CASJ elects new officers

CASJ elects new officers

TORONTO – The Community Alliance for Social Justice (CASJ) elected its new set of officers for its re-constituted Board of Directors and Executive Committee last Thursday, Sept. 1, at Toronto City Hall.
New Board members were accepted through a nomination and approval process conducted by the Board. Sixteen out of nineteen Board members participated in the elections.

The new officers of the Board of Directors are: Edwin Mercurio, Chairperson; Flor Dandal, Vice Chairperson; Mithi Esguerra, Secretary.

The Executive Committee officers are: Hermie Garcia, President; Connie Sorio, Vice President for Outreach and Membership; Ricky Esguerra, Vice President for Education and Training; Virgie Tigas, Secretary; (the position of Treasurer, currently vacant due to the resignation of Julie Nanquil for professional reasons.); Pempe Saavedra, Auditor; (Research and Publications Officer is currently vacant due to the resignation of Mila Astorga-Garcia for professional reasons.) Jerry Villanueva, Communications Officer; and Youth Affairs Officer, Joel Reodica.

Other Board Members are: Mel Catre, Terry Olayta, Gene Lara, Rose Tijam, Joy Sioson, Erna Opeña and Jojo Taduran.

The new Executive Committee will actively pursue the implementation of the Action Plan 2005 adopted at the January 22, 2005 launching, according to Garcia, who presided over the first Executive Committee meeting Tuesday, Sept. 13.

The Action Plan outlines the actions to be taken by the CASJ in its four major areas of work, based on the main issues arising from its Oct. 30, 2004 conference: community safety and policing; changes in the live-in-caregiver program; access to trades and professions; and planning for services in Scarborough, where majority of the Filipino population is concentrated.

Another priority, Garcia said, is the re-convening of the three task forces (community safety and policing, access to trades and professions, and the live-in caregivers) and the working committees (membership, fundraising, research and publications, youth and equity groups) of CASJ, Garcia said.
Mercurio, CASJ Chair, revealed that CASJ, will reconvene a big gathering before the end of the year, possibly end of October, to commemorate the first anniversary of the community consultation conference held Oct. 30, 2004. The seminal conference, attended by 200 participants, resulted in recommendations that gave CASJ its mandate. The recommendations became the basis of the organization’s first Action Plan. The idea for the commemorative meeting of all CASJ old and new members will be formally taken up for approval in a board meeting which Mercurio will convene before the end of this month.

At present, CASJ is actively engaged in the following activities:

• A survey on access to professions and trades for Filipinos in Canada, and focus groups among various professions and trades.

• Active involvement in the Justice for Jeffrey Coalition’s follow-up activities to press for the coroner’s inquest on the shooting death of student Jeffrey Reodica by a Toronto police officer, announced last year by Ontario’s Chief Coroner.

• Networking with other groups pursuing the campaign to implement changes in the Live-in Caregiver Program.

The results of the CASJ survey and focus groups will help the organization in its advocacy effort to allow Filipinos to practice their professions and trades here in Canada. The survey is being conducted in collaboration with Dr. Philip Kelly of York University. The results will be incorporated in a paper to be presented in a workshop during the 10th International Metropolis Conference to be held in Toronto, October 17-21, 2005. The Conference will be attended by delegates around the world: academicians, policy makers, government and non-government representatives, and the community-based sector. The paper will be presented by Dr. Kelly and Mila Astorga Garcia, research analyst with the City of Toronto, and former Board member of CASJ. (For information, email: casj_canada@yahoo.ca)