Rise Up! Fundraiser Party for Human Rights In the Philippines

Rise Up! Fundraiser Party for Human Rights In the Philippines

Anakbayan LA, Sisters of GABRIELA, Awaken! (SiGAw) and Habi Arts invite you to a party at

Club Sol
313 E. Carson St.
Carson, CA 90745

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Doors open at 9:00 PM, with $8 for presale tickets and $10 at the door. Only 21 and up. Tickets are now available!

In attending this event, you will be supporting our fundraiser for human rights in the Philippines! All of our funds will go to costs toward a human rights conference in Manila which will take place this July.

For more information, message or email anakbayanla@gmail.com.

 

 

Demand Justice for Melissa Roxas! Join the Week of Action May 19-25, 2013

Justice for Melissa!

Sign the petition calling on President Aquino to compel Philippine authorities to investigate Melissa’s case: http://www.change.org/petitions/president-aquino-investigate-the-abduction-and-torture-of-melissa-roxas

May 19, 2013 marks the fourth anniversary of the abduction and disappearance of Melissa Roxas, who was abducted on May 19 and surfaced on May 25, 2009 after an international outcry. Melissa’s case made headlines as the first case of such a human rights violation committed against a US citizen in the Philippines under President Obama’s term. As one of the few survivors of abduction by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Melissa courageously went public with her story, seeking justice not only for herself, but for all victims of human rights violations. Melissa filed her case in the Philippine courts, testified in various venues, and fully cooperated with the investigation undertaken by the Commission on Human Rights. Four years after her abduction, we are still fighting for justice for Melissa and all victims of human rights violations in the Philippines.

Just last month on April 16, 2013, the Supreme Court of the Philippines issued a resolution on Melissa’s case, which orders the Philippine authorities to “continue and undertake a deeper probe and investigation of the incidents with the end in view of identifying the perpetrators of the complained abduction and abuses and of the eventual filing of cases for said resultant crimes.” In the preceding month, the Philippines Court of Appeals declared that activist-agriculturalist Jonas Burgos was abducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines. However, despite overwhelming evidence that Melissa, Jonas and so many others have been abducted and tortured by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, to this day none of the perpetrators have been apprehended or prosecuted. This typifies the so-called justice system in the Philippines, where notorious human rights butchers like Army Major General Jovito Palparan—described by the National Council of Churches of the Philippines as “[personifying] the brutality and notoriety of the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration for its gross, systematic and brazen violation of human rights”—can remain at-large even in the face of a warrant for his arrest for the kidnapping and illegal detention of two university students, due to the lack of political will by the Aquino regime to capture him. As always, the only hope lies in the perseverance of the mass movement to continue demanding justice and organizing for change.

Since 2009, BAYAN-USA has held demonstrations the week of Melissa’s abduction and release, and made the “Justice for Melissa” demand a standard call at all BAYAN-USA’s actions dealing with human rights, the Visiting Forces Agreement, war and militarization. In light of the ongoing impunity in the Philippines, we can not take for granted that the Philippine Supreme Court’s resolution will be acted on by government authorities unless the people demand it!

Please take action now to demand justice for Melissa and all victims of human rights violations. Join us in the following actions, as we count down each day that Melissa was disappeared, culminating in a Day of Action on May 24th, 2013.

Day 1—May 19:

Day 2—May 20:

Day 3—May 21:

  • Post a song/music video, poem or visual art in honor of people who have been tortured.
  • Continue forwarding the petition and gather signatures on petition demanding that Philippine authorities comply with the Supreme Court resolution to continue investigating Melissa’s case: http://www.change.org/petitions/president-aquino-investigate-the-abduction-and-torture-of-melissa-roxas
  • Make Justice for Melissa graphic your Facebook profile photo and update your status with: “Melissa was disappeared against her will and tortured today—May 21, 2009”

Day 4—May 22:

  • Post of photo or video montage of yourself and members of your organization or friends holding a sign “Justice for Melissa Roxas.”
  • Continue forwarding the petition and gather signatures on petition demanding that Philippine authorities comply with the Supreme Court resolution to continue investigating Melissa’s case: http://www.change.org/petitions/president-aquino-investigate-the-abduction-and-torture-of-melissa-roxas
  • Make Justice for Melissa graphic your Facebook profile photo and update your status with “Melissa was disappeared against her will and tortured today—May 22, 2009”

Day 5—May 23:

  • Record and post a video message of solidarity to Melissa and all victims of human rights violations.
  • Continue forwarding the petition and gather signatures on petition demanding that Philippine authorities comply with the Supreme Court resolution to continue investigating Melissa’s case: http://www.change.org/petitions/president-aquino-investigate-the-abduction-and-torture-of-melissa-roxas
  • Make Justice for Melissa graphic your Facebook profile photo and update your status with: “Melissa was disappeared against her will and tortured today—May 23, 2009”

Day 6—May 24:

Day 7—May 25:

  • Record and post a video message calling on President Aquino to ensure that Philippine authorities comply with the Supreme Court resolution ordering them to pursue the investigation of Melissa’s case.
  • Continue forwarding the petition and gather signatures on petition demanding that Philippine authorities comply with the Supreme Court resolution to continue investigating Melissa’s case: http://www.change.org/petitions/president-aquino-investigate-the-abduction-and-torture-of-melissa-roxas
  • Make Justice for Melissa graphic your Facebook profile photo and update your status with “Melissa was surfaced today but justice is still missing—May 25, 2009”
  • Make a donation to BAYAN-USA, so we can continue the campaign for Justice for Melissa and all victims of human rights violations: http://www.bayanusa.org/donate

JUSTICE FOR MELISSA!
JUSTICE FOR ALL VICTIMS OF STATE-SPONSORED DISAPPEARANCES AND TORTURE!
STOP MILITARY AID TO THE PHILIPPINES!
END OPERATION PLAN BAYANIHAN! END COUNTER-INSURGENCY PROGRAMS!

Mindanao, We Dream Your Dreams

Mindanao, We Dream Your Dreams

Saturday, May 18, 2013
First United Methodist Church of Pasadena
500 East Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91101

Doors Open 6:00 PM
Program Starts 7:00 PM

Tickets $30

For tickets and more information, contact Adam Shaw at (213) 749-0212 extension #3 or calpactfphil@gmail.com.

Sponsored By:
Panaghiusa
First UMC Pasadena
Rosewood UMC Advocacy Ministry
California-Pacific Methodist Federation for Social Action
UMC California-Pacific Taskforce on the Philippines
BAYAN Southern California
National Alliance for Filipino Concerns
Filipino Migrant Center
Filipino American Health Workers Association

 

Artists Break the Chains: Global Action to Defend Peoples’ Culture (Los Angeles)

artists-break-the-chains-la

In solidarity with “Artists Break the Chains: Global Action to Defend Peoples’ Culture” on February 20, we will be holding an event in Los Angeles several days before on Saturday, February 16, 2013, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Lake Street Park
227 North Lake St.
Los Angeles, CA 90026

  • Music provided by DJ Dwenz and DJ Juvvajoy
  • Open mic
  • Refreshments
  • Screen and printmaking activities. Bring blank t-shirts to print on. We’ll provide pre-designed screenprints.  Limited supply of blank shirts available for purchase.

All over the world, artists, writers, journalists, and cultural workers of all disciplines who lend their craft as a tool for progressive social change, challenge the status quo, or simply expose the truth, face various forms of persecution and attack from state apparatuses. We call on those artists, cultural workers and journalists to join us to build a global event to celebrate and defend people’s culture on February 20, 2013, United Nation’s Declared World Day of Social Justice.

Within that day, events will take place in numerous cities throughout the world showing the power of our crafts to advance peoples’ struggles for fundamental social change. We hope to build bridges across borders with fellow artists, writers, journalists and cultural workers and to contribute to the building of a united global movement to foster progressive grassroots culture and to protect freedom of expression.

Victor JaraUnder the brutality of the state that seeks to silence them, some of these cultural workers have paid the ultimate price for their artistic creations and visions that advance the cause of people’s liberation, such as Chilean artist Victor Jara, who was brutally tortured and murdered by the Chilean state in 1973.

Facundo CabralAnd still today, cultural workers continue to face state brutality. Argentine songwriter and singer, Facundo Cabral, an icon of Latin American folk and protest music, was shot to death in the early morning of July 9, 2011 by unknown gunmen who intercepted his car in Guatemala City.

Ericson AcostaOthers have been unlawfully arrested and imprisoned in order to keep them from creating works that give hope to the people such as Ericson Acosta, a poet, thespian, singer and journalist, who was arrested without warrant by the Philippine military on February 13, 2011 while serving as a volunteer researcher in a highly-militarized, poor, rural village in the Philippines.

Ferhat TuncFerhat Tunc, Kurdish singer and composer, has faced severe repression from the Turkish state for his songs that protest the oppression of Kurdish people, language, and culture. He was recently sentenced to two years in prison on terrorism related charges due to his invocation during a speech where he mentioned names of three deceased Turkish leftists.

Pussy RiotIn Russia, three members of the punk rock collective, Pussy Riot, were recently sentenced to two years in prison after performing a song in Moscow’s main cathedral criticizing Vladimir Putin.

Mumia Abu-JamalIn the US, journalist and former Black Panther Party member Mumia Abu-Jamal, has spent nearly 30 years on death row and remains held in strict isolation and solitary confinement for a crime many believe he did not commit.

Arundhati RoyStill other artists face continuous state harassment and threats to their lives such as Arundhati Roy, an award-winning novelist and essayist, who faces continuous hostility from the Indian government for her outspoken criticisms against media censorship and state brutality in Kashmir, and the state’s counter-insurgency operations against the Adivasi peoples. She also faces harassment from the state for writing and speaking sympathetically towards the Adivasi peoples and the Naxalites who have taken up arms to defend themselves against large foreign dominated mining and dam projects backed by the Indian state.

Julian AssangeWikileaks founder and editor-in-chief Julian Assange became the target of the US State Department when Wikileaks released classified documents on the US military occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan that exposed the disturbing extent of US involvement in said occupations.

Despite these obstacles, genuine peoples’ artists and cultural workers defy state repression and continue to create works that serve the interest of the oppressed, risking their lives every day.

Artists Break the Chains
February 16, 2013—Los Angeles Event
February 20, 2013—Global Action

For more information visit: http://peoplesart.info

The Global Concert to Defend People’s Culture is an initiative of the Peoples’ Art Network and the International Conference on Progressive Culture. The conference, held in July of 2011, in the Philippines, consisted of over 80 visual artists, musicians, filmmakers, writers, media practitioners and cultural workers from around the world.

Artists Break the Chains: Global Action to Defend Peoples’ Culture

Artists Break the ChainsAll over the world, artists, writers, journalists, and cultural workers of all disciplines who lend their craft as a tool for progressive social change, challenge the status quo, or simply expose the truth, face various forms of persecution and attack from state apparatuses. We call on those artists, cultural workers and journalists to join us to build a global event to celebrate and defend people’s culture on February 20, 2013, United Nation’s Declared World Day of Social Justice.

Within that day, events will take place in numerous cities throughout the world showing the power of our crafts to advance peoples’ struggles for fundamental social change. We hope to build bridges across borders with fellow artists, writers, journalists and cultural workers and to contribute to the building of a united global movement to foster progressive grassroots culture and to protect freedom of expression.

Victor JaraUnder the brutality of the state that seeks to silence them, some of these cultural workers have paid the ultimate price for their artistic creations and visions that advance the cause of people’s liberation, such as Chilean artist Victor Jara, who was brutally tortured and murdered by the Chilean state in 1973.

Facundo CabralAnd still today, cultural workers continue to face state brutality. Argentine songwriter and singer, Facundo Cabral, an icon of Latin American folk and protest music, was shot to death in the early morning of July 9, 2011 by unknown gunmen who intercepted his car in Guatemala City.

Ericson AcostaOthers have been unlawfully arrested and imprisoned in order to keep them from creating works that give hope to the people such as Ericson Acosta, a poet, thespian, singer and journalist, who was arrested without warrant by the Philippine military on February 13, 2011 while serving as a volunteer researcher in a highly-militarized, poor, rural village in the Philippines.

Ferhat TuncFerhat Tunc, Kurdish singer and composer, has faced severe repression from the Turkish state for his songs that protest the oppression of Kurdish people, language, and culture. He was recently sentenced to two years in prison on terrorism related charges due to his invocation during a speech where he mentioned names of three deceased Turkish leftists.

Pussy RiotIn Russia, three members of the punk rock collective, Pussy Riot, were recently sentenced to two years in prison after performing a song in Moscow’s main cathedral criticizing Vladimir Putin.

Mumia Abu-JamalIn the US, journalist and former Black Panther Party member Mumia Abu-Jamal, has spent nearly 30 years on death row and remains held in strict isolation and solitary confinement for a crime many believe he did not commit.

Arundhati RoyStill other artists face continuous state harassment and threats to their lives such as Arundhati Roy, an award-winning novelist and essayist, who faces continuous hostility from the Indian government for her outspoken criticisms against media censorship and state brutality in Kashmir, and the state’s counter-insurgency operations against the Adivasi peoples. She also faces harassment from the state for writing and speaking sympathetically towards the Adivasi peoples and the Naxalites who have taken up arms to defend themselves against large foreign dominated mining and dam projects backed by the Indian state.

Julian AssangeWikileaks founder and editor-in-chief Julian Assange became the target of the US State Department when Wikileaks released classified documents on the US military occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan that exposed the disturbing extent of US involvement in said occupations.

Despite these obstacles, genuine peoples’ artists and cultural workers defy state repression and continue to create works that serve the interest of the oppressed, risking their lives every day.

Artists Break the Chains
February 16, 2013—Los Angeles Event
February 20, 2013—Global Action

For more information visit: http://peoplesart.info

The Global Concert to Defend People’s Culture is an initiative of the Peoples’ Art Network and the International Conference on Progressive Culture. The conference, held in July of 2011, in the Philippines, consisted of over 80 visual artists, musicians, filmmakers, writers, media practitioners and cultural workers from around the world.

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