Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance
Media Advisory

Families of youth victims of violence and Filipino community to gather in national day of action today

February 28, 2009

 
Families of the victims of violence will be joined by Filipino youth in a rally today in Vancouver to mark the one year death anniversary of 15 year-old Filipino youth Deeward Ponte who tragically lost his life after being stabbed in Gray's park.  The event aims to gather support for his family and in memory of other Filipino youth who have lost their lives such as 17 year-old Mao Jomar Lanot who was beaten to death in 2003 at Sir Charles Tupper, and 24 year-old Charle Dalde fatally stabbed outside of his Richmond home last April. Similar actions are taking place in Montreal and Toronto .

 “Since 2003 we have been gathering on the school grounds of Tupper where Mao Jomar Lanot was killed to bring attention to the violence and systemic barriers many Filipino youth face as news immigrants in Canada and as the children of live-in caregivers,” says Carlo Sayo, National chairperson of the Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance. “We will march to Gray’s Park where Deeward Ponte was killed in 2008 to commemorate their deaths and to call for an end to systemic racism and for social justice for Filipino youth and the Filipino community and for the scrapping of the racist and exploitative Live-In Caregiver Program,” he says. According to the group, the children of live-in caregivers are often vulnerable to violence and other systemic barriers once in Canada . Lanot, Ponte and Dalde were all children of Filipina live-in caregivers.
 
"Social Justice for Filipino Youth"
2nd Annual Canadian National Day of Action
Friday, February 27, 2009

In Vancouver :
Friday, February 27
Rally at 2:00 pm
Sir Charles Tupper Secondary- 419 E. 24 Avenue, Vancouver , BC .
March to Gray's Park ( E. 33rd Ave. and St. Catherine’s St. ) for a candlelight vigil.

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For more information please contact Niki at Phone: 604-215-1103

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