Canada Pinoy youths show devotion for homeland, seek unity

By Artemio Borba
Ontario-Canada
September 20, 2016



According to Rhea Gamana, Anakbayan is building a progressive association with more focused alternative. She also said that Filipino youth are among the sectors which are socially disadvantaged.

“Thousands of young Filipinos are being displaced due to the persisting unemployment, poverty, hunger, and landlessness in the Philippines,” says Gamana.

Sulong Kabataan! addresses these problems by building on youth’s capacity to address major challenges in their local neighbourhoods, workplaces, and campuses.

Moreover, the group said that the country's history can prove how young Filipinos are important figures in making moments that change its course - "from labour, campus, gender and environmental issues."

Canada’s head of state Justin Trudeau is concurrently the Minister of Youth. In July, Mr. Trudeau announced the plan to create the Prime Minister’s Youth Council composed of 16 to 24 years old youth “to help shape the future of Canadian policy.”

According to leadnow.ca, a Canadian youth-driven campaigning organization, though the number of young people who voted went up in the last election, voices of younger generations are still either not heard nor translated in policies.

Anakbayan will launch Sulong Kabataan! to voice out the young Filipino perspectives as diasporic youth in Canada. The group also wants to connect their stories with indigenous peoples and to bridge them outside traditional political process.

As the conference is set to happen on November 18-20 in the University of Toronto, the next few weeks ramps up with build-up activities. Members of Anakbayan in the tri-cities of Toronto, Ottawa Montreal have already confirmed co-facilitate workshops. Migrante Youth from both sides of the Rockies, B.C. and Alberta, have also been raising funds for their participation.

Set on the weekend of the observance of November 17th as International Students Day, the conference aims to spark a strong movement of Filipino youth and students across the country.