Five weeks to go.
As the 6th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) draws near, migrants intensify their campaign to form the broadest and strongest movement of Overseas Filipino Workers against the WTO and neoliberal globalization.
Last Sunday, 30th of October, the fifth Sunday in the 10-week countdown which was launched on October 2, migrant workers held two simultaneous major activities which featured the impacts of the WTO on their life and strategies on how to fight these.
Around 1,000 OFWs gathered at the Chater Garden to join in the celebration of the Tribal Filipino Sunday 2005 (TFS) that was successfully carried out by the organizers composed of the Abra Tinguian Ilocano Society (ATIS), Cordillera Alliance (CORALL), Mindanao Federation (MINFED), and Palawan Migrants Association of Hong Kong (PMA),
Focusing on the theme “Kumilos at Lumaban para sa Karapatan, Kagalingan, Patrimonya at Kasarinlan! Tutulan, Labanan at Biguin ang Anti-Pilipinong Rehimeng Arroyo at WTO!” (Mobilize and Fight for Rights, Patrimony and Sovereignty! Oppose, Fight and Defeat the Anti-Filipino Arroyo Regime and WTO!), migrant workers from indigenous groups in the Philippines, through their songs, dances, poetry and speeches, expressed their disgust and opposition to WTO policies on globalization that have impoverished the indigenous peoples and plundered their natural wealth and resources.
The participating organizations also reiterated their stand to oust the Macapagal-Arroyo regime that has primarily implemented the unjust, immoral and inhuman WTO policies in the Philippines.
A parade was also held before the afternoon program that snaked through major meeting places of OFWs in Central.
The TFS is an annual celebration of the culture of the indigenous peoples in the Philippines in recognition of their strength as communities that continuously join the entire Filipino nation in the struggle for their rights, justice, democracy and freedom.
In the same venue, two photo exhibits were set up led by the UNIFIL. The first photo exhibit featured basic explanation on the WTO and its impacts to the people. Migrant WTO educators trained by the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB) went around the area to explain the WTO to OFWs as well as to encourage them to join the December mass actions.
The second exhibit on the other hand, showed the intensifying human rights violations in the Philippines. Viewers expressed their dismay at the wanton killings and harassments done against activists and progressives. Photos of the International Solidarity Mission held in the Philippines that declared Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo guilty of the crime of suppressing the rights of the Filipino people were also shown.
Meanwhile, at the Fanny Li Hall in St. John’s Cathedral, the All Presidents Meeting (APM) organized by the United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-HK) and Migrante Hong Kong gathered 50 presidents of various major organizations of OFWs in Hong Kong.
Primarily, the main purpose of the gathering was to unite the major organizations of OFWs in Hong Kong in the campaign to protest against the forthcoming WTO MC6 in December. Ultimately, the meeting ended with the formation of RESIST – Hong Kong, a broad formation against imperialist plunder and war.
Hong Kong legislator Lee Cheuk Yan, special guest speaker at the APM, enjoined the Filipino migrants to actively participate in the People’s Action Week that will be held simultaneously with the MC6.
At present, anti-WTO Filipino migrants’ groups as well as foreign workers from other nationalities under AMCB are engaged in massive information and education campaign on the issue of WTO and neoliberal globalization. Other activities in the 10-week countdown will continue in November, such as the HK People’s Mardi Gras Against the WTO to be held on the 27th November.
For migrants in HK, the countdown continues until the defeat of the WTO.
Migrants celebrate Tribal Filipino Sunday; launch anti-WTO formation
Five weeks to go.As the 6th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) draws near, migrants intensify their campaign to form the broadest and strongest movement of Overseas Filipino Workers against the WTO and neoliberal globalization.
Last Sunday, 30th of October, the fifth Sunday in the 10-week countdown which was launched on October 2, migrant workers held two simultaneous major activities which featured the impacts of the WTO on their life and strategies on how to fight these.
Around 1,000 OFWs gathered at the Chater Garden to join in the celebration of the Tribal Filipino Sunday 2005 (TFS) that was successfully carried out by the organizers composed of the Abra Tinguian Ilocano Society (ATIS), Cordillera Alliance (CORALL), Mindanao Federation (MINFED), and Palawan Migrants Association of Hong Kong (PMA),
Focusing on the theme “Kumilos at Lumaban para sa Karapatan, Kagalingan, Patrimonya at Kasarinlan! Tutulan, Labanan at Biguin ang Anti-Pilipinong Rehimeng Arroyo at WTO!” (Mobilize and Fight for Rights, Patrimony and Sovereignty! Oppose, Fight and Defeat the Anti-Filipino Arroyo Regime and WTO!), migrant workers from indigenous groups in the Philippines, through their songs, dances, poetry and speeches, expressed their disgust and opposition to WTO policies on globalization that have impoverished the indigenous peoples and plundered their natural wealth and resources.
The participating organizations also reiterated their stand to oust the Macapagal-Arroyo regime that has primarily implemented the unjust, immoral and inhuman WTO policies in the Philippines.A parade was also held before the afternoon program that snaked through major meeting places of OFWs in Central.
The TFS is an annual celebration of the culture of the indigenous peoples in the Philippines in recognition of their strength as communities that continuously join the entire Filipino nation in the struggle for their rights, justice, democracy and freedom.
In the same venue, two photo exhibits were set up led by the UNIFIL. The first photo exhibit featured basic explanation on the WTO and its impacts to the people. Migrant WTO educators trained by the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB) went around the area to explain the WTO to OFWs as well as to encourage them to join the December mass actions.
The second exhibit on the other hand, showed the intensifying human rights violations in the Philippines. Viewers expressed their dismay at the wanton killings and harassments done against activists and progressives. Photos of the International Solidarity Mission held in the Philippines that declared Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo guilty of the crime of suppressing the rights of the Filipino people were also shown.
Meanwhile, at the Fanny Li Hall in St. John’s Cathedral, the All Presidents Meeting (APM) organized by the United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-HK) and Migrante Hong Kong gathered 50 presidents of various major organizations of OFWs in Hong Kong.
Primarily, the main purpose of the gathering was to unite the major organizations of OFWs in Hong Kong in the campaign to protest against the forthcoming WTO MC6 in December. Ultimately, the meeting ended with the formation of RESIST – Hong Kong, a broad formation against imperialist plunder and war.Hong Kong legislator Lee Cheuk Yan, special guest speaker at the APM, enjoined the Filipino migrants to actively participate in the People’s Action Week that will be held simultaneously with the MC6.
At present, anti-WTO Filipino migrants’ groups as well as foreign workers from other nationalities under AMCB are engaged in massive information and education campaign on the issue of WTO and neoliberal globalization. Other activities in the 10-week countdown will continue in November, such as the HK People’s Mardi Gras Against the WTO to be held on the 27th November.
For migrants in HK, the countdown continues until the defeat of the WTO.
About Us
We say "Junk WTO!" and we unite with everyone who opposes the WTO for various reasons. We encourage you to participate in the People's Action Week spearheaded by the HK Peoples' Alliance on WTO (HKPA) of which we are a part. We hope that this blog continues even after MC6 in Hong Kong.
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