CASJ consolidates gains of 3 task forces

CASJ consolidates gains of 3 task forces

TORONTO–Six months after its first major activity – the consultation conference “Strengthen Our Community for Social Justice” attended by 200 people – the Community Alliance for Social Justice (CASJ) held its first general membership meeting on Saturday, March 19, at Metro Hall, to consolidate the organization.

The CASJ general membership heard reports from the three main task forces – Live-in Caregiver Program; Access to Trades and Professions; and Policing and Community Safety.

A highlight of the meeting was the holding of consolidation workshops, where members affirmed their membership in CASJ and their participation in their chosen task forces. In the workshops, each member was given the chance to express his or her hopes for CASJ; why he or she had chosen to become a member of CASJ; and what he or she can contribute to the organization.

Overwhelmingly, the responses expressed indicated a strong belief and commitment to the organization’s principles and objectives.

Reasons for membership ranged from, “ I want to provide my own experience and skills in advancing what CASJ holds dear” to “ I believe in CASJ’s goals and objective and its missions”
On their hopes for CASJ, the following were expressed: “To become strong and directed in serving the social justice needs of our community;” “ to be able to be a strong organization lobbying for Filipino issues;” “ to have continued success in its campaigns.”

Women Centre in Ontario, reported on the latest developments in the advocacy campaign for live-in caregivers. An important development was the endorsement through a CASJ statement of support to the Philippine House Resolution No. 643 calling for an investigaion of the Live-in Caregiver Program in Canada and the abuse and exploitation of Filipino caregivers in Canada and other countries.

Social justice campaigns in support of press freedom and human rights campaigns in the Philippines were displayed at the foyer of the Metro Hall Council Chambers for people to sign. Among these were the statement asking for the prosecution of those found guilty in the killing of journalists in the Philippines, which is still continuing, making the country second to Iraq in the number of journalists murdered in line of duty.

It is CASJ’s position that social justice issues faced by Filipino-Canadians are not completely unrelated to issues in the Philippines, but are in fact linked historically and politically to what is happening there. The essentially flawed Live-in Caregiver Program, for instance, is complementing the labor export policy of the Philippine government, and that the combination of the two has, in many cases, resulted in social costs to the affected Filipino families.