CASJ’s cause is the cause of all Filipinos and visible minority groups

CASJ’s cause is the cause of all Filipinos and visible minority groups

(Welcome remarks delivered at the Holiday Get-Together and Update: “Celebrating Our Solidarity with the Community” of the CASJ held on Dec. 10, 2005 at Parkdale Library in Toronto.)

By Edwin Mercurio
Chair-CASJ

Thank you very much Flor and Pempe for your introduction.

Distinguished guests, Toronto City Mayor David Miller, my colleagues, friends and supporters of the Community Alliance for Social Justice, I thank you for coming in this first Get-Together Holiday Party of CASJ.

For the past year, we have learned that it is important to take issues seriously. But today, for a change, let’s have a day of fun and we hope that you will enjoy your day with us, partake of our food and get to know our people and our community leaders.

CASJ’s cause is the cause of every Filipino or visible minority man and woman. Our commitment to the cause of social justice and the campaign to seek justice for 17-year-old Jeffrey Reodica gave us the courage and the inspiration to rally public support and organize our community.

As individuals and members of community organizations who share our commitment to Social Justice, we welcome you as CASJ representatives from various sectors of lawyers, doctors, engineers, nurses, accountants, journalists, physiotherapists, artists and workers and other professionals from various trades and professions; migrant organizations, women’s organizations and transgender groups and especially, the live-in caregiver program (LCP) participants.

Together in solidarity with the community, our own community we can make a difference. However, we must at all times have faith in our community. As one great leader once said: “The people are the real makers of history.” (MZ) But let us be guided by the proven dictum which states that “History only helps those people who help themselves.”

Our major task, henceforth, in the coming years are two-fold. First we must increase our membership and raise our membership’s grasp of our issues. Second we must resolutely build a stronger alliance of people and organizations dedicated to the pursuit of social justice and community development. By achieving these objectives, we strengthen and empower our community. Thus, we help ourselves and our collective voices may be heard by policy makers in Ottawa. In the process, we are participating in the Canadian democratic process and will earn the support and greater respect of the Canadian society.
Yes, there will be setbacks and sacrifices in the coming years. But, for all those whose problems have been our concern, our work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and our dream of a just and better society shall never die.

In closing, let me salute all of you who supported us along this journey to a better future. There were difficult moments on our journey and often we sailed against the wind. But like true sailors we read our flagship’s compass and clarified our directions. There are many of you who stayed the course and shared our hopes and our vision. You gave your help. And by doing so, you gave us hope and courage to move on. But even more, you gave us your trust, kindness, community support and solidarity.

For all these, together with the rest of CASJ’s leadership, I warmly welcome and thank you all for joining us in this journey. Mabuhay CASJ!