Ninotchka Rosca in Toronto for launch of Jose Ma. Sison’s political bio

Ninotchka Rosca in Toronto for launch of Jose Ma. Sison’s political bio

TORONTO–Internationally-acclaimed journalist and novelist   Ninotchka Rosca will be in Toronto February 12 for the launching of the book Jose Maria Sison: At Home in the World – Portrait of a Revolutionary.  This is her latest work co-authored with Jose Ma. Sison, founding chairperson of the re-established Communist Party of the Philippines in 1968, himself an award-winning poet and writer.  The Philippine Women Centre of Ontario sponsors the launch.

Of the book, Philippine Senate Majority Floor Leader Loren Legarda said, “This political biography of Professor Jose Maria Sison is thought-provoking and a necessary read for Filipinos and other people interested in current affairs… Professor Sison is a long time advocate of justice and human rights. His patriotic and progressive motivations, experience and views, as unfolded by the book, are enlightening…”

Sison has been put on the terrorist list by the United States, the European Union and Canada. Since 1987, he has resided in the Netherlands where he is seeking asylum as a political refugee. He is chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines in the peace talks with the Philippine government. A worldwide solidarity campaign to defend his democratic rights has been launched.

Ramsey Clark, Former Attorney General of the United States says, “Those who are working to stop the unbridled aggression against the world that has been unleashed by the Bush White House should make every effort to defend Professor Jose Maria Sison, and to support the Filipino people as they struggle to defend sovereignty and build peace.”

Ninotchka has authored six books: her short story collections that include Bitter Country and The Monsoon Collection; her two novels – State of War and Twice Blessed which earned the 1993 American Book Award for excellence in literature; and her books of non-fiction Endgame: The Fall of Marcos and the most recent, Jose Maria Sison: At Home in the World – Portrait of a Revolutionary.

Co-sponsored by the Philippine Network for Justice and Peace, Filipino Canadian Youth Network, Philippine Solidarity Group and Filipino Workers Support Committee, the book launch will be held from 2:00-4:00 p.m. Saturday Feb. 12 at the Peace Lounge, 7th floor of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education on Bloor St. West (between St. George and Bedford Streets).  Books will be there for signing by the author and for sale at $25.  For information call Joy or Yolyn at (416) 878-8772.

On the trafficking of women, press freedom

On Friday evening Feb. 11, 6 p.m. also at the OISE, she will be speaking on “Globalization and the Trafficking of Women.  Rosca is international spokesperson of GABRIELA’s Purple Rose Campaign against the trafficking of women, with an emphasis on Filipino women. GABRIELA is an anti-imperialist and democratic alliance of women’s organizations in the Philippines.

Rosca, who is visiting Toronto Feb. 11-13, has published articles and essays in such publications as The Village Voice, Q, MS Magazine, The Nation, and Internationale.

She has also been invited by Filipino community newspapers The Philippine Reporter and Balita on Sunday, Feb. 13 at 2:00 p.m. to speak in a forum on the topic  “How Free is the Philippine Press?”  at the Filipino Centre Toronto, 597 Parliament Street East in Toronto.

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