Pinay Kaleidoscope: The Week About Children

Pinay Kaleidoscope: The Week About Children

Pinay Kaleidoscope: Re-learning Women's Solidarity from the Elephants

Pinay Kaleidoscope: Re-learning Women's Solidarity from the Elephants

mgbanal ni Emmanuel Garibay

We would like to thank Manny Garibay for giving
us his permission to post some of his paintings
here in our site. For more of his images, please
see www.emmanuelgaribay.com

Friday, the 13th, I am here to say*

Friday the 13th

I don´t have a poem for you-
I have an announcement

Friday the thirteenth is a sacred
not a dangerous day.

The rumor of this day´s curse reverses
once again what´s sacred and profane,
one more way that women in this wayward age
are fucked. And it´s not just women out of luck.
also the body you live, in the soil
which succors you, the water which washes
you, the earth cradling your feet.

Regarding Friday the thirteenth, I´m here to say
there´s nothing to fear, do not be afraid.
Do not capitulate to complicity in the
conspiracy of fear fomented by some
shriveled 16th century Christian monks

who devised the idea to name this day
bad luck, campaigning to tame the lusty
country folk and terminate their traditions
honoring the land ("Pagans" the Christians
called them, meaning "peasants," and "civilians" -
not soldiers in the wars of Christ.)

Friday is and was Freya´s day, the Sabbath day,
the day to honor Freya, Earth´s daughter,
Venus of the north, she who feeds us from
the bounty of Her fertile fields, who
warms the hearth, heats our passion,
heartens our home, who blesses our newborn,
makes our babies hale, guides our spinning hand,
heals us with Her seeds and herbs.

Thirteen is Freya´s sacred number-
the number of mooncycles to the year,
the count of times each year a woman bleeds.

Thirteen cannot be conquered, divided,
not compromised. It´s wild, eccentric,
erratic, ecstatic, beyond the tyrant´s
reach, past captivity, a jumping off
place, the threshold from which we tip
over into other worlds. Thirteen is the
triple goddess-maiden, mother, crone-
standing upon the pinnacle often the
power of transformation.

On Friday the 13th, I´m here to say
Do not be afraid. Do not give way
to fearing, or degrading-

woman, moon, body, birth, bleeding, earth.

When you cast us into darkness,
you empower us to haunt you.

*taken from:www.honoringyourbelly.com

*

A Letter of Hope, From a Filipino Chaplain in Berlin

Mga Minamahal kong Kababayan,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Una sa lahat ay binabati ko kayong lahat at ang inyong mga mahal
sa buhay ng isang maligayang pagdiriwang ng muling pagkabuhay
ni Kristo! Wishing you all a happy and grace-filled Easter from the
Philippine Community in Berlin!

It is with great joy that I am writing this personal letter to YOU on the
occasion of the Resurrection of Christ-an event full of new life, renewed
vision and promise of lasting hope. Let me share with you some of my
reflections after my meaningful third-year stay as your brother,
companion and chaplain in Berlin.

We are all PILGRIMS. We share the same faith. In this faith, we find our
home. The faith which we have inherited from our parents and relatives
back home grows even beyond the boundaries of our country. It is
consoling to think that we, Filipinos have continued to express our
spirituality even in foreign lands. We are a people in pilgrimage.
We share this same journey with our many kababayans all over the
world. We even inspire other non-Filipinos with our piety and
religious traditions. Indeed, in our faith, we find a home.

We are all MIGRANTS. Many of us have left our beloved country
for economic reasons. You are not alone. We have kababayans in almost
200 countries! Many of them have risked their lives for the welfare of
their loved ones in the Philippines. The Church sees this reality and
shares the problems and uncertainties of many Filipino migrants.
We, therefore, create a community where we could feel that "sense of
being at home." Our community is a place where we pray, share, meet
and celebrate. The joy and hope in our heart always find positive
expressions when we get together.

We have a rich EXPERIENCE. Everytime I go home for vacation and
tell others that I live in Berlin, many of them express their admiration.
"Wow, napakapalad mo naman nasa abroad ka!" Then I begin to realize
how blessed, indeed, am I! I am blessed with the many opportunities that
are not in my home country. It is a great opportunity to see another
world to meet other people. These make me grow as a person and as
a missionary. Let us continue to discover and be thankful for these rich
experiences!

We can enrich OTHERS. Each of us has always something to share.
Perhaps your faith, your time, your services, your love...We only have to
open our heart to those who hunger for God and those who long for
friendship and love. We are a poor nation but our love overflows...
That is something we can share with others. Open your heart to those
who need you. You can enrich this world even with your little good
works and your sincere smile.

We have our WEAKNESSESS. We recognize that we have our
weaknesses and failures. This is the very reason why Christ died for us -
to make us strong in the midst of the challenges in life. In Him, we are
courageous. Together with him, we can do many things even beyond
our human capacity. We recognize our weaknesses but don`t stop there.
We always exert renewed efforts to be a better person-better father,
mother, child, leader or friend.

We are not ALONE. Sometimes, we feel that we are alone, that nobody
understands or cares for us. Life in another country can be so demanding
and depressing. There are times when we feel that we are stranger-that
we cannot simply do the things we used to do at home. We are not free.
Yes, we realize that being in another country, entails sacrifice and even
dying to one`s self.
For some, this means detachment from his or her own family, friends,
culture, traditions, food and security. But in all these experiences,
you are never alone! There are a lot of kababayans who are willing to
help and comfort you. Once a kababayan, always a kababayan.
You can count on us. Find a person whom you can reveal your secrets -
a true friend who accepts and understands you.

We can build a COMMUNITY. One German social worker admires
the organizational talent of Filipinos. True enough, we can easily
form groups and organizations. This shows that we are a people-
oriented folk. There are positive and negative sides of it. But let me
focus on the positive ones. Our community is an avenue where we can
share our talents and bridge our regional differences. Our community
is open to all. We share our colorful Filipino dances, delicious food
and deep religiousity not only to other Filipinos but also to many
non-Filipinos. We always aspire to be open and spontaneous, flexible
and cooperative - qualities which make a community grow and glow.

We open our arms in WELCOME. Our community is a place where
every Pinoy and non-Pinoy feels welcomed and accepted. Hospitality
is one of our many positive values. We open not only our churches
but also our hearts. And we don`t stop there. We continue to
live a truly welcoming community through reaching out to others.
We invite them to come and share their stories with us. We give
space for people to grow and be themselves. We show that we are
a real Christian community in being kind and hospitable.

We are a FAMILY. We show to others that we care for them That
we are ready to forgive. That we are instruments not of division but
unity and peace. Indeed, we are a family and call each other our brother
and sister in faith. We envision our community as a family where
each member respects, trusts and loves each other. Let us show to
others that this is possible! For even if most of us live far from their
families, we can still create a big, happy and harmonious family of God
in Berlin.

Let me conclude this Letter of Hope by thanking you for being a part of our
community-for the time, service and understanding you have shown me and
our community members. Let us continue to build this OUR community, or
big family in Berlin. Only through your prayer, support and love could we be
a community radiating the hope of the Risen Christ.
This is my and your mission in Berlin!
Mabuhay ang Sambayanan! Mabuhay ang bawa´t Pilipino!

Lubos na nagmamahal at bumabati,

Fr. Don

Thoughts on Good Friday

The Sin of Omission
by Margaret E. Sangster

It isn't the thing you do dear,
It's the thing you leave undone,
That gives you a bit of heartache
At setting of the sun.
The tender word forgotten,
The letter you did not write,
The flowers you did not send, dear
Are your haunting ghosts to-night.

The stone you might have lifted
Out of a brother's way,
The bit of heartsome counsel
You were hurried too much to say;
The loving touch of the hand, dear,
The gentle and winsome tone,
Which you had no time nor thought for,
With troubles enough of you own.

Those little acts of kindness,
So easily out of mind;
Those chances to be angels
Which every one may find--
They come in night and silence--
Each chill, reproachful wraith--
When hope is faint and flagging
And a blight has dropped on faith.

For life is all too short, dear
And sorrow is all too great;
To suffer our slow compassion
That tarries until too late;
And it's not the thing you do, dear,
It's the thing you leave undone,
Which gives you a bit of heartache
At the setting of the sun.

Landas ng Liwanag, A San Lorenzo Ruiz Play

The Tropa ng Kabataang Pinoy sa Deutschland is presenting a play
on the life of San Lorenzo Ruiz at the Internationales Zentrum,
Stolzestrasse 1a, Köln.
The play is a project of the Tropa ng Kabataang Pinoy sa Deutschland
in cooperation with the Filipino Community in the Archdiocese of
Cologne.

Playdates:
April 13, 2007, Friday 19:00
April 14, 2007, Saturday 19:00

For more information:
0221-560 460

iz-stolzestrasse@caritas-koeln.de
www.caritas-koeln.de

Babaylan Germany Celebrates IWD 2007 with Film Bata, Bata Paano Ka Ginawa?

(photo Elda Weiss, ML)
In celebration of this year's International Women's Day,
Philippine Women's Forum e.V./Babaylan Germany
and Babaylanes Internationales sponsored a private
showing of Lualhati Bautista's story "Bata, Bata
Paano Ka Ginawa?" starring Vilma Santos,
Albert Martinez, Ariel Rivera, Raymond Bagatsing,
Carlo Aquino and Serena Dalrymple with Chito
Rono as director on March 09, 2007 at the
International Center Stolzestrasse in Köln.
The all women's gathering was also the start of
a series of planned activities of Babaylan Germany
in celebration of the 15th anniversary of Babaylan,
The Philippine Women's Network in Europe with
the theme: Gender, Migration and Development.
Part of the program was the announcement of the
official launching of the website of Babaylan Europe
www.babaylan-europe.org on March 8, 2007.
A brief exchange of comments about the film followed
with the women agreeing to set an extra gathering to
discuss on the role of women as mother and the importance
of her own identity as individual. It was followed
by a small salosalo and the welcoming of new full
pledged members of philippine women`s forum.

Some inspiring one liners in the film as said by Lea,
the main character in the story played by Vilma Santos:
* What is important is what one has in mind and heart
and not his/her appearance.
* Hindi ikinakahiya ang katotohanan. One should not
feel embarrassed to tell the truth.
* Pag ikinakahiya, hindi dapat ginagawa. If one feels
shame about doing something, then one should
not do it at all.
* Bakit ang dalawang babae ng isang lalake, pag
nagkaharap, nag-aaway? Pag hindi sila nag-away,
parang hindi normal? Pero bakit yun dalawang
asawa kong lalake, nang nagkaharap sila, ako
ang inaway? Nagkampihan sila, inaway ako?
(When two women of a man meet, they claw
each other? if they don´t fight each other, it
does not look normal? When my two husbands
met each other, they ganged up on me!)
* Sa kanilang pagtatalik, nasusudsud sana ng
ari ng lalake ang kaluluwa ng babae. Makita
niya yun lihim ng babae na hindi nasasabi ng bibig.
*If I clung on you forever, I would have lost
myself. How could you live with someone
who has no identity? How could that woman
be a good mother if she herself has no identity?
* The most important question is how would
parents raise their children for them to grow up
to become just, decent and humane beings. For if
they were molded as such, then we would have by
now, a just, decent humane society that we could
proudly pass on to you all.

* Let us reach for the stars and make our collective
dreams come true.

Our thanks and appreciate go to Hans and Vanessa
Zarm for lending us their beamer and cd player for
our film evening.

My deep gratitude to my girlfriend Cecilia Rubio
Apolinario for giving me this CD film Bata, Bata Paano
Ka Ginawa. It has touched many women like she has
touched many lives of migrant women in Italy.
She will be dearly missed by her friends. We will always
keep the beautiful memories we had together as childhood
friends and as migrant women working abroad for the love
of their children.

International Women's Day March 08

International Women's Day (8 March) is an occasion marked by women's groups around the world. This date is also commemorated at the United Nations and is designated in many countries as a national holiday. When women on all continents, often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences, come together to celebrate their Day, they can look back to a tradition that represents at least nine decades of struggle for equity, justice, peace and development.

International Women's Day is the story of ordinary women as makers of history; it is rooted in the centuries-old struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men. In ancient Greece, Lysistrata initiated a sexual strike against men in order to end war; during the French Revolution, Parisian women calling for "liberty, equality, fraternity" marched on Versailles to demand women's suffrage.

The idea of an International Women's Day first arose at the turn of the century, which in the industrialized world was a period of expansion and turbulence, booming population growth and radical ideologies. Following
is a brief chronology of the most important events:

1909

In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Women's Day was observed across the United States on 28 February. Women continued to celebrate it on the last Sunday of that month through 1913.

1910

The Socialist International, meeting in Copenhagen, established a Women's Day, international in character, to honour the movement for women's rights and to assist in achieving universal suffrage for women. The proposal was greeted with unanimous approval by the conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, which included the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament. No fixed date was selected for the observance.

1911

As a result of the decision taken at Copenhagen the previous year, International Women's Day was marked for the first time (19 March) in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, where more than one million women and men attended rallies. In addition to the right to vote and to hold public office, they demanded the right to work, to vocational training and to an end to discrimination on the job.

Less than a week later, on 25 March, the tragic Triangle Fire in New York took the lives of more than 140 working girls, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This event had a significant impact on labour legislation in the United States, and the working conditions leading up to the disaster were invoked during subsequent observances of International Women's Day.

1913-1914

As part of the peace movement brewing on the eve of World War 1, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. Elsewhere in Europe, on or around 8 March of the following year, women held rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity with their sisters.

1917

With 2 million Russian soldiers dead in the war, Russian women again chose the last Sunday in February to strike for "bread and peace". Political leaders opposed the timing of the strike, but the women went on anyway. The rest is history: Four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. That historic Sunday fell on 23 February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia, but on 8 March on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere.

Since those early years, International Women's Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women's movemeny, which has been strengthened by four global United Nations women's conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point for coordinated efforts to demand women's rights and participation in the political and economic process.
Increasingly, International Women's Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of women's rights.

The role of the United Nations

Few causes promoted by the United Nations have generated more intense and widespread support than the campaign to promote and protect the equal rights of women. The Charter of the United Nations, signed in San Francisco in 1945, was the first international agreement to proclaim gender equality as a fundamental human right. Since then, the Organization has helped create a historic legacy of internationally agreed strategies, standards, programmes and goals to advance the status of women worldwide.

Over the years, United Nations action for the advancement of women has taken four clear directions: promotion of legal measures; mobilization of public opinion and international action; training and research, including the compilation of gender desegregated statistics; and direct assistance to disadvantaged groups. Today a central organizing principle of the work of the United Nations is that no enduring solution to society's most threatening social, economic and political problems can be found without the full participation, and the full empowerment, of the world's women.

A reprint from UN. Org
Department of Public Information

International Women's Day Celebration

(photo: www.partyguideonline.com)

BABAYLANES INTERNATIONALES
Philippine Women's Forum e.V. (Babaylan Germany)

Invite you to their 2007 Celebration of the
International Women's Day (March 08)

with a private film showing of
"Bata, Bata Paano Ka Ginawa?"
starring Vilma Santos

and a small gathering on
Friday, March 09, 2007
from 18:00 at the Internationaleszentrum Stolzestrasse
Stolzestrasse 1, Köln