Registration now open!

Kapit Bisig Centre Announcement

Please distribute widely

April 9, 2009

Announcement:

Registration now open for

UGAT: Sharing Our Pinoyville Stories, Understanding our Roots

An Intercollegiate and Community Conference for Filipino Youth

May 22-24, 2009

Kabataang Montreal, in partnership with the Kapit Bisig Centre member organizations, is pleased to announce that registration is open for UGAT: Sharing our Pinoyville Stories, Understanding our Roots, an intercollegiate and community conference for Filipino youth, taking place May 22-24, 2009, at the Ampitheatre of the Institute of Community and Family Psychiatry, 4300 Cote-Ste-Catherine.

Kabataang Montreal (KM, “Filipino Youth of Montreal”) was formed in 2000 due to the need to address many of the social problems facing the youth, particularly those living in the Cote-des-Neiges area. Today, KM is comprised of a dynamic group of Filipino youth and students who share the desire to build a strong and united Filipino community. KM aims to empower Filipino youth and deepen their understanding of their social, economic and political situation in Canada.

The conference, “UGAT: Sharing our Pinoyville Stories, Understanding our Roots”, follows the Kabataang Montreal Youth Consultation held in 2005 where over 100 youth gathered to discuss their migration stories and explore the settlement and integration of Filipinos in Quebec. Issues such as family separation and reunification, educational barriers, and systemic racism came to the forefront, and there was a general consensus to continue exploring these fields and come together to revisit these issues in a second local conference. We are looking forward to gathering both intercollegiate and community youth to explore these and other issues that have since come up as the Filipino community continues to evolve in Quebec.

This youth conference and consultation is part of our ongoing project to establish full integration, settlement and participation of Filipinos in a multicultural, multi-ethnic Canada. Because we recognize that the issues of Filipino youth in Canada continue to be of major concern to the community, this project includes a component on Filipino Canadian youth. It is our hope that UGAT: Sharing our Pinoyville Stories, Understanding our Roots will encourage further understanding of the issues affecting Filipino Canadian youth, and the particularities of their situation in Quebec thereby asserting their importance in the community's future.

Registration is now open and we are inviting you to join and participate in this two-and-a-half day conference. There will be community-based speakers, resource persons on and workshops and skills development in youth organizing. Topics will touch on major areas of concern to Filipino youth and will be geared towards these three goals of the conference:

- Sharing our migration stories: First, we would like to share our stories and experiences living as Filipinos in Montreal and, in doing so, come to a mutual understanding of our or our parents’ history of migration to Canada.

- Discussing our present realities: Second, we will explore the realities of settlement and integration of Filipino youth in Montreal, and discuss issues such as systemic racism, gender oppression, educational barriers and challenges of migration that the youth face today.

- Planning our future actions: Finally, we will participate in important policy engagement exercises to empower ourselves and strengthen our position here in Canada.

Panel speakers and resource persons include those who have done research and organizing work within the Filipino Canadian community. The three keynote speeches will be delivered by Cecilia Diocson, the Executive Director of the National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada; Roderick Carreon, co-founder of Kabataang Montreal and Chairperson of SIKLAB-National; and Carlo Sayo, the National Chairperson of Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada/Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance.

Kabataang Montreal looks forward to your participation at this important gathering. Attached is the registration form. Please confirm your attendance by May 9, 2009. We look forward to hearing from you.

Registration Fee:

Youth and Students: Minimum $20 donation for 2 days (includes conference materials and meals.)

Observers: Minimum $40 donation for 2 days (includes conference materials and meals.)

Venue Details:

Amphitheatre

Institute of Community and Family Psychiatry

(Jewish General Hospital)

4333 Cote-Ste-Catherine

For more information, please feel free to contact us by email at kabataangmontreal@gmail.com