PHILIPPINES: Battle of the Ballot Box A report-back event in Montreal

June 27, 2007

PHILIPPINES: Battle of the Ballot Box A report-back event in Montreal

*Presentations, * Film-Screening, * Debate, * Discussion, * Translation*

THURSDAY, June 28th, 7pm Location: St-Paul's Anglican Church, 3970 Côte-Ste-Catherine Métro Côte-Ste-Catherine Suggested Donation, 5-10$

Join the Centre for Philippine Concerns for an exciting event detailing the experiences of a five-person delegation from Montreal, which traveled to the Philippines in May 2007 to participate in the People's International Observers' Mission (IOM) within the context of mid-term elections in the country. 2007 elections in the Philippines were marked by state violence orchestrated by the government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, wide-spread electoral corruption, and numerous political killings.

* Film Screening: "Poverty, Power & Persuasion: 2007 Elections in the Philippines", a short film produced by journalist Stefan Christoff & KODAO Productions in Manila.

* Presentations from:

Minerva Gutierrez: A Montreal based activist & social worker originally from Mexico. Minerva is active in the Quebec labor movement, a member of the political party, Québec solidaire & traveled to act as an international observer during the 2003 elections in El Salvador.

Freda Guttman: An internationally-acclaimed visual artist who first visited the Philippines in the 1980s. Freda is also deeply involved in the Palestinian solidarity movement having traveled on numerous occasions to the occupied West Bank of Palestine with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM).

Fr. Artemio S. Calaycay: A local priest with the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Philippine Independent Church), community worker and labor organizer within Montreal's Filipino community. In 2006 the Supreme Bishop of the Fr. Artemio's church, Bishop Ramento, was murdered within the context of the growing political killings throughout the Philippines.

Roderick Carreon: A leader of the national Filipino worker's organization, Siklab Canada, and founding member of Kabataang Montreal, the local Filipino youth movement.

Stefan Christoff: An independent journalist and social activist based in Montreal, who is a regular contributor to CKUT Radio, the Montreal Mirror & Pacifica Radio. Christoff is also a member of Tadamon!, a collective working to build alliances with movements for social & economic justice in Lebanon & Palestine.

* For more information contact the Centre for Philippine Concerns at: capcpc[at]web.ca / 514 574 9906

* Visit the Stop the Killings campaign at: http://www.stopthekillings.org

Organized in cooperation with the Quebec Coalition to Stop the Killings in the Philippines