JFAV-Samahang Pilipino “Equity and Justice Through Unity“ Conference to be held on March 10-11 at UCLA in Los Angeles

Los Angeles— “Equity and Justice Through Unity“ Conference. Collectivizing our Efforts to Attain Full Recognition for Filipino World War II veterans- will be held on March 10-11, 2007 at Kerchoff Hall, UCLA in Los Angeles, CA 90095.

Gathering more momentum for the passage of the Equity Bill after the successful February 15 hearing at the US House of Representatives in Washington DC, the Filipino American community in Los Angeles led by the Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) and the Samahang Pilipino at UCLA will hold the conference .

The Veteran, Student, and Community Educational Conference is a follow-up effort to activate more pro-active advocacy for the passage of the veterans equity bill.

The Unity Conference begins at 9:00 a.m. each day at the Kerckhoff Hall at the UCLA campus. There will also be a Solidarity Night Saturday, March 10, 7:00 p.m., 100 Moore Hall UCLA Campus Los Angeles, CA 90095

Confirmed speakers are: Dr. Annalisa Enrile, Chair of Gabriela-USA; Alma Kern, president of National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NAFFAA); Atty.Arnedo Valera, Immigration and human rights lawyer: Commander Franco Arcebal, Vice President of the American Coalition of Filipino Veterans (ACFV) and JFAV. Invited speakers are: California assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, author of the Immigration Reform Act of 1990..

Eight breakout workshops will be held from the afternoon of March 10 and the morning of March 11. The workshop includes: Pilipino WWII Veteran Experience; Pilipino Women's WWII Experience; Cross-Cultural solidarity Issues; History of Activism; The Current Situation and Issues; Community Support and Organizing; The Role of the Youth and the Pilipino Experience in the U.S. Military.

The resolutions from the workshops will be discussed at the closing plenary session of the conference on March 11, 2007. The resolutions will be the basis of the action planning of JFAV for the next two years.

Historical Perspective of the Veterans struggle in Southern California

The conference will be the second to be held in Southern California since 1996. Since the late 1980s, Filipino Veterans of WWII have been struggling to be recognized and treated with the same respect and dignity as American Veterans.

People’s Community Organization for Reform and Empowerment (People’s CORE) formed JFAV as a campaign committee to gain veterans recognition on December 16, 1998. It continued the work of December 7 Movement (D7M) that launched the veterans campaign in December 7, 1993.

Samahang Pilipino at UCLA worked with the December 7 Movement and supported the veterans campaign since 1993 when Mark Pulido from Samahan became the first Filipino American UCLA student council president. Ever since Samahan has been a staunch advocate for the Filipino Veterans and the community advocacy for justice and equity.

The conference is sponsored by Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) an alliance of more than 60 campus youth, students, community and veterans organizations and the Samahang Pilipino at UCLA, the largest Filipino American student organization in the United States.

Registration is $10 for delegates and attendees.. UCLA students are FREE. Parking is $8.00 in Lot 6.

For information, please contact Al Garcia at (213) 241-0995 or see: www.myspace.com/jfavla . For registration on line@ www.waxstyles.net/jfav/jfavconference.html

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