Author: Anakbayan New Jersey

Take a Photo. Take a Stand.

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Take a photo. Take a stand. 


On August 30, the International Day of the Disappeared, the New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (NYCHRP) will bring attention to the thousands of Filipinos who are victims of enforced disappearances in the Philippines. The International Day of the Disappeared on August 30 is a day created to draw attention to the fate of individuals imprisoned at places and under poor conditions unknown to their relatives and/or legal representatives, or victims of enforced di

sappearances. Imprisonment under secret or uncertain circumstances is a grave violation of some conceptions of human rights as well as, in the case of an armed conflict, of International Humanitarian Law.Under the current President of the Philippines, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, there have been 11 cases of Enforced Disappearances in the Philippines.Since the Arroyo Regime (2001-2010), 205 are still missing. The families seek justice, the Philippine government must be pressured to SURFACE THE DISAPPEARED and END IMPUNITY NOW!We demand that these victims are surfaced and their perpetrators are brought to justice.

Join to take a photo and stand in solidarity with the thousands of families still looking for their loved ones. Your photo will be viewable at www.nychrp.info

This event is endorsed by BAYAN USA, Anakbayan-NJ, Anakbayan-NY, Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment, Action 21 and ILPS US NE.

To rsvp click here
For more info on the human rights situation in the Philippines check out KARAPATAN (an alliance of human rights organizations in the Philippines) here
For articles on victims of enforced disappearances in the Philippines click here

Deferred Action Application Drive in New Jersey

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WHAT: National Deferred Action Application Drive

WHERE:  Paul Robeson Campus Center, 350 Mlk. Blvd., 07102 Newark, NJ 

WHEN: August 25 | Saturday | 8am-6pm  

For more information please click here

____________________________

Immigrant youth that meet certain requirements are eligible to apply for Deferred Action from deportation as well as for work authorization permits beginning August 15, 2012. United We Dream, a national organization committed to lobbying for the DREAM Act and supporting undocumented students, has called for a National Deferred Action Application Day on August 25th. The NJ Dream Act Coalition (NJ DAC), an affiliate of United We Dream, is organizing and training volunteers to assist youth 

in completing said application at no cost. Sadly, a few attorneys and notary publics are taking advantage of the great need for relief among this population and charging exuberant rates. Please answer this call for volunteers and forward it to fellow organization members.

Supervising attorneys from the Center for Social Justice of Seton Hall Law, law students from the Women’s Law Forum of Seton Hall Law, as well as students from the LGBTQ Resource and Diversity Center at Rutgers, have committed to co-sponsor this event with NJ DAC. The event will be held on Saturday August 25, 2012 in rooms 255-7 of the Paul Robeson Cultural Center of Rutgers-Newark, 350 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, Newark, NJ. Volunteers will receive training from 8:00am – 10:00am to assist applicants with the Deferred Action application from 11:00am to 5:00pm. Volunteers may provide assistance in shifts or for the full day.

An estimated 40,000 youth may be eligible for Deferred Action in New Jersey alone. The NJ DAC has announced this event on the NJ DAC website, Facebook, Univision and posted flyers throughout NJ; so a large number of hopeful applicants are expected. We need your help to ensure that every eligible immigrant receives competent assistance without falling victim to scams. Volunteering for the Deferred Action Application Day is another way you can contribute to the work of promoting social justice and to ensure that eligible applicants can contribute fully to our society. Our diversity and acceptance of fellow human beings is part of what makes our country great.

To register as a volunteer please visit here: http://www.njdac.org/volunteer.php

PLEASE help get the word out! Share this event and information with your community, friends, and family! Even if not to volunteer PLEASE come to receive FREE legal help to fill out the application!

For more information or for any questions please contact me at 201-214-9571 or GiancarloT@NJDAC.org

In Solidarity,

Giancarlo Tello

FAHSI LYFE Open Mic for BAYANIHAN Relief

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WHAT: Join FAHSI LYFE for it’s second annual open mic! Come with songs/poems/dances/anything and show off your talent on our stage. We’ll also be collecting stuff to send to the flood victims in the Philippines through Bayanihan Relief. Please bring whatever you can spare that could be of use: money, clothes, cannned food, first aid supplies, batteries, flashlight, tooth burhses, tooth paste, soap etc… 

WHERE: Philippine American Center, 185-14 Hillside Avenue, Jamaica, New York 11432

WHEN:  August 19 | Saturday | 3pm-9pm

For more info and to rsvp, please click here 

Schedule:
Doors open at 3p
Open mic begins at 4p
Food and Karaoke at 6p
Doors close at 9p

Community Groups Hold Forum on Deferred Action in Jersey City

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 Photos by Noel Pangilinan

Jersey City, NJ -Filipino youth activist group, Anakbayan New Jersey, joined forces with immigrant and lawyers organizations last August 12 for a “Community Forum on Immigration Reform: Deferred Action” held at the Pope Lecture Hall, Saint Peter’s College in Jersey City.  The said forum provided vital information regarding the Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or most commonly known as “Deferred Action.”  It also aimed to empower the Jersey City immigrant community to continue the struggle for comprehensive immigration reform. 

The immigrant community turned out in large numbers to learn about the said new immigration policy.  Anna Brown, head of the Social Justice Program of Saint Peter’s College, gave a warm welcome to the attendees of the forum.  Councilman at-large, Rolando Lavarro, also gave welcoming remarks, commenting on his own experience.  The speakers include DREAM Act activists, Giancarlo Tello and Brenda Aguilar of the New Jersey DREAM Act Coalition (NJDAC), and Filipino lawyer and immigrant rights advocate, Attorney Cristina Godinez. They provided  an overview regarding the said new policy.  The forum also provided free legal consultations to the community headed by lawyers from the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF).

“Deferred Action is simply a stop-gap measure, a band-aid for the overall immigration issue that America faces and is not to be confused with the Dream Act. While the Dream Act is definitely a goal, we should not and will not forget our parents, aunts, and uncles and will continue to push towards ultimately Comprehensive Immigration Reform,” said Giancarlo, core member of the New Jersey DREAM Act Coalition or NJDAC. .

Meanwhile leaders in the Filipino community talked about the need to build a strong immigrant movement. Jonna Baldres, Deputy Secretary General of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) gave a comprehensive presentation on the socio-economic factors that lead to forced migration.  “We only want to provide for our families but our governments are forcing us to migrate to look for livelihood elsewhere, separating us from our loved ones.  We must come together, stand up and fight against the 1% that exploits us.  It is only just for us to demand respect, dignity, wages, benefits and rights that are rightfully ours and due to us,  until we achieve full legalization for all,” said Ms. Baldres.

According to statistics, an estimated 2 million individuals nationwide and 40,000 in New Jersey can be eligible for deferred action.  “It is important to note, however, that Deferred Action is not so much an achievement of the Obama administration, as it is the product of thousands of Dream Activists and allied organized forces, who continue to put pressure on US lawmakers in order to assert their rights as undocumented youth,” Bea Sabino, Chairperson of AnakBayan New Jersy, added. Community leaders urge the immigrant community to stay informed, be vigilant and organize support for comprehensive immigration reform.

Anakbayan New Jersey called on the Filipino youth to take part in fighting for immigrant rights. “Filipinos are the second largest immigrant community in the United States.  We come from five centuries worth of migration history, which includes notable personalities like Philip Vera Cruz and Carlos Bulosan, who dedicated their lives to fighting for the civil rights of immigrant workers.  Our identity as young Filipinos in America is deeply rooted in that history; hence, we must step up in continuing the struggle against racism, exploitation, illegalization and criminalization of immigrants. At this juncture in US immigration policy, we must always keep in mind that, undocumented or not, every human being has rights to education, fair and just wages, healthcare and the due process of law,” concluded Ms. Sabino.

The Community Forum on Immigration Reform: Deferred Action was organized by Anakbayan New Jersey and was endorsed and co-sponsored by the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON), Philippine Forum-New Jersey, Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment (FiRE), New Jersey DREAM Act Coalition (NJDAC), Asian-American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), Action 21, and the Saint Peter’s College Social Justice Program.

On August 25, the New Jersey DREAM Act Coalition will be holding a free Deferred Action application drive from 11am to 5pm at the Paul Robeson Campus Center located at 350 Martin Luther King Blvd. Newark, NJ 07102.  For more information please contact NJDAC at info@njdac.org

In the Spirit of Bayanihan

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Dear friends of BAYAN USA,

 Your bayanihan and giving spirit is needed as the Philippines has been hit once again with the worst flooding since 2009.  For the past week,  rains due to the southwest monsoon (Habagat) after typhoon Gener (international name, Saola) left the country have caused massive flooding in different parts of Luzon, especially in Metro Manila where half of the city is submerged. 

Source: Ted Aljibe/Agence France-Presse – Getty Images

At present, as the rains continue to pour, many have been stranded in their homes, while thousands are being relocated to various evacuation centers in their cities and municipalities. According to news reports, the rains have affected some 199,485 families (or about one million individuals based on an average of 5 per family) across 11 regions of the country. A total of 60 individuals have been reportedly killed due to the non-stop rains, flooding, and landslides. PAG-ASA, a local weather station is forecasting more rains in the next few days. This and the fact that the dams around Metro-Manila are spilling out water will worsen the flooding in days to come.

Source: Aaron Favila – Associated Press

We in BAYAN USA appeal to all concerned citizens to donate $5, $10 or any other amount within your capacity to help with relief efforts. Your donation is urgently needed and appreciated.  Your donation will reach those areas not normally covered by media & reach the far barrios to provide food (more than one kilo of rice, dried fish, mongo, cooking oil, and more) and other basic needs.  The grassroots organizing efforts of BAYAN and BALSA with the communities in the Philippines will ensure that all donations given are directly contributed to the areas that need immediate assistance. 

The thousands of displaced families and communities in the Philippines need your support at this time, anything truly helps. Many thanks for your consideration!

With Gratitude & Appreciation,

BAYAN USA

See this video of BALSA at work during Typhoon Sendong Relief efforts just earlier this year. 

 Donate today to BALSA, the relief organization of BAYAN for more than a decade: http://tinyurl.com/BALSAbayanihanrelief

NEWS COVERAGE:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/08/world/asia/flooding-in-philippines-grows-worse-as-thousands-flee-manila-and-desperate-residents-are-trapped-on-roofs.html

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/244365/heavy-rains-paralyzeluzon-metro-manila

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Heavy-rains-submerge-Philippine-capital-killing-9-3766863.php

SUNDAY, AUGUST 12: Community Forum on Immigration Reform

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What is Deferred Action? What is Prosecutorial Discretion? Legalization for All?

Learn about the most recent development in the U.S. Immigration policy, particularly President Obama’s Deferred Action and Prosecutorial Discretion. Also learn about the ongoing movement to genuinely reform the immigration system into one that truly serves the people.

What: Community Forum on Immigration Reform: Deferred Action and Prosecutorial Discretion.

When: August 12, 2012 Sunday | 6:00pm-8:00pm

Where: Pope Lecture hall, Saint Peter’s College | 115 Glenwood Ave. Jersey City, NJ 07306

Why: Currently, 4,700 Filipinos leave the Philippines every day to look for jobs abroad. The U.S. remains to be the primary destination of migrant Filipinos. There is an estimated 5 million Filipinos in the US, where 1 million are undocumented. An alarming number of labor trafficking cases have emerged within the past year, and undocumented youth have yet to come out of the shadows. This phenomenon is testament to the urgency of addressing the issue of immigration reform in our communities.

It is essential that we learn about the recent developments in the nation’s immigration policies, particularly the most recent “Deferred Action” and last year’s “Prosecutorial Discretion” in order to empower ourselves and to uphold our rights as im/migrants in the United States.

FREE LEGAL CLINIC WILL BE FACILITATED BY ASIAN AMERICAN LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND (AALDEF) THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM.

Speakers:
New Jersey Dream Act Coalition (NJDAC)
Atty. Cris Godinez
National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON)

Organized by:
Anakbayan New Jersey

Co-sponsored by:
Social Justice Department of Saint Peter’s College
New Jersey Dream Act Coalition (NJDAC)
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON)
Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment (FiRE)
Philippine Forum

For more information, please email us at anakbayan.nynj@gmail.com or call Bea at 201 779 6886.

Spread the word!

Tune-in to Anakbayan-USA Radio!

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Lumalakas, lumalawak nationwide! lumalaban! Anakbayan Radio show! let’s go! 

When: Friday, August 3, 11pm EST 

Where: http://ustream.tv/channel/ab-usa

Why: Check out the only national Filipino youth online radio show that broadcasts the voice of the Philippine struggle for national liberation, genuine people’s democracy and social change!

Hear updates on the ground from different chapters in the US, progressive culture, and learn more about the growing Filipino youth movement in the Philippines, US and all over the world!

 

Youth Empowerment Project

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What is the NJ Youth Empowerment Project?

The New Jersey Youth Empowerment Project is a two-day training conference for youth activists, organizers, and leaders in New Jersey. This conference seeks to train 100-150 students & youth to organize their communities and campuses, around issues that we, the youth of New Jersey, care about.

This conference is being held by New Jersey United Students (NJUS), a statewide network of college students organizing around education rights and building student and youth power. NJUS seeks to build a united youth movement working on a multiplicity of issues, so that our generation can get a say in the world we live in. This conference is the first step.

The Youth Empowerment Project seeks to give students the skills to organize their communities. For that reason, we will be offering two types of trainings. On Saturday, August 4, we will be doing an Electoral Action Training (EAT), which teaches students how to run a concerted voter registration effort. Voter registration is a great and simple way to talk to youth about the issues that affect them. On Sunday, August 5, we will be doing a GrassRoots Organizing Weekend (GROW) training. GROW teaches you how to run non-electoral campaigns: how to build your organization, figure out goals, targets, and what you need to do to run a campaign.

The Youth Empowerment Project will also launch our NJ Students Vote! 2012 campaign. NJUS is seeking to register 20,000 NJ students to vote in the November 2012 elections. We at NJUS believe that an effective way to build youth power is by showing our strength at the ballot box—although by all means, we don’t think it’s the only way.  This campaign is a step towards building a bigger movement! Will you join us?

Logistics

The conference will be August 4-5, starting at 11 AM, at the Labor Education Center at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. We want students to be able to come to this conference, so the cost of attendance is $10. This goes toward the costs of supplies and food for both days.

For housing, we will be getting price quotes from local hotels, but for a low-cost option, we will be setting up housing at the Second Reformed Church on College Ave, New Brunswick. For more information on housing, select the options you are interested in on the Registration Form.

To Register: Fill out a Registration form available here, to check the facebook event, click here

For more information:

Contact Rachel Storch at (201) 563-0353 or by e-mail at Rachel.Storch93@Gmail.com

“Stop the killings in the Philippines!” Say Jersey City Activists

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Jersey City, NJ- Jersey city activists called on Philippine President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to “stop the killings” of activists and community leaders in the Philippines.  They also called on the US government to “cut the US military aid to the Philippines.  This action was in response to the current state of extra-judicial killings in the Philippines.As part of Jersey City Peace Movement’s (JCPM) “Stop the War-Sundays”, a monthly anti-war action and food and clothing drive for the homeless community of Jersey City, Anakbayan New Jersey, a Filipino activist youth organization, collaborated to raise awareness about the killing of Willem Geertman and other  cases of human rights violations in the Philippines.  They posted pictures of victims of extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances around the 9/11 memorial fountain at Journal Square Plaza with signs that said, “Justice for Willem Geertman!” and “Cut US military aid to the Philippines.” Members of Anakbayan NJ also handed out flyers regarding the “State of Human Rights in the Philippines” to passers by.

“The memorial at Journal Square was meant to raise awareness about the poor state of human rights in the Philippines. State sponsored killings and abductions of activists and community leaders continue under President Aquino.  Anakbayan NJ, together with JCPM, addressed an important issue that he [Pres. Aquino] failed to mention in his third state of the nation address,” said Bea Sabino, Chairperson of Anakbayan New Jersey.  “As US taxpayers, we demand an end to US military aid to the Philippines. $30 million in tax dollars go to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which is notorious for gross violations to human rights.  We also demand justice for Willem Geertman.  We call on the Aquino administration to take decisive steps on investigating these cases and also to prosecute former President Arroyo and former  AFP general Jovito Palparan as perpetrators of human rights violations in the Philippines,” Ms. Sabino concluded.

Currently, there are 100 recorded victims of extra-judicial killings under the 2 year-old administration of President Aquino.  Willem Geertman, a community development worker is one of the most recent victims.  He was killed last July 3rd, colleagues and family claim, for his advocacy in land, indigenous people and environmental issues.  He is the Executive Director of a disaster relief NGO Alay Bayan Inc and has resided in the Philippines for the past 46 years. He spoke fluent Filipino and has worked among poor farmers in rural communities.  He is a known anti-mining advocate.  Geertman is the second European NGO/community worker killed under the Aquino regime, after the death of Fr. Pops Tentorio in Mindanao on October 2011.  Geertman’s death came a month after the Philippine government appeared before the United Nations Universal Periodic Review in Geneva, where it was scrutinized for its inaction towards the elimination of extrajudicial killings, torture and enforced disappearances in the Philippines.

Activists linked the issues of human rights violations in the Philippines with the US-military aid and involvement in the internal affairs of the Philippines.  Since 2001, The U.S. government has spent $507 million since 2001 in military aid for the Philippines.  $30 million is scheduled to be released again this year.  According to activists, this could have been used to fund social services here in communities like Jersey City.

“Our stolen tax-dollars must be re-channeled from endless wars and bank-bailouts, back to the people, including the working-class, the elderly, the sick, the homeless and the youth,” said Erik Anders-Nilsson, Director of Jersey City Peace Movement.  “The corrupt powers of Imperialist America vying for global hegemony must be challenged and struggled with.  Jersey City Peace Movement calls for the end to all U.S wars abroad, an end to all U.S. military bases in the Philippines , and the liberation of all oppressed peoples, from Palestine to Jersey City, to Manila,”  Mr. Nilsson concluded.

Activists say they will continue to raise awareness, and lobby to uphold human rights in the Philippines until the US government cuts military funding to the Philippines.

Repression is the State of the Nation Under PNoy

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Repression is the State of the Nation Under PNoy
Anakbayan-USA condemns the violent dispersal yesterday at the State of the Nation Address demonstration near Batasang Pambansa, where President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III delivered his speech.  This recent case of impunity from the Philippine National Police has left 95 people injured and 21 hospitalized, mostly youth and students. We demand that the responsible officials of the PNP, namely the ground commander, Superintendent Marcelino Pedrozo and human rights monitor, Chief Superintendent Mario Dela Vega, Superintendent Nicanor Salamera, and Herbert Bautista, mayor of Quezon City be held accountable for this blatant abuse of power and violation of our people’s basic human rights.
The violations started early on as the local government of Quezon City under Mayor Bautista failed to act on the request of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) for a permit to rally.  Under the Batas Pambansa 880 (BP 880) also known as the Public Assembly Act of 1985, Section 6 (b) states, “The mayor or any official acting in his behalf shall act on the application within two (2) working days from the date the application was filed, failing which, the permit shall be deemed granted.”  Mayor Bautista failed to respond and therefore the application was deemed granted and the people had all the right to peacefully assemble and march in front of Batasang Pambansa to protest air their grievances.
The government’s violations continue to pile up as the PNP conducted an illegal blockade and showed clear lack of restraint by provoking and brutalizing the peaceful demonstration.  Cops attacked, pushed and assaulted everyone in their sight.  Some demonstrators were hit as many as 23 times with truncheons and shields.  A garbage truck was also commanded by the PNP to disperse the crowd, attempting to run over and endanger the people.  In addition, an overkill force of 6,000 police officers and 400 soldiers was deployed around Batasang Pambansa, militarizing the communities.  
This is a clear snapshot of the real state of the nation in the Philippines. There is a state of repression under Noynoy Aquino administration that uses deceit and violence to silence the truth.Noynoy should know that repression only breeds more resistance and struggle.  No truncheons nor shields can deter the people in exposing the real state of the nation.
We are sure that the people’s movement will only grow bigger and the struggle stronger. We call on the Filipino youth here in the US to organize, take action and expose the Aquino administration, as a violator of human rights in disguise. Let us intensify our struggle to defend human rights and towards a society that upholds the universal and inalienable rights of the people.