Pondering politics? SSCC course might be just the ticket

March 14, 2010 at 9:31 am | In West Seattle news, West Seattle politics 

Thinking of going into politics – or just need/want to understand more about how that realm works? Here’s a rare chance to learn more about the practicalities of politics – without being right in the middle of it. It’s an upcoming course just announced by South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) – read on:

Well-known former State Representative and activist Velma Veloria and educator/activist Alice Tan Coil have teamed up to offer an informative and engaging five-session course entitled Political Empowerment – Process and Strategies. The non-credit class, offered through South Seattle Community College’s Continuing Education Department, will demystify the political and policy making process, enabling students to recognize their own leadership potential, gain confidence in their ability to participate in the public sectors, and advocate for change.
By the end of this interactive course, students will have gained an understanding of party politics, running a campaign for office or an issue, fundraising and media skills, who’s who in area politics, and how to translate their own skills into a career in the political realm.
A unique feature of the course is the opportunity to interact with community leaders and learn from veteran insiders about their journeys and passion for public service. Confirmed guest speakers thus far include State Representative Phyllis Kenney, King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, Seattle City Councilmember Mike O’Brien, and former State Senator Dwight Pelz, currently chair of the Washington State Democrats. Additional speakers will be announced.
“We created this program to empower the new generation of community leaders,” said Veloria. “And we especially hope it inspires individuals from diverse racial, cultural, educational, professional, and socio-economic backgrounds – those who, in the past, may have not seen themselves as participants in the political process.”
This class is for everyone with an interest in the political process! No prior knowledge required.
Register online at www.LearnAtSouth.org, or call (260) 764-5339 for more information

FDVEC DV Vigil report

In March 1995, the Filipino community in Seattle awakened to a tragedy that would change the community in a most significant way.  The news of the violent deaths of Susanna Blackwell, her unborn child, Phoebe Dizon, and Veronica Laureta was our rude awakening that our community was not exempt from that foreign, detached phrase “domestic violence”.  We were able to finally give a name to what we vaguely described as “some private marital problems” when we hear our neighbor screaming for mercy amidst the banging and clanging of pots and pans, when we see a friend wearing sunglasses in the rain because she is embarrassed to show her blackeye, or a cousin yelling obscenities to his wife everyday.  No more will we avert our eyes to the unexplained bruises inn our sisters’ legs, or close our ears to the nightly crying and sobbing because a drunken husband is cursing his wife again.

The death of Susanna Blackwell and her friends was a major breakthrough in our acceptance of the fact that among us in the Filipino community walk predators and victims of domestic violence.  It suddenly and surely woke us up to the realization that some of our beloved traditions have prevented us from confronting the truth that domestic violence is present in our community.  Values such as saving face, hiya or not bringing shame to the family, and not interfering with the private lives of other people kept us from recognizing the painful truth.  We vowed that we will work together so that there will not be another tragedy like the Susanna Blackwell murders.  We vowed to say NO to Violence against women!

Thanks to the API Safety Center, our leaders, then our members, went through training regarding Domestic Violence 101.  We started a Filipino Domestic Violence Education Committee, in partnership with the API Safety Center to continue educating our members and to train natural helpers.  We bond together to help survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking.  Survivors socialize with us at the community center and the most important change is that, unlike before, there is no stigma attached to the female survivor anymore.  No more do we point to victims of domestic violence behind their backs and snicker at them.  Now, we see them as human victims in need of kindness, love, and compassion.

We continue to receive calls for help.  Now we have a culturally competent program and staff to refer them to.  And now, we are able to proudly hold our heads up high and say”  The Filipino Community of Seattle will not tolerate violence against our women and children”.

Ugnayan Meeting

Jan 25, 2010

6pm-8pm

Facilitator: FilSTAR, Jeff Rice & Chera Amlag

Agenda:

Attendees:

Jeff Rice, Chera Amlag, Bill Simpson, Aurora Turla, Efren Pascua, Gloria Adams, Minnie Labonete Erickson, Kristine Kanno, Art Ceriza, Maria Batayola, Esther Simpson, Bert Caoili, Ciony Caoili, Eddie Abellera, Katrina Pestano, Francisco Irigon, Alma Kern

1. Domestic Violence - APIWFSC is looking for a new executive director. 2. Save the Date - March 4, 2010 Vigil .

3.Finance Report by Art Ceniza - Times are still tough. Companies such as Walmart, Erickson announced lay offs. When the economy is down, there are lower profits, thus smaller organizations. New Mayor McGinn just started a “task force” to investigate lay offs for managerial positions in the city. McGinn is also hosting a citizen budget workshop this Sunday. Stock market is holding steady. Seattle housing market is decent relative to the rest of the county. The first time homebuyers tax credit is available until June 2010. This tax credit has helped keep housing sales up. Retail sales were up 3.5 points this past December. Best  time to invest. However, employment is not improving much. Unemployment continues to rise. Be cautiously optimistic.

4.   Education by Minnie Labonete Erickson, FAEW - FAEW has been busy since the beginning of the school year. Met with State Superintendent Randy Dorn this past October and discussed concerns/issues regarding Filipino youth. There is a big gap between Filipino and other SE Asian youth. HS drop out rates continue to be high. Last week, FAEW met with Seattle city council member Betty Patu and discussed same issues regarding Fil youth. FAEW will be meeting this week on Thur, Jan 28th at 5pm with Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson. Please join FAEW in school board meetings as well to discuss new school zone plans.  FAEW is currently busy with Pagdiriwang - Excellence in Education, Literacy and Musical contest, Gloria Award, and Scholarship through Barber’s family donation. Lastly, FAEW will be holding their annual fundraising event on March 12th at China Buffet - $25 per person, half goes to FAEW.

5. Health and Heathcare by Esther Simpson - A new republican senator from Boston was recently elected. His addition to the senate may water down the health care bill or die all together. The swine flu is dwindling in numbers. However, there are still a lot of vaccines through DOH. Be sure to get your swine flu shot. Children and teenagers are more at-risk.

6.  Kultura, a monthly event is held at the FCC every third Friday. Previous themes have been “Frayed” - horror film, Arts and Crafts, and Emerging Writers. The last event on Emerging Artists had 30 audience members and talented young writers from Youth Speaks,  Richard Hugo House, and Youngstown Performing Arts Center. Please get the word out about the next Kultura on Friday, Feb 19th with Pinay Sa Seattle and FCS. The theme is on domestic violence.

7.   Immigration - Nothing is happening until the Health Care reform is done. OneAmerica has been active to put on workshops regarding immigration.

8.Veterans A lot of veterans have already received their one time lump sum payment, while some have passed. The deadline to apply for benefits is Feb 10th. Veterans are encouraged to submit a partial application even if they don’t have all the paperwork so it can be submitted before the deadline. Hopefully, now the re-unification bill can be worked on. It’s already been introduced into the House. There’s talk about a campaign to allow wives of vets who have passed away to also receive benefits. However, knowing the economy don’t know if this will happen. Esther is working with Gloria Adams and Sluggo Rigor on writing about vets in Pamana III.

9.   FACES coordinated with other organizations of color to submit a paper? on the importance of race and social justice issues within the City. The mayor wants to cut 200 management positions. Keep an eye out and engaged in the issues because there are Filipino empoyees classified as managers even though they help create policies.

10. Feb 8th - API Reception for McGinn. Email Frank Irigon or Maria Batayola if you want to attend.

11. The Pamana III project is underway. The book will be 9 1/2 by 13 1/2 wide landscape. The time period will be from 2000-2009. It will be a coffee book with pictures and inclusive to different topics and writers from the greater Seattle at large. Families, organizations, individuals are encouraged to purchase a page. Each page is $300. Half page and quarter page “ads” are also available. New Editor in Chief Bert Caoili

12 .Katrina Pestano was introduced as the new FilSTAR youth program Coordinator. She interviewed last week and her first day is today. She will have consistent hours at the FCC and will be coordinating a new grant from the City of Seattle Neighborhood Matching Fund called “Southend Pipeline to Success” mentorship program along with the Saturday Academic Program. Katrina shared her background and values she brings tot he FCS. The mentorship program will be a layered mentorship program including college students and young professional mentoring high school students, and high school students mentoring middle school students. The high school students will receive up to $1,000 for their services, thus providing work opportunities for our youth. The kick off event for this program will be on Feb 18th at the FCC from 6pm-8pm.

FAEW expressed their willingness and commitment to support and collaborate with FilSTAR and described the importance of partnering up with teachers when offering youth programs. Gloria Adams also shared her experience with a similar tutoring/mentoring program 10 years ago that was successful. She mentioned that offering a stipend to youth helped retain them in the program. FAEW invited Katrina to meet with them and attend the meeting with Seattle Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johson this Thurs, Jan 28th. Katrina will attend.

FilSTAR also expressed their interest in partnering with different community individuals and organizations and explained how partnerships is necessary in the success of the program. Ugnayan members present showed great support and offered different contact who may be helpful in our programming: Butch Castro (UW Prof of Nursing), FLOW, Fil-American Engineers c/o Baby Turla, Boeing Company (Dwight D. Manaca), Art (financial literacy), Efren (Hands on Banking), Filipinos of Microsoft, LEAP, etc.

FilSTAR will be emailing further information regarding programs.

Announcements:

-  IDIC: New President Eddie Abellera is re-structuring IDIC in all policies. They went to Olympia to speak on House Bill 1816 because IDIC is looking into vacated schools as a possible site. IDIC is working on strategic planning for the next 5 years, creating alliances, code of ethics. IDIC also wants to have satellite offices in the North end and is currently looking for funding.

-  Maria Batayola asked how the community can support. Talks of sits ins in vacated schools with elderly was had. Gloria Adams mentioned how she is happy that we are in the company of people with some sort of activism. Maria B. will send APIC agenda for Feb 4th. There will be a Filipino contingent traveling by bus to Olympia. IDIC will already be there. IDIC is an issue to discuss with legislatures during APIC. THe bus is leaving at 8am on time.

-  Frank Irigion is scheduled to travel to Washington DC next month for NAPAFASA. Let him know about issues you want him to present.

-  How to survive economic crisis - Feb 6th 10am-12pm @ FCC- Let’s Get Smart Series.

-  Feb 11th - Meet with Director of Washington State Office  USDA Rural Dev’t @ El Centro de la Raza. Filipino farmers are having a hard time accessing capital to continue growing our food.

Next months Ugnayan Meeting is on Mon, Feb 22nd. Topic is on Census - 6-8pm. See you all there!

Filipino Domestic Violence Education Committee

Community Outreach-Natural Helper

Filipino Community of Seattle

Submitted by Myrna Victoriano

NARRATIVE  REPORT 2009

§       Completed Natural Helpers Training with the FCS Board.

§       Participated in all Ugnayan monthly meetings to keep community leaders and members informed of activities of FDVEC. Also gave a mini-presentation about Domestic Violence.

§       E-mail communications consistently of important events about Domestic Violence and any current bills and legislative actions are communicated in a timely manner.

§       Emma Catague, project coordinator, was able to make three presentations to three different organizations in Tacoma and the Bremerton area. Still difficult to arrange a presentation during organizations’ meeting. Our goal was to make at least 10 presentations. Our Ugnayan participation served as our outreach to the Community.

§       We are getting calls at FCS and calls are being referred accordingly. We probably get about 5-10 calls. We also get calls from the law enforcement community. Most recently, some are using our FCS website e-mail address to get to us.

§       Our advisers are FCS Pres. Alma Q. Kern and FCS Adviser Bert Caoili.

GOALS FOR 2010

1.     Continue to attend Ugnayan monthly meeting.

2.     The Asian & Pacific Islander Women & Family Safety Center has been committed to holding an annual vigil to remember the women and others whose lives were destroyed by violence before and since this event. On March 4, 2010 the 15th Annual Candlelight Vigil will be held for this purpose at the King County Courthouse.

3.     Comedy Night in July 2010 as our FDVEC fundraiser and this year, it will coincide with FCS Appreciation Night for our FIL-AM SPD Police officers.

It is scheduled for July 10, 2010, Saturday night.

4.     Will do at least 5 presentations to 5 different Fil-Am organizations.

5.     Continue to participate in Fil-Am community organized events like Pista Sa Nayon, Pagdiriwang and others.

6.     Continue to be the voice to prevent and stop Domestic violence in our own community.