Thursday, May 31, 2007

Babaylan Europe Country Representatives Meeting and Training




Babaylan, The Philippine Women' s Network in Europe is holding
its Country Representatives meeting with a Basic Women's
Orientation Training for network members this coming weekend
June 1 - 3, 2007
in Kohlhof, near Mannheim.

This is a part of Babaylan Europe-wide activities in
celebrating its 15th year of networking with the theme:

Migration, Gender and Development

If interested in membership to the network, please inquire
from your country Babaylan member organizations.
For Germany: please email
babaylanes@gmx.de

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Network of the Imaginary Mother

Blessed be my brain
that I may conceive of my own power.
Blessed be my breast
that I may give sustenance to those I love.
Blessed be my womb
that I may create what I choose to create.
Blessed be my knees
that I may bend so as not to break.
Blessed be my feet
that I may walk in the path of my highest will.

Robin Morgan

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Philippine Election Special

30 Foreigners joining poll observer mission

by
Nonoy Espina
Inquirer.net

Manila, Philippines--Thirty observers from 13 countries
are arriving in the country to join an election observer
mission that will visit 13 areas in eight regions where voters
harassment has reportedly been intensifying and where
the probability of fraud was high, organizers said Wednesday.

Among the initiators of the International Observer Mission (IOM),
a statement from the organizers said, were Bishop Elmer Bolocon
of the United Church of Christ of the Philippines, Dr. Edelina de la Paz,
assistant professor of the College of Medicine of the University of
the Philippines; and Ms. Trixie Concepcion, secretary general of
the Advocates of Science and Technology for the People.

The mission will run from May 13 to 15.

This IOM is also supported by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan
(Bayan, New Patriotic Alliance), Karapatan (Alliance for the
Advancement of People's Rights), Promotion of Church People's
Response, Health Alliance for Democracy, and the Health Alliance
for Human Rights, among others.

The mission participants are parliamentarians, lawyers, church
leaders, members of the academe and media, artists, civil
libertarians, professionals, students and human rights advocates
from Canada, the USA, Japan, Myanmar, Korea, Malaysia,
Australia, Norway, Belgium, Germany, Scotland, Venezuela,
and Columbia.

For complete story, please click Inquirer

Monday, May 07, 2007

A short Primer on May 2007 Senatorial and Party-List Elections

From the Philippine Embassy Bonn Extension Office, came
today, this mail with A Short Primer regarding the
May 14, 2007 Senatorial and Party-List Elections
for Overseas Absentee Voting

1) When is the election? 14 May 2007
2) For what positions is the Election in May 2007 conducted?
(12) Senators and Party-List Representatives
3) Who are entitled to vote? All Filipino nationals who
are Registered Overseas Absentees Voters (i.e. their
names appear in the Certified List of Overseas Absentee
Voters or CLOAV)
4) How do I know if I am a duly registered overseas absentee
voter in Bonn? You may check if your name is listed in
the 2007 Certified List of Overseas Absentee Voters
(CLOAV) available at the official Comelec website
www.comelec.gov.ph. Or you may call the Philippine
Embassy Bonn Extension Office. The CLOAV is also
posted at the Embassy.
5) When is the voting period for overseas absentee voters
in Germany? From 14 April to 14 May 2007.
6) Who are the candidates for Senators and Party-List
Representatives? The official list of candidates for
Senators and Party-list Representatives are posted
in the Comelec website mentioned above. It is also posted
at the Embassy and will also be provided by Comelec
in the electoral mails to be sent to individual voters.
7) What is a Party-List Representation? It is a system of
representation that was put in place to enable small
political parties and marginalized and underrepresented
sectors in society to have chance to participate in the
work of the Legislature, i.e. House of Representatives.
Only the name of the sectoral party, group or organization
shall be written by the voter on the space provided for
party-list representative in the ballot.
8)What is the mode of voting in Germany?
Postal voting, which means voters can now fill out their
ballots at home and send them to the Embassy via mail.
If they wish, they may also bring and submit personally
their filled out ballots to the Embassy.
9) How will voters be able to cast their vote under the new
system of postal voting? Voters will receive a mailing/packet
envelope from Comelec that contains the ballots and the
envelopes to seal/deliver the ballots. It also contains the
Certified List of Candidates for Senator and Party-List Groups
or Organization as well as instructions which provide the
step-by-step procedues on how voter will be able to cast
his/her vote.
When is the opening time of the Embassy Extension Office
in Bonn for those who want to personally get and/or submit
their accomplished ballot? From 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
(from Monday to Friday, including Saturdays, Sundays and
holidays during the period of election.)

When is the last day and time for submission of ballots at the
Philippine Embassy Bonn Extension Office in order for them
to be considered valid and included for counting?
The ballot must be received by the Embassy not later than
3:00PM (Philippine time) on 14 May 2007 (i.e. 9:00 AM
German time) in order that they may be considered as valid
and be included for conting. Ballots submitted after the
cut-0ff time will be automatically considered as invalid.

For further information: Please call the Philippine
Embassy Bonn Extension Office at telephone
0228.267990 or email:bonn-eo@philippine-embassy.de
pebonneo@yahoo.com

Overseas voting starts April 14

Washington, D.C.
The Philippine Embassy has released the
guidelines provided by the Commission on
Elections for overseas Filipino voters
participation in the May 14, 2007 Senatorial
and Party-List Elections.

Tuason said, that of the 504,110 OFWs
registered as overseas absentee voters, 191,760
are in Asia, Pacific Countries, 218,260 are in the
Middle East, 27,240 are in North and South America,
and 48,446 are in Europe.

Please click on manilamail for the complete
article.

May 14, 2007 Election

"Universal suffrage almost inevitably leads to
government by mass bribery, an auction
of the wordly goods of the unrepresented
minority."
R. Ingrams