Levy Abad's Articles and Poems: December 2017

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Christmas, A Subversive Gift!

Winnipeg Ethnic News Vol.1 Issue No.1 , December 15, 2017

The Diversity Times December 9, 2017

Levy Abad

What's wrong with Christmas trees, colourful lights, buying and giving gifts for our loved ones? While I was reflecting on the answer to this question, I was reminded of the song of Michael Jackson, Give Love on Christmas Day. Whether one is a Catholic, Orthodox, a member of the United Church of Canada, mainstream, protestant or evangelical, each has his or her way of celebrating Christmas usually by giving gifts. With this tradition comes the commercialization of Christmas, which others see as opportunistic and shunned by some people. Well, who’s to blame? The Christmas business is just an offshoot of the collective psyche of people rooted in a two thousand year old tradition called Christianity. Opportunities like this cannot escape the dynamics of capitalism.

Take out the concept of life, liberation and redemption as a gift of God, rooted in the scripture and what would we be celebrating? John 3:16 says that "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Indeed, the birth of Jesus triggered changes in consciousness.

All Christendom or even other belief systems share the idea that it is better to give than to receive. This is the time of the year that most migrants all over the world will be sending gifts to their loved ones in line with the Christmas tradition. Christmas is continuously observed so that the elementary message of giving will be ingrained in society. Who cares whether it is the actual Christmas or just a theological one, as long as the tradition of giving gifts to loved ones is continued and observed.

Matthew 5:29 says, "If your eye (evil eye / ayin raah) causes you to sin, you must tear it out at once and cast it from you.” This verse is about the concept of good eye and evil eye, which most people misunderstood without digging into the Hebraic / Aramaic idiomatic root of the concept. The evil eye referred to by Matthew is about stinginess or greediness. If one is stingy, how could a person do acts of righteousness, compassion and mercy, among other things? All these revolutionary values start out with giving without expecting anything in return, the true meaning of Christianity. Essentially, activism is the spirit of Christmas done everyday.

Jesus’ birth two thousand years ago is a gift of life. He led a revolutionary life that ended in crucifixion (martyrdom) for the salvation of many. Hundreds of years ago, Caesar was considered the son of God, but with the birth of Jesus and the life that Jesus led, the Roman Empire crumbled in a protracted manner. Caesar is no more, but Rome, as the seat of Christendom and all its “strands,” still stands. What greatest gift can one ask for aside from this?

Majority of the apostles offered their lives as part of the story of remembrance and resistance, a subversive memory of giving and selfless love. With this great message, let us celebrate the holiday season by remembering our friends and those who cannot celebrate Christmas because of their current situation. Let us offer gifts and embrace the spirit of sharing, giving and of letting go, of embracing life by sharing it. It is only through this that we can experience the true meaning of this season. Every gift that we give is like a seed that grows in the heart of the giver and receiver. It is the only way to freedom, the radical nature of truth, and the liberation of life. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

( This article was originally published under the title ,"Christmas, A Celebration of Life! in The Diversity Times and Winnipeg Ethnic News December 15, 2017 issue. )

(Levy Abad is a freelance writer and also a singer songwriter/recording artist and a member of Migrante Canada-Mb chapter and also a founding member/ program coordinator of Winnipeg Multicultural Human Rights Forum, Levy has released four albums , Canadian Experience Vol. 1 (iTunes ), Never Give Up and Rhythms of Compassion CanEx 3.and for June 2017 ,"Tara ng Maglakbay". You can reach Levy Abad through , lev67.abad@yahoo.ca or on Faceb

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Christmas, A Subversive Gift!

Winnipeg Ethnic News Vol.1 Issue No.1 , December 15, 2017

The Diversity Times December 9, 2017

Levy Abad

Monday, December 18, 2017

Steinbach Filipino Christmas
Filipino Journal Vol.31 Number 24 , December 22 to January 5, 2018

Levy Abad 12/10/2017

On December 2^nd, I traveled to Steinbach to attend the South East Manitoba Filipino Association (SEMFA) Christmas Party. I was happy to respond to the invitation of the President of the Association, Kris Ontong, to perform original compositions about migrant life and struggles. I drove to Steinbach excited about the prospect of performing my songs. I was not disappointed, folks told me after the performance that they like the songs. The songs made them teary- eyed. They laughed and smiled as they reflect on their migrant experiences while I sing lines from my song “Na-Shock Ako” (available on ITunes).

The Christmas celebration was a big success. About two hundred fifty people filled the Pat Porter Active Living Centre. It was a fun and exciting evening. There were prizes and live performances by musicians like NAMBA, P-Noise and Los Amigos. Aside from entertainment, members and guests enjoyed different varieties of delicious food. The event was graced by the Mayor of Steinbach, Chris Goertzen, and the MP for Provencher, Hon. Theodore “Ted” Falk. I also saw my lawyer friends Gary Sarcida and Daniel Cleto from Pullan Kammerloch Frohlinger and my friend Won Jae Song of Diversity Times .

Steinbach Manitoba, according Jorie Alivio Sawatzky, the founding Chair of SEMFA, can boast of the presence of approximately one thousand five hundred (1,500) Filipinos actively participating in the economy of the City. This data is also confirmed by Kris Ontong. He added that “there is a constant flux of 50 to 100 Filipinos arriving yearly on average.” Edwin Sonsona, a friend and long-time Steinbach resident, relayed that most Pinoys work in barns of HYLIFE, Maple Leaf, ProVista Agriculture Ltd., as well as non-barn jobs in companies like Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Granny’s Poultry Cooperative, Loewen Windows and Doors, Barkman Concrete, to mention a few. According to Raymond Chua, SEMFA President back in 2015, there’s approximately a thousand Filipinos in Steinbach, including children. Given these figures, one can estimate the notable presence of the Filipino community. Aside from their economic contributions, Filipinos of Steinbach work hard to keep the culture alive. This can be seen in events like the 2015 Pioneer Days Parade that showcases diverse cultural forms reflective of the Philippine history, customs and tradition.

Jorie Alivio Sawatzky was gracious enough to provide me with the list of leaders of SEMPA through the years. In October 28, 2006, Jorie was elected as the Interim President who will later assume the presidency on March 31, 2007 to March 2009. Jun Narvaez became its second President from March 2009 to 2011. He was followed by Rommel Gallego (March 2011 to 2013), Cesar Valdez (March 2013 to 2015), Raymund Chua (March 2015 to 2017) and Kris Ontong (2017 to 2019). These leaders were and continue to be instrumental in laying down the requisites of unity that SEMFA has exemplified.

Going over the Facebook page of SEMFA, one can see a lot of things going on in their organization. Although SEMFA was primarily organized as a support system for newly-arrived immigrants in Steinbach, it also participated in numerous events like the Annual Pioneer Days Parade, as mentioned earlier, Summer in the City, Cultures in the City where SEMFA sells Pinoy barbeque and hosts musical presentations, both traditional and contemporary (source: Kris Ontong), Volunteers Appreciation and programs to welcome newcomers, Pick Up and Walk (for a Clean and Healthy City). SEMFA also organized workshops on different immigration concerns like the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program in cooperation with the Friends of Filipino Immigrants in Mb (FFIM). SEMFA also joined events sponsored by Eastman Immigrant Services like “An Evening of Fun” at the Mennonite Heritage Village. Indeed, to be a part of the leadership team of SEMFA is not a walk in the park, but involves dedication and sacrifice in serving the people of Steinbach. From the first Chair of SEMFA and the succeeding leaders who tirelessly gathered the community through the years up to the present, leadership is really a significant achievement in itself.

Kris Ontong has this to say about the Association: “SEMFA Council is proud to cap-off the year with a well-attended Christmas Party that doubles as a membership sign-up/renewal event. The feedback has been very positive about the new features that were introduced in the event, e.g. Interac machine for payment convenience, major raffle prizes that boosted ticket sales and a featured kababayan performer whose songs resonated deeply with the Filipino immigrants of the area. Earlier this year, many other improvements were brought into SEMFA and they all resulted in increase interest in the association, bringing in new members to the Facebook group and more volunteers helping out in projects and activities. These achievements are worth pointing out as they were accomplished by just a handful of Council Officers and some dedicated volunteers. Next year, the restructuring of the SEMFA Council will begin so that it will be made up of representatives from the different job sectors of the region. It is our hope that SEMFA members will take part in this historic transition to make the association stronger and more reflective of the community that we live in.”

Again, I would like to thank the President of SEMFA Kris Ontong and the whole team for inviting me over to perform migrant songs that reflect our experiences in the Canadian diaspora. I can’t wait to write a song about Steinbach Pinoys and their stories. For what is the worth of art and culture if not used to reflect our people’s experiences of success and struggles. Truly, after all the events they organized, our Kababayans in Steinbach deserve to celebrate the best Christmas Party ever. Congratulations to all my Kababayans in Steinbach. Mabuhay and until we meet again!!!

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Free Francisca Linconao: Resistimos! Part 2
Levy Abad

Meeting and discussing about indigenous issues is good, but in the long term worthless if not matched by action. Any seed must touch the ground in order to grow. Karl Marx in his “Eleven Theses on Feuerbach" said, “Philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change the world." The simple idea must be concretized into a forum where significant discussions occur. We were fortunate to have the following as our guests in the forum, Radhika Desai, a professor and author of the book “Geopolitical Economy” who spoke on Neoliberalism and Its impact on Indigenous Rights, Wanda Luna Galdames who presented the Chilean Perspective and Peter Kulchysky, professor and author of the “Indigenous Rights are not Human Rights”, who discussed Mapuche Issues and Struggles. Henry Heller, another author (The Birth of Capitalism, A Twenty-First-Century Perspective), delivered a poem by Berttolt Brect. The speakers analyzed the issues from the global perspective down to the local level to crystallize understanding and pave the way for further solidarity with the Mapuche struggle.

Source: Vancouver Media Coop

Aside from the speeches, it was also interspersed with songs not as entertainment, but culturally to reinforce the message and rouse the listeners to care and move to organize and resist. Reflecting on history of the social movements of the 60s to the 90s, cultural forms of education were quite effective in rousing the people to participate in movements for change. The participation of Johsa Manzanilla, a singer-songwriter and human rights activist, and Maree Rodriguez, who delivered “spoken word" piece, are important in raising awareness about the issue. Acts of solidarity by Zully Trujillo, who recited a poem and also Francisco Valenzuela, who expressed a message of solidarity, are equally commendable. The event ended up with the song “Imagine” by John Lennon performed by Jason Schreyer, who is also a great artist and performer.

Admirable was the role of some members of the academe for their collective effort in making the Francisca Linconao event possible. Thanks to grassroots organizers like Pablo Herrera and Simon Baer of Las Americas and Chilean Human Rights Council, a founding organization of Winnipeg Multicultural Human Rights Forum or WMHRF, Migrante Manitoba, Ana Vergara of the Winnipeg Chilean Association and its cultural branch “Grupo Quidel” and to Johanna Quintana of the Manitoba Chilean Association with its cultural arm “Grupo Rumel”, Ian Desales of Serve The People-Winnipeg and Ali Saaed of the Solidarity Committee for Ethiopian Political Prisoners (SOCEPP) and one of the founding members of WMHRF, for supporting the forum. Simon Baer also asserted that Pablo Herrera was instrumental in organizing the event. He networked with many of his Chilean comrades and friends and invited huge number of people to participate. Without his hard work and commitment, our event would not have been as successful.

So, what's happening next? The Francisca Linconao committee will continue on drumbeating the issue and write a series of articles revolving around the struggles of the Mapuche of Chile. Anybody interested is welcome to join the forum for change. The hope is to slowly organize a movement for change with a clear perspective towards contributing in building a just society through solidarity, ever weary of movementism that serves as a tail and subtle instrument of imperialism and its monstrous neoliberal facade.