2019 Asia-Pacific Workshops

 

The Waters Run Red in the Philippines: Worsening Human Rights and the Filipino People’s Rising Resistance

State repression against faith leaders and human rights advocates continues to worsen under the guise of the Philippine government’s militarist response to the country’s long running civil war. In addition to President Duterte’s well renown “War on Drugs”, we have witnessed state forces enact an upsurge in attacks against the people, including the harassment and arrest of peace activists, militarization of schools and communities, and politically motivated extrajudicial killings — all with the support of 184.5 million dollars of US aid to the Philippine military and police in 2018 alone.

But there is growing resistance! Filipinos across different sectors — farmers, indigenous people, students, workers and professionals — continue to call for the Peace Talks to resume between the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and the Government of the Philippines as the most viable option to end nearly half a century of civil war and address the roots of the people’s suffering through national industrialization and genuine land reform. Join us to learn more about US policy and funding in the Philippines, the Filipino people’s resistance, and how you can respond.

Speakers:

• Ed Cubelo, Kilusang Mayo Uno,Metro Manila
• Fr. Benjamin Alforque, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart
• Deaconess Darlene Marquez-Caramanzana, Asia-Pacific Area Liaison, UMC General Board of Global Ministries