In the midst of the worsening situation of poverty, violence and oppression facing the people of the Philippines, and as the organizing committee of Pagtatanim we prepares for our upcoming conference from June 27-28, we have paused to mourn and reflect on the life of Pope Francis. In particular we remember the late Pope’s perspective on Solidarity when he said: “Solidarity is more than a few sporadic acts of generosity. It is a call to act against the structural causes of poverty.”
Indeed, the structural causes of poverty in the Philippines are raging before us; the recent arrest of President Duterte, while a major step towards justice, speaks to the ongoing need for massive accountability of those guilty of crimes against the people; now, in the weeks leading up to the Philippine midterm elections, the US and Philippines are conducting the largest ever Balikatan exercises, further entrenching the US military hold over the Philippines and thwarting the Filipino people’s struggle for genuine national sovereignty and self-determination.
As the structural causes of the Filipino people’s suffering — foreign dominance, exploitation and impunity — intensify, we must urgently move to collection action and solidarity. The Pagtatanim Conference is coming at a critical juncture, and we invite you to join us for this webinar to hear the latest update on the situation in the Philippines, reflect on our call to build solidarity as faith communities, and give updates on this summer’s upcoming conference from June 27-28.