FRIENDS OF LOLAS

TO THE FRIENDS OF MELISSA ROXAS:

2009-08-26T08:24:00.002-04:00

Thank you for your email. I would be honored if you posted my note on her page.

Always, in solidarity and support,

M. Evelina Galang

Friends of "Comfort Women" from Australia

2009-08-13T06:57:00.006-04:00

Friends of "Comfort Women" from Australia video

I received a request to share this amazing youtube video from Friends of "Comfort Women" in Australia. I'm grateful for the opportunity to do so. It warms my heart to see that there are so many activists working for justice, working not to argue or force an issue, but who are patiently educating those around them, especially our governments.

No matter how long it takes, Lolas. No matter how difficult, there are many who support your truth and who are working to make sure it never happens again.

Best wishes from Miami,

M. Evelina Galang
Friends of Lolas

Happy Birthday Anniversary, Lola Cristeta Alcober

2009-07-26T07:43:00.003-04:00

Here is an excerpt of Lola's story. I've been working on it all week. Today is the anniversary of her birth, 83 years ago. And though she never got her apology, I know she wants one still. Not so much for herself, but for the future of all girls and women and children who live in a constant state of war. She wants that apology to heal the tired souls of victims and soldiers alike.

Happy Birthday, Lola Iyak-Iyak! Mahal na Mahal kita!

From an essay in progress, for your birthday and all days:

Out on the balcony she talks fast and when all I do is listen, she tugs on my arm and points at my camera. The Dalaga Project have only been in Manila a week and we are just getting to know the women. Since some of the girls are fluent in Tagalog, some only passive in their understanding and others English only speakers, we thought it would best not to conduct formal interviews, but to find activities like dancing and painting and drama to help us learn about their lives and their stories. Formal interviews are so cold and intrusive. We have made a choice not to conduct them at all, but here we stand in the beautiful afternoon light of Lola Cristeta’s cement balcony, surrounded by palm trees and ferns, and other lush greenery, on the verge of just that. She insists I turn on my camera.

“She wants to tell you her story,” Maribel tells us. “She wants you to tape her now.”

“Now?” I look at Lola Cristeta, at the very center of her graying eye and there it is, the first sign of a tear. She smiles at me then. I look over my shoulder to Eliza, who is just behind me. She says nothing. Then Lola Cristeta coaches me, “Sige, e on mo na.”

I obey. I flip the screen open and nudge the switch. The light flashes green and the mini monitor lights up blue and then softly, her face emerges in the tiny screen. I hit the record button red. I pull back and she begins in a calm way.

Ako si Cristeta Alcober.

She gives her testimony slowly and in Tagalog, calling out her birth date – July 26, 1926 – and her hometown, Barrio Cogon, San Jose, Tacloban City, Leyte. She tells us about her mother, the laundry woman, and her father, a womanizer with many mistresses from Leyte to Manila. She names her sister, her two brothers and she tells us she was the ate.

The camera zooms in tight on her face because the sunlight is so golden, revealing all the lines on her beautiful brown skin, sometimes drifting to her silver white hair tucked behind a thick earlobe. The voice is soft and rough like a dirt road scattered with fine pebbles. Her words float out of her slowly. I hold the camera with my hand and I watch her, not the viewfinder. I watch the light in her eye, how it dances as she speaks. How relief washes over her entire body. She smiles as she talks. Her arms wrap around herself – the right arm reaching up across her chest to the left shoulder and the other cinched around her waist. Now and then the hand on her shoulder goes up to gesture at the camera.

One day, when she was sixteen years old, she and her 14 year old brother Marianito, were sent to the market in town on an errand and when they returned to the barrio around three in the afternoon, the small village was empty. No one walked the pathways, no one stood in the center of the town. Someone told them that the Japanese soldiers had come while they were gone and that everyone who had not gone into hiding was taken to the Japanese garrison set up in San Jose, Leyte.

As Lola Cristeta speaks to us, her breath goes short. Her words falter and then suddenly she’s speaking quickly, no longer in Tagalog, the language we speak, but Visayan. Maribel does her best to interpret Lola’s dialect, but only because she knows Lola’s testimony.

We step closer to her, the camera shooting her mouth, her eye, the inside of her ear. We are with her. We become her. Eliza and I exchange glances and we see that we too have tears streaming down our faces.

And this is where we lose her. The deeper she goes into her experience, the farther away she seems, lost somewhere on the island of Leyte, in the center of its green wilderness. She hiccups, she tears. The words tilt left and right. Grow harder to decipher. She paws at her collarbone and winces. Slips back and forth between Tagalog and Visayan and even as we cannot understand her, we find ourselves slipping into the past, feeling the weight of the experience. We enter the small house in Cogon only to find the Japanese soldiers waiting for us, swooping down on us, dragging us down the road. It is in her eyes. It is in the lapses of her breath. Eliza and I, like the brother and sister are torn apart, one made to turn left and the other forced right and the heart raw like meat ripped in two. The tears wash Lola Cristeta’s face and the breathing grows shallow, but she does not stop talking. We are at the airstrip by the water. She keeps talking. We are in a pit of sand dug for fish. We are thirty girls thrown together, like catches of the day, imprisoned by barbed wire walls and bamboo locked doors. She talks over her own crying now. Faster and louder and now she is going into Waray, a native dialect, a language so deep and so intense that it must be coming from her very core.

On this day, she tells me everything, mixing all her words together like a giant batch of alphabet soup, the Waray and Tagalog and Visayan, the occasional English word tossed in for flavor, all holding their shape, translating her two years in that fish bin, drowning with thirty other girls. She tells me all I need to know, though I understand nothing but the tears rolling down my own face.

Going Home (to the heart) for Melissa Roxas

2009-07-23T17:45:00.000-04:00

Something happens to you when you are born outside of your parents' mother country. You are born with a longing to go home to a place you've never been. You go about your business, being all American and knowing nothing else, ignoring all that talk about how it was when they grew up "back home" how things were, who your ancestors were, but inside you, they've planted that seed, and it's growing. You pretend you don't want to know like a good teenager, but you want to know. You want to be a part of it. And if you somehow find your way to writing stories and poems and making films and art, that hunger grows. And you want to go back home. You want to see it for yourself. And it is not enough to visit. You start to write about it. Draw it. Make music about it. And then that is not enough to just visit your family, your lolo, lola, titas and titos all your pinsan, you want to know more. You go historical. You find the stories of the earth. You sit with all the kapitbahay. You speak your bad Tagalog. And stories come out of you, poetry, things you never imagined you housed inside of you and there you are -- an American, digging up a past only your soul comprehends. Not your MTV self. Not your Boomerang kid self. Certainly not your wild American Self. If you're lucky that spark hits you and somehow the art you make does something more than sit pretty on the page. It moves you to act.

I sit in solidarity with you Melissa Roxas. Speak up, speak your truth without fear. For you represent us all. All of us who long to go home, to find our true Selves and in doing so discover that in fact, despite the fact we were not born on that island or if we were, we have not lived on that island for a lifetime, we have a devotion to it, a commitment to it. Make it clear, we have a right to come home, to serve our people with our words and to do it without savage acts of torture, or corruption or imprisonment.

With much love, sincere respect and absolute solidarity,

Evelina

HEY NYC! RALLY TO SUPPORT THE SURVIVING COMFORT WOMEN OF WWII 7/23

2009-07-22T18:02:00.002-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Comfort Women Dying for Justice: Japan Still No Apology

Contact: Valerie Francisco, Chair – Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment, 925-726-5768 , firenyc@gmail.com

The 44th Session of the Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women has convened at the United Nations in New York and FiRE demands that Japan address the issue of wartime comfort women.

Progressive Filipino women’s organization, FiRE-NYC (Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment), demands justice for the surviving comfort women as Japan’s government presents its 6th periodic report on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) to the 44th session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women at the United Nations this week. During WWII, the Japanese Imperial Army abducted and repeatedly raped a reported 100,000-250,000 young girls and women in Japanese occupied colonies and territories including China, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Since Maria Rosa Luna Henson, the first Filipina comfort woman to publicly came forward in 1992, more of the remaining comfort women in the Philippines broke their 50 years of silence since WWII. With the handfuls of grandmothers coming forward with their stories, LILA-PILIPINA was formally launched and founded by comfort women survivors and members of the Task Force on Filipino Comfort Women in 1994, and remains one of the largest Philippines-based organizations working toward this cause. To this day, hundreds of surviving comfort women in the Philippines demand the apology and acknowledgement for the atrocities they experienced at the hands of the Japanese government, and seek adequate compensation for themselves and their families to live the little time they have left with dignity.

FiRE-NYC condemns the Japanese government for its careless disregard toward the surviving comfort women, their war crimes, and the international community. The United States, Netherlands, Canada and the European Union have already passed resolutions insisting that the Japanese government address the demands of the surviving comfort women. Cities within Japan have also passed resolutions locally urging their national government to acknowledge the comfort women issue. Yet, all these resolutions remain overlooked, and the Japanese government continues to blatantly deny the systematic rape of comfort women all over Asia, executed by its Imperial Army during the Second World War.
Because about a third of the 174 surviving Filipina comfort women have already died, the urgency in the Filipino community has increased. After the passing of HR 121, Representatives Liza Maza and Luzviminda Ilagan of Gabriela Women’s Party demanded that the Government of Japan “FORMALLY AKNOWLEDGE, APOLOGIZE AND ACCEPT ITS RESPONSIBILITY OVER THE SEXUAL SLAVERY” and “PROVIDE COMPENSATION TO THE VICTIMS.” House Bill 1136, “An Act Providing for the Inclusion in the History Books of Elementary, Secondary and Collegiate Curricula the Lives and Heroism of Filipino Comfort Women during the Japanese Occupation and Appropriating Funds Therefore,” has also been filed through the GABRIELA women’s party list, in the hopes that the remaining grandmothers can inch closer toward dignity and justice.

FiRE-NYC, as an overseas chapter of GABRIELA National Alliance of Women, remains in solidarity with the surviving comfort women as they struggle for the justice and acknowledgement they deserve. The challenges faced by the remaining comfort women is part of the ongoing fight for justice and women’s rights resurfacing in current matters of military sexual violence, a battle rooted in the systematic abuse and exploitation of women at the hands of the military worldwide. We entreat the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women to urge the Japanese government to immediately address their war crimes against women by responding to the demands of all surviving comfort women.

Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment (FiRE) invites you to stand in solidarity with GABRIELA and Lila Pilipina for a public action which seeks justice for the comfort women, and demands that the Government of the Philippines must not overlook the wartime atrocities suffered by the surviving Comfort Women. As Filipinas who defend the rights and welfare of women all over the world, we must understand that the fight for justice coincides with the Japanese government taking accountability for its actions. Join FiRE at the United Nations where representative of Japan’s government will be reporting during the CEDAW session, and demand the issues of Japan’s wartime comfort women be addressed. Anyone who wants to defend the victims of military sexual violence and wars of aggression must pressure Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s regime to evict all US troops out of the Philippines, and refuse the creation of another generation of comfort women!
New York – FiRE (Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment)

RALLY TO SUPPORT THE SURVIVING COMFORT WOMEN OF WWII
Thursday, July 23 — 430pm
1 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza
[47th between 2nd & 3rd Ave.]
Directions: 4/5/6/7/S trains to Grand Central Station or E/F trains to 51st St.
Enter Dag Hammarskjold Plaza on 2nd Ave between E 46th & E 47th, walk to 1st Ave.
Look for the bright orange FiRE flags!
Contact: Hanalei Ramos – 201.790.0995
fire.nyc@gmail.com
www.firenyc.org
NO TO WARS OF AGGRESSION!
NO TO ANOTHER GENERATION OF COMFORT WOMEN!
US TROOPS OUT OF THE PHILIPPINES!
###

V-Day for the Lolas in NYC

2009-04-07T19:24:00.002-04:00

I've been quiet because I've been writing, working on the stories of 15 surviving Filipina "Comfort Women," stories of my lolas. So there hasn't been much on this blog. Sorry. I'm working on it.

But here's some great news, the V-DAY performance of THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES at the Philippine Center, Kalayaan Hall on 556 5th AVE, NY, NY will be sending part of their profits to the Lolas -- also the Women of Democratic Republic of Congo, and the NaFAA Legal Defense Fund.

Come check us out!

Images of LILA Pilipina 2002

2008-08-31T07:47:00.006-04:00

I spent most of 2002 with the lolas of LILA Pilipina during my Fulbright. I got to, as Barack Obama would say, got to know their stories. That year I spent with them is captured in these images. The photos in this montage show the women of LILA six years ago and most of them are of the protests, rallies and campaigns they have participated in in their fight for justice. They are still waiting for that official apology from the government of Japan. Despite the numerous international resolutions from governments everywhere, Japan has remained reticent. Most of the women in these images have passed on and I can guarantee that they are still fighting for justice, for peace, for women everywhere, but not from here. When you get to know their stories, you see they are simply women, grandmothers, mothers, sisters. They are human. And if you know their stories, you will love them as your own. This year, I am sitting down to write their stories. I have made a promise to the lolas to fight for them in my own way, to educate others about their plight, their stories so that it may not occur again. As they would say, Never again. Their stories carry many wise teachings and from them we come to understand the meaning of war, of self-respect and of love and forgiveness. I share these images with you now, as I am writing, so that you may think of them now in their late eighties and nineties. Still fighting for justice as they are still cooking for their loved ones, still running their households, still dreaming of peace. And if you feel so moved, take a look at the sidebar and write down the address to their new space. Write them a letter. Offer your support. I'm sure they'd love to have you as one of the Friends of Lolas.

PS: The traditional love song "Dahil Sayo" (Because of You) is performed by Charmaine Clamor, Freeman Records. Charmaine is an amazing singer and warrior woman herself. Thanks for letting us use your song, Charmaine!

FROM THE PHILIPPINE IQUIRER, August 16, 2008: Filipino women seek Japan's apology for WWII rapes

2008-08-16T09:34:00.002-04:00

Former Filipino comfort woman Piedad Nobleza, 86, holds slogans during a demonstration outside the Japanese Embassy in Pasay City Friday. Elderly Filipino women and their supporters demanded Tokyo's clear-cut apology and compensation for wartime sexual slavery by Japanese troops. AP/AARON FAVILAAssociated Press
First Posted 17:41:00 08/15/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Two dozen elderly Filipino women and their supporters protested outside the Japanese Embassy in Pasay City on Friday demanding a clear-cut apology and compensation from Tokyo for wartime sexual slavery.

Japan has acknowledged its troops forced women into front-line brothels across Asia during World War II, and its leaders have apologized.

But last year, many surviving "comfort women" were outraged when then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said there was no proof the women were coerced, adding to suspicion that right-wing politicians in Japan refuse to face up to wartime atrocities.

The US House of Representatives and the Dutch and Canadian parliaments have passed nonbinding motions urging Tokyo to offer a formal apology, but Japan has refused.

"The Japanese government should publicly apologize and put in history how the women were abducted and forced to serve in the comfort women system," said Rechilda Extremadura, head of a group called Lila-Pilipina that has documented 174 cases of Filipino women who were forced into wartime brothels. About 100 women remain alive.

"This is a war crime," Extremadura said. "But the Japanese government continues to be deaf."

Virginia Villarma, 79, said she was victimized between 1943 and 1944. "We can never forget what they did to us. Until now, it's been a wound in our chest."

The Japanese Embassy in Manila refused to immediately answer a request for comment and asked that questions be e-mailed.

Tokyo has generally refused to pay damages to individuals for the war, saying the issue was settled between governments in postwar treaties. Japanese courts have rejected a number of lawsuits brought by former sex slaves.

The left-wing women's group Gabriela, which joined Friday's protest on the 63rd anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II, criticized the Philippine government for not acting on a draft resolution seeking Japan's apology that has been filed in the House of Representatives.

This is How We Do it (Update on the Lolas of LILA)

2008-08-13T08:17:00.017-04:00

Party at Lolas’ House

I’ve been in Manila for the last six weeks, contemplating and writing LOLAS’ HOUSE: Women Living with War. I’ve been researching this book now since 1999 and I have over 100 hours of taped interviews. In the book, I focus on 15 of the Lolas – once victims of the Japanese Imperial Army, then survivors and now, in their late eighties and nineties they have blossomed into wise heroines of unimaginable energy.

This year, I did not conduct any interviews. My mission was just to hang with the Lolas, to visit with them and to sing and dance with them. Every year it’s been about digging up the past, but this year, as I think about the shape of this book, as I review and try my best to understand the stories of these women, I decided to give it a rest and to just be with them. Anyway, since I am well aware that every time they reiterate their past, they live it again, I saw no need for it. It was time to party with the Lolas.

When I arrived in June, I visited them after their general meeting and I literally picked up the microphone and looked into the television screen and I sang “Come Together” and “Baby You Can Drive My Car” to the Lolas via videoke. Their response? They danced. They told me I had grown taller. They told me my teeth were so pretty – were they still real?

The Lolas have moved to a new center on Narra Street. It’s a space that several private Japanese citizens who believe they deserve that apology from their government, have helped them to attain. On one side, it’s still Lolas’ House, a place where they can have their gatherings – meetings and parties and sleepovers – on the other side LILA Pilipina has cleared a wide space and organized the materials, stories, photographs and numerous articles and artwork by and for the Lolas. It’s a research institute that will hold the history of the brave women of Liga Ng Mga Lolang Pilipina.

Already, Friends of Lolas in Miami has a stack of their own letters and petitions, photographs and t-shirts that they have donated to the Lolas in the last two years. In the short semester (where we experienced many obstacles), the University of Miami Friends of Lolas chapter was able to raise and donate about $700 to Lolas’ House.

This research institute is the dream of executive Director Rechilda Extremadura and all the supporters and pamana of the Lolas. It will be a way to preserve and document the women’s lives – not just that historic and tragic time during WWII, but their lives as women or as Rechie puts it, characters.

Creating such a place takes time and money, of course. And these days there is not that much of it and there is still so much to be done. The center has yet to establish a working computer/internet system, for example. And the records are kept in filing cabinets left from the daycare center that used to inhabit the space. It costs about thirty U.S. dollars a month to provide Lolas’ House with their daily sustenance.

During my stay, I went with the Lolas to SONA – President Arroyo’s State of the Union Address. 15 of the women along with another 20 or so of their grandchildren and children boarded two very crowded jeepneys and arrived in time to join protestors at the People’s State of the Union stage.

The jeeps were barred from coming all the way down Commonwealth Ave. So we had to step out and walk about a quarter mile to the stage. Of the 15 women, only Lola Pilar’s knees were strong enough to make the walk, so while the women could not be in the crowds, they showed their support at our jeepney base camp. LABAN!

Then on my last Tuesday, we had a despedida party at Lolas’ House and I made two large calderas of chicken adobo, and sautéed petchi. At Lolas’ House the staff cooked pancit and rice while Filipino American students from the Amado V. Hernandez Resource Center’s PEACE Program brought the Lolas sweets, soft drinks and two bottles of wine.

I won’t forget dancing with my lovely Lolas to videoke songs by the Carpenters, the Beatles, and their most favorite, ABBA! They are the ultimate dancing queens, my lolas. The other night, poet Neil Garcia said that I have the best lolas – the best grandmas, and I do. We did not hesitate to dance and sing to one another. We did not hesitate to hold onto each other and give kisses freely. I even shared a shot of wine (though we sipped it) with Lola Pilar.

There was a moment when I was getting the food out while the Lolas and their Fil Am student visitors were singing songs to one another when someone said, “Your turn, Evelina.” So I said, “Okay.” So I grabbed the mic and I thought, what, what? And I sang a family song – one that my father sings to our mom and we sing to our nephews and nieces. It started out as a lullaby – kind of quiet and slow but as I sang they began to clap and so I sped the song up faster and by the second verse of “You Are My Sunshine” the lolas were on their feet, dragging the Fil Am students onto the dance floor and they were all dancing. The whole room.

Rechie is so right. In the ten years I have been visiting the lolas of LILA Pilipina they have transformed themselves from victims to survivors, to heroines to wild and wise characters and counselors.

Everybody raise the roof, raise your glasss to the Lolas!

TO DONATE TO THE SUSTENANCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF LOLAS' HOUSE WRITE SEND CHECKS TO LILA Pilipina, INC. 120 Narra Street, Brgy. Amihan, Quezon City Project 3, Metro Manila Philippines.

Giving Asian Women A Voice: University of Miami A&S Magazine

2008-05-07T08:09:00.002-04:00

Click on image to read this article from the University of Miami's Arts and Sciences Magazine, Spring 2008. Laban mga Lola!

Lolas Join Global Action for Justice

2008-04-26T08:52:00.004-04:00

FROM: LILA PILIPINA and GABRIELA
For Immediate Release
March 5, 2008

Reference: Rechilda Extremadura, Lila Pilipina Executive Director, 0915-5379579
Emmi de Jesus, GABRIELA Secretary General, 0917-3221203

The elderly women of Lila Pilipina, organization of former comfort women in the Philippines together with the militant women's group GABRIELA held a picket in front of the Japanese Embassy this morning as part of the Global Action Seeking Justice for Comfort Women.

"None can be a greater tragedy than to be denied justice half a century after being abused and violated," said Rechilda Extremadura, executive director of Lila Pilipina. referring to the elderly women victims of sexual slavery by Japanese Imperial Army during World War II.

Extremadura added that while the Japanese government has yet to give justice, they also hold the Philippine government accountable for the continued denial of justice for the elderly women. "Prior to People Power 2, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo promised to take up the issue of Filipino comfort women but she failed to deliver just as she failed to fulfill all her other promises to the people."

"The military abuses borne of the military culture of sexism and violence that drove them to commit sexual violence against women in WW2 continue to this day,” said Emmi de Jesus, secretary general of GABRIELA. De Jesus cited the recent case of sexual assault of a Filipina by a US serviceman stationed in Okinawa, Japan following the rape of a 14-year-old Japanese girl by a US Marine.

“By continuing to turn a blind eye on the violence committed against its women by foreign troops, whether recent or in the past and by perpetuating immense poverty that drives Filipinas into foreign lands, the Philippine government serves as accomplice in the sexual abuse of Filipinas everywhere," added de Jesus.

“For as long as the military of the superpowers deem themselves superior might over sovereign nations and peoples, for as long there are imperialist wars that seek to undermine the independence of a nation for plunder of their resources, peoples will be subjugated and women will be exploited and abused,” added de Jesus.

On March 8 International Women's Day, Lila Pilipina will be joining GABRIELA in the national women's action against Arroyo. “Pres. Arroyo lied to the elderly women of Lila Pilipina and abandoned the cause Filipino comfort women. For this, Lila Pilipina joins the growing number of women wanting her out of Malacañang."
###

WOMEN’S GROUPS PROTEST HOUSE “REVOTING” ON COMFORT WOMEN RESOLUTION

2008-04-25T20:44:00.000-04:00

NEWS RELEASE
09 April 2008

Reference: Retchilda Extremadura, Executive Director, Lila Pilipina
Lana Linaban, Deputy Secretary General, GABRIELA

WOMEN’S GROUPS PROTEST HOUSE “REVOTING” ON COMFORT WOMEN RESOLUTION

Lila Pilipina, organization of former comfort women, expressed apprehension at the recent development regarding House Resolution 124, authored by Gabriela Women’s Party Representatives Liza Maza and Luz Ilagan. The House Resolution, demanding an official apology from the government of Japan regarding the sexual slavery of Filipino women during the Japanese occupation of the country in World War II, is being returned to the House committee on foreign affairs allegedly due to lack of quorum when it was adopted last March 11.

“We believe that the question of process is just an alibi to delay, if not, to overturn the positive decision. As they have done in the past, this is but another attempt to take away a significant gain in the long struggle for justice of Filipino comfort women,” said Retchilda Extremadura, executive director of Lila Pilina.

The women’s group GABRIELA, meanwhile, calls on the members of Congress not to succumb to any pressure coming from the Japanese government. “HR 124 is long overdue. Instead of delaying this, the Congress should be spurred to hasten its implementation. The legislators of USA and Canada have long adopted a similar resolution. It is ironic that such a resolution would meet such encumbrances here in the Philippines, where its citizens were the actual victims,” said Lana Linaban, GABRIELA spokesperson.

Both groups vowed to remain vigilant and enjoins Filipino people to join the lolas in their action should the House Resolution be revoked due to pressures from the Japanese government.
###

V-Day for the Lolas in NYC

2008-04-25T07:56:00.004-04:00

Mga Lola, dearest lolas,

Here are some photographs of the production of THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES in NYC. The women are Filipina Women's Network members and they are not professional actors, rather they are professional anti-violence advocates. They put in so many hours and so many weeks to raise awareness about your plight and the plight of surviving Katrina Warriors, women in New Orleans who suffered after Hurricane Katrina washed their lives away with baha.

Remember when Eve Ensler came to visit you, back in 2001? Nandoon din ako. She saw you at Lolas' House in the morning and I came later that day. You told me all about the way she interviewed you about your puki. How you all giggled when she asked you if you had ever had pleasure during intercourse. Of course, that's not exactly how your conversation with her went. I know you've given lots of interviews, but probably none like that. None about sensuality and sexuality and none about discovering the pleasure of the body: kasi lolas kayo, at seguro that's not usually what people want to know from you. They want to know your stories, they want to know what happened during WWII. Rape isn't the same as sex and its the antithesis of love making. But I wonder how often we realize how deep the affect of those rapes during WWII affected your love lives, the way you hold a man, or feel your own body, the way you think about sex at all. Too often we think about the past and are not conscious of what it has done to your present perceptions of your own bodies.

So anyway, that interview, that time she asked Lola Narcisa to explain what happened back then, so we could understand what happens now, in your fight, in your quest for justice and in the bedroom. The audience watched a clip from that film, listened to the giggling and the way you uttered puki. And after that lightness was gone, they got serious when they heard Lola Narcisa explain what happened to you then and what your rallies are about now.

The first time I saw that clip was when we ran the production of VAGINA MONOLOGUES in San Francisco. I was squatting on the stage, looking up at your familiar faces. I saw so many of you -- Lola Urduja, Lola Precilla, Lola Remedios, Lola Cristeta -- so many that I might list here and now -- so many smiling faces, serious faces, living and breathing there in 2001. After the clip, I was so moved because of the some thirty of you on that clip, all but 15 of you are gone. All but a small handful and even that handful has weak members -- in your late 80's and 90's you have good days and bad days -- your bodies give out too often now. Sometimes your minds too.

The audience fell in love with you all -- how could they not -- they were moved by you. And then I told them, many of the women you saw up there -- wala na at walapang justice -- are gone now and no justice, still no justice.

The directors cast me in your monologue, "Say It for the Comfort Women." You know these days, I am asked to speak about your stories and there is no hesitation on my part when I do. So I didn't think anything of it. But at rehearsal, when I read these lines, and I put myself in that woman's voice, her experience, I trembled. I could not get through the manuscript. I cried. I could not get through the manuscript. As close as I am to your stories, I cannot stand in your shoes. No one ever will. I cannot begin to imagine it. But come the night of the performance, I placed a shield around my heart and I took off my shoes and I read your part. I did it. I read it for you. Like the piece says, "Say it for the Comfort Women." No tears, but no shield around the heart either. Impossible.

Anway, the great thing about these productions is that they have chosen you to be one of their beneficiaries, and these great hearts will be sending funds your way soon. Marily Mondejar, president of FWN, was so excited to tell me they had chosen you to benefit from their work. I know you need the help too. I know your funding is dwindling and there is so much to tend to -- the rent at Lolas' House, the food and transportation for the lolas, the electricity and phone -- and that's just for the operation of your space. There is still your campaign for justice, the travels to Japan and other places where you must go, no matter how old or tired, to make your stories known.

Don't worry lolas, we are praying for you. We are here for you. Laban mga lola!

Postcard for the Lolas of LILA Pilipina

2008-04-11T09:21:00.005-04:00

Mga Lola,
Kamusta kayo? We are busy doing so many things, trying our best to share with others your stories. Itong litrato -- kita ninyo? This is a picture of the young women from the University of Miami -- many of whom are part of the Yellow Rose Society -- at their Women's History Month event, In Her Shoes. They asked me to tell your stories so they could stand in your shoes and so they could know what you have been through. Of course, nobody can really stand in your shoes for your experiences are too horrific to imagine and KNOW. When we recount them, when we try to imagine them, when we dream of them, it is still too unreal for any of us. Maybe, when you think of that time, you feel the same way. Did that happen? How could anyone -- man or woman, Japanese, American or Filipino do this violence on anyone -- man, woman, Japanese, American, Filipina, Korean, Chinese, Indonesian -- WHOMEVER? How?

Now these young women here, who heard the story of your friend, Urduja Samontes, (oh that lovely character of a woman) were so moved, that next week they are going to host a read-a-thon. I know you are asking yourselves, ano ba yan? Several of the women will get their friends to sponsor them to read one of your testimonies in a public reading. Say one peso per reading, or five pesos per reading. Really dollars, so maybe more like 100 pesos a reading or 500 pesos a reading. And they try to get as many friends as they can to sponsor them. Maybe get 25 sponsors. And if they do one reading that's 100 pesos times 25! We will gather in a public space at the University of Miami -- a place they call the Rock -- and the dalagas will read your testimonies into a microphone -- and your words will reverberate throughout the campus, hitting banyan tree barks, and library walls and reaching for the sky. We will speak your words with the reverence of prayer.

We want to share your lives experiences in order to learn from war. In order to be better warriors who fight for peace, for decency and justice.

We know that your Lolas' House has fewer inhabitants these days, but for those of you who still organize and protest and fight for justice, we know your resources are dwindling. In this way, we are hoping to raise funding for you. So you may continue your fight and we might join you.

I love you all, lolas. And the young women in this photo, who are meeting you through your testimonies and your photos and your experiences with me, they are falling in love with you too.

Mahal na mahal kayo, mga lola!

Evelina

PS: For the women and men at the University of Miami who are interested in participating in our event, Read it for the "Comfort Women," on Tuesday April 15th, please email Rhea Olegario (r.olegario@umiami.edu) or Elysse Phillips (e.phillips4@umiami.edu).

Get Busy for the Lolas

2008-03-25T00:21:00.018-04:00

The next few weeks are crazy! I'll be at all the events below, except the SF show on April 5th, but the rest of them? I'm there! Come join me and hear about the Lolas of LILA Pilipina and our struggle for justice! Women's History Month is just winding down, but the activities are non-stop. 10% of the proceeds from the SF and NY productions of THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES are going to the lolas, so buy your tickets!

IN HER SHOES: M. Evelina Galang reads from her book in progress, LOLAS' HOUSE: Women Living with War.
Thursday, March 27 8PM Hecht Residential College on the Coral Gables Campus of the University of Miami. This event is co-sponsored by UM Women's History Month, Friends of Lolas and Hecht Residential College

LABAN FOR LOLAS with M. Evelina Galang
Friday March 28th 7PM Manilatown Center, 868 Kearny Street, SF CA 415-399-9580

The Vagina Monologues
March 31, 7pm @ the Herbst Theatre, San Francisco, CA
April 18, 7pm @ the Philippine Center NY, NY

Usaping Puki
(Tagalog version of The Vagina Monologues)
April 5, 2pm @ the Morgan Auditorium Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA
April 19, 2:30pm @the Philippine CenterNY, NY
Questions? Email vday@ffwn.org or call 415.278.9410

Brandeis Women's Book Club and Luncheon
M. Evelina Galang reads from the Lolas' Testimonies
Wednesday, April 2 @ Crowne Plaza Hotel, Kendall, FL

FILIPINA WOMEN'S NETWORK V-DAY PERFORMANCES FOR THE LOLAS

2008-03-07T17:43:00.000-05:00

One Year Ago Today, He said ...

2008-03-01T07:33:00.012-05:00

A year ago today, then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made the great false statement, "There is not enough evidence to prove coercion." He was referring to the way the Japanese Imperial Army took over 200,000 women and girls during World War II and forced them into "Comfort Stations." He began a revolution of minds a year ago today. He gave us reason, especially those of us who have been in this fight for so long, and for the lolas and other survivors who have been in this fight to get their message into the light their whole lives, he gave us reason to stand up, to speak out and to say, "No, you are wrong."

When I heard his statement, a year ago today, I tried to stay cool. I remember coming out of a faculty meeting and one of my colleagues asked me, "So what are you going to do about it?" I told him not to get me started because if I got started, I would not stop. I got started.

So much has happened in this one year. This blog, which came out of that statement, was born. I addressed Prime Minister Abe then, I asked him to please consider the lives of the women and the fight they are in (to rescue not only their own dignity but to keep the lives of other girls, children and women living in war torn nations safe). So many of us signed the international online petition. And as I stayed awake nights, doing my best to fight this battle from Miami, my friends across the nation were doing the same thing in their home cities. There were activists on the west coast and east coast. There was Annabel Park and Eric Byler in DC. And members of the grassroots 121 Coalition began knocking on doors. In Congress we had Mike Honda and Nancy Pelosi, Eni Falemaovaega and the great late Congressman Tom Lantos, doing their best to educate their colleagues and pass House Resolution 121, a non-binding bill asking Japan to make a formal apology and to take full responsibility for these war crimes against humanity.

I started writing my own Congresswoman, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on a weekly basis. She was the senior ranking member of the House Committee of Foreign Affairs and I desperately needed her to understand the plight of my lolas. When she rose in support of the bill last July and when the rest of Congress joined her and gave the bill a unanimous voice vote, my heart swelled.

I invite you to go through the archives of this blog. You will be amazed at the stories of human spirit and strength. So much evidence.

Japan has yet to apologize. The fight is not over. But there are so many more soldiers fighting this battle with us now. Canada has passed a similar motion. And others have written their own versions of the same plea: please say sorry, please own up to this history that is yours. The Netherlands, the European Parliament, Australia and the Philippines. Prime Minister Abe has stepped down, our dear ambassador of human rights, Congressman Tom Lantos has passed away and many of the women too have been lost in the year, but the truth has emerged. There was reason to say it and there were people willing to hear it; all because of one man's statement a year ago today, "There is not enough evidence to prove coercion."

Thank you, former Prime Minister Abe. Do you like the photo above? That is me and the evidence you were looking for, the survivors of Liga ng mga Lolang Pilipina. We are marching on Women's International Day, March 8 2001.

FWN'S V-DAY Proceeds To Benefit surviving Filipina "Comfort Women" aka: Mga Lola!

2008-02-28T06:53:00.006-05:00

I'll be joining the casts in both NYC and SF as they fight violence against women around the world. 10% of the proceeds will be going to the lolas and this is a good great thing! Thank You, Filipina Women's Network! Below are facts about the production.

Mabuhay!
Evelina

Filipina Women's Network

Filipinas Against Violence: V-Day FWN 2008

Making San Francisco and New York City / New Jersey safe places for Filipina women and girls.

An All-Filipina Benefit Production of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues and Usaping Puki (in Tagalog)

PREMIERE of A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, and A Prayer (new play featuring Filipino men - supporters of Men Against Violence are community leaders)

Filipina Women's Network (FWN) joins V-Day in its global effort to stop violence against women and girls.

What: Filipina women and men coming together in solidarity to dialogue about violence, about the Filipino community's silence and shame about domestic violence,and about ways to break the cycle of violence against Filipina women and girls through performances of Eve Ensler's Obie award-winning The Vagina Monologues, Usaping Puki (Tagalog version) and the new play - A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer.

MEN AGAINST VIOLENCE Workshops: A discussion about masculinity, violence in our communities and how we can be allies with women to end family violence.

Why:
- Raise awareness through theatre, popular culture and education about the high incidence of violence in Filipino homes and intimate partner relationships.
- Help Filipina women in abusive relationships take action and seek help.

Why this Campaign Matters: Engaging the Filipino community through theatre and hearing the women's stories in Tagalog "hits home" and helps us understand the broader connections of Filipino values such as respect for women, dignity, family, equality and justice to social and economic issues and to class and religion.

Who: All-Filipino cast members are community leaders, actors, students,professionals, activists, and homemakers.

V-Day FWN Beneficiaries:
V-Day Spotlight 2008: Katrina Warriors - Women of New Orleans & the Gulf South,FWN’s Filipinas Against Violence Campaign, Comfort Women Survivors in the Philippines

V-Day Sponsors: NoVo Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, Dramatists Play Service, GLAMOUR, Oprah & Friends Radio (XM), O magazine, TBWA/Chiat/Day, Vosges Haut Chocolat, W Hotels, New Orleans

V-Day FWN Sponsor: AsianWeek Foundation

About A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer -
A groundbreaking collection of monologues by world-renowned authors and playwrights, edited by Eve Ensler and Mollie Doyle. These diverse voices have come together in a collective roar contributing original pieces and bringing their particular vision, talent and take on violence against women and girls - to break open, expose, and examine the insidiousness of violence at all levels: brutality, neglect, a punch, even a put-down.

When & Where: SAN FRANCISCO

Until the Violence Stops (film screening) - Friday, March 28, 7pm
The Vagina Monologues - Monday, March 31, 7pm (all-Filipina cast)
Usaping Puki - Saturday, April 5, 2:30pm (all-Filipina cast)
A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer - (two shows) Friday, April 4, 7pm
and Saturday, April 5, 7pm (all-Filipino women and men cast)

March 28 film screening and April 5 shows:
Morgan Auditorium, Academy of Art University, 491 Post St. @ Mason St. San Francisco
Tickets: $5 (students)- $50 (VIP) http://morgan08.eventbrite.com; call
415.278.9410

March 31 and April 4 shows - Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco
Tickets: $20 (students)- $100 (VIP) www.cityboxoffice.com or call 415.392.4400

NEW YORK: Philippine Center New York, 556 Fifth Avenue @ 45th St., New York
Tickets: $20 (students) - $100 (VIP) Call 917.720.7268
or go to http://vdaynyc08.eventbrite.com

Sponsorships, Advertising & Community Partnerships:
http://v-diaries8.eventbrite.com
Call 415.278.9410 (SF) or email vday@ffwn.org

San Francisco Director Team:
Senior Directors: Elena Mangahas and Ken Marquis
Assistant Directors: Genevieve Jopanda, May Nazareno, Esperanza Catubig

New York Director Team:
Christina Baal and Theresa Tantay-Wilson
Executive Producer: Marily Mondejar
Producer: Kai Delen Briones

About the Filipina Women's Network: A non- profit association for women of Philippine ancestry. The Filipina Women's Network's mission is to enhance public perceptions of Filipina women's capacities to lead, change biases against Filipina women's leadership abilities and promote the entry of Filipina women into positions of leadership in all sectors. www.ffwn.org.

About V-Day: A global movement to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day is a
catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations.

What are The Vagina Monologues?
Based on interviews with over 200 women about their memories and experiences of sexuality, The Vagina Monologues (Usaping Puki) give voice to women's deepest fears, guaranteeing that no one who watches the show will ever look at a woman's body, or think of sex, in quite the same way again. It is a celebration of female sexuality in all its complexity and mystery. In this stunning phenomenon that has swept the world, Eve Ensler gives us real women's stories of intimacy, vulnerability, and self- discovery.

Friends of Lolas at the University of Miami

2008-02-19T07:34:00.002-05:00

At the University of Miami, a group of students have joined me in supporting LILA Pilipina through our own chapter of Friends of Lolas. We're holding an informational meeting next Thursday, February 28th 8PM at Hecht Residential College on the Coral Gables campus. Below is their call to action. For more information you can find their group listed on facebook. Read on!

This group, now FRIENDS OF LOLAS, emerged from Laban for the Lolas after the H.R. 121 passed in July 2007.

F.Y.I.: "Lola" means grandmother in Tagalog, the Filipino language.

Mission:
- To raise public awareness on the issue of women and children in war through the testimonies and experiences of surviving WWII "comfort women"
- To befriend and support surviving Filipina "comfort women" at Lila Pilipina (an organization of survivors now in their 80's and 90's).
- To launch fundraising initiatives to support these women.

History:
- During WWII the Japanese Imperial Army abducted over 200,000 girls and women from nations like Korea, China, Indonesia, Taiwan, the Philippines and subjected them to military rape and enslavement.
- Over 1,000 women were Filipinas and 173 have publicly come forward.
- During the Spring 2007, Prime Minister Abe stated not enough evidence to prove coercion, and Laban for the Lolas -- now Friends of Lolas -- lobbied to pass House Resolution 121. H.R. 121 urged the Japanese government to apologize and take full responsibility of these war crimes.
-On July 30, 2007, H.R. 121 passed.
-The Japanese government has yet to respond.

This group supports Surviving Comfort Women of WWII and asks Japan (through the US Congress House Resolution 121) to take full responsibility for the pain and suffering of 200,000 young women and girls abducted and forced to serve in military sex camps.

Let's honor the women -- Comfort Women, abused women, our mothers and sisters, ourselves. Let us honor all women by taking a stand and letting the world know abduction of women, systematic rape and sexual slavery is unacceptable and inhumane behavior.

WHAT CAN YOU DO????

We are inviting UM students, organizations, and faculty to host one month of activities.

Each month, we would like an organization to sponsor these Lolas and fundraise for their community center which helps them with everyday needs, like food, transportation and the upkeep of LOLAS' HOUSE, their community center.

Organizations/ student groups would:
- do one fundraising activity of their choice, such as bake sales.
- host one event or forum that raises awareness to the Miami community about the "Comfort Women" issue.
- create a "care package" that highlights the activities that would be sent overseas to the Lolas.

Other Notes:
We can't stress how this cause is a timely issue. These grandmothers are getting very old and their memory is slowly getting worse. These women are looking for support and any little act of kindness helps and means the world to them.

Please feel free to contact labanmgalola@yahoo.com for further questions or concerns.

On Congressman Tom Lantos

2008-02-12T19:08:00.001-05:00

What an honor to have heard Congressman Lantos speak,to have met him and know his hands supported House Res. 121, the non-binding "Comfort Women" bill requesting Japan make a formal apology and assume full responsibility for those crimes against humanity. House Res. 121 was just one of the many struggles in his fight for human rights. In July, I sat in the galleys and heard him speak so eloquently about the plight of over 200,000 women and girls throughout Asia. His words brought tears to my eyes. He really understood the plight of surviving “Comfort Women” on so many levels — his own experiences as a survivor of the Holocaust gave him the kind of wisdom and power to fight for all of humanity — and I am very grateful for his work. I hope to continue the fight for human rights, for the lolas, knowing he was on their side, knowing he supports this call for justice. His commitment to human rights was truly the work of a great heart.

Peace always,
M. Evelina Galang
advocate of Liga Ng Mga Lolang Pilipina
Friend of the Lolas

Comfort the Women

2007-12-26T14:40:00.000-05:00

I come to you because you are a woman too. You understand best what it means to be a woman who has suffered unjustly. You understand what it means to be a mother who sacrifices her own happiness for her children. I come to you. I make an appeal to you because in your own darkest hour, you were able rise above and comfort the women, despite your own sorrow.

I know they come to you too. The women. Some at least. I have talked to so many of the women – at least forty of the 200,000. I have come to know and love at least half of the forty and their supporters too. When I ask the lolas how they were able to endure the pain, how they could find reason to live beyond the barrage of indignities – the lines of men waiting to rape them, the insults to the body, the mind and the spirit and then to survive that kind of war only to return to homes that did not want them – for the shame of being women used, for the shame of being with the enemy in ways no woman should be touched – when I ask them how they can look at me with such love and want me to know love – love of family, of husband, of country – do you know what they tell me?

Each one says, “Sa awa ng Dyos.” As if God carried them through that tumult of abuse in miraculous ways and despite the assault of Japanese soldiers, the scars of bayonet wounds and cigarette burns, despite the nightmares that recur each night and the husbands who never forgave them and the children who will never understand them and presidents who refuse to acknowledge them – the women I have met are full of love. Like you they are full of grace. That is true strength to survive all that and to come forward in our culture of tsmis and hiya – of gossip and shame -- in order to reclaim their dignity and to make sure this kind of war can never happen again.

This has been a miraculous year, beginning on March 1, 2007, when then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe brought the injustice to 200,000 Comfort Women of WWII to the attention of the modern world. When he came forward and invited this international dialog and the women were brought to radiant light. This moment, when the whole world listened because of Abe’s indiscretion ignited our hearts to action. Thank you. I know you were witness to that moment. I know you blessed it. I know you smiled.

So many men and women came forward in support of the women. So many opened their eyes and let down their guard and came to know the stories of the women one by one. So many saw the relationship between these acts of the past and the role of women and war in our present day and we all feared for our daughters’ future.

Through the work of the lolas and other survivors, through the efforts of so many local activists – like my students at the University of Miami and my dear friends Annabel Park and Eric Byler of Washington DC and Allyson Tintiangco Cubales, Mariana Villanueva and Barbara Jane Reyes of the Bay Area – we, like so many others -- educated our communities. Our communities responded with hand-written letters, phone calls, checks, their time and their resources and one by one, our nations’ governments took note.

They took note! First, on July 30th, 2007, the United States Congress stood up as one body and they asked their good friends in Japan to pay attention to their past, to right the wrongs of the past. They asked the Japanese government to apologize to the 200,000 women and to take full responsibility for these acts against humanity. House Resolution 121 passed by a unanimous voice vote and this blessing urged other nations to rise and make their own requests for justice – other nations have passed similar bills – Canada and the Netherlands and the European Parliament. Even the Philippine Congress has a bill asking for reparations and redress on behalf of the women.

Small and large miracles everywhere -- for the world now understands the history of the surviving Comfort Women of WWII. The more the Japanese government resists, the more the people know. During the campaign for House Res. 121 several private Japanese citizens expressed their own desire for their government to come forward with an apology to the women.

After fifty years of silence, several of the 200,000 women around the world stood up, representing their sisters in Korea, the Philippines, China, Australia, New Zealand, Dutch Indies and even their sisters in Japan – yes, Japan – and they asked the world to listen. After 15 years of protests, appeals, marches, letters and sworn testimony, the world is stepping up and backing up the women. Thank God.

But what of my lolas at LILA Pilipina? All the work they have done and still no apology. No reparations. No signs of remorse. Many have died without witnessing these small miracles. Lola Cristeta Alcober, who pulled my hands through the streets of Antipolo and made me sit on her balcony and tape her testimony, died before seeing any of this. And Lola Catalina Lorenzo, my kababayan from Pampanga was in her eighties when I met her in 1999 – she’d get so mad that her hands talked faster than her mouth and her words were like bullets. When will there be justice, she wanted to know. Who answered her? No one. Lola Priscilla Bartonica, a beautiful woman who taught me to dance the tango, once held my hand and said no words, but looked into my eyes and there I saw the tear forming and falling even as she smiled at me. She fought so hard for so many years never sleeping a full night’s sleep after that war. What of these women and the others? Is it not time to comfort them? To give them peace?

I write you on this public space, where some know you, others ignore you, and still others do not recognize you, but I have written to almost everyone with power. Almost everyone. And though this conversation may be best served in the privacy between us, I am asking you to please comfort the women. Bring them peace. Bring them hope. Sa awa ng Dyos. Comfort the women

EU Parliament Adopts Resolution On Comfort Women

2007-12-21T09:18:00.000-05:00

Thursday, 20 December 2007, 6:58 am
Press Release: Amnesty International

European Parliament adopts resolution on comfort women

Amnesty International welcomes the adoption of resolution on survivors of Japan's military sexual slavery system (the so-called 'comfort women' system) by the European Parliament (Resolution B60525/2007) on 13 December 2007. The resolution, which was passed with a clear majority, contributes to the global voice calling on Japanese authorities to take the concrete step of apologising to the survivors of Japan's military sexual slavery system before and during the World War II.

The resolution urges the Government of Japan to 'formally acknowledge, apologise, and accept historical and legal responsibility in a clear and unequivocal manner for its Imperial Armed Force's coercion of young women into sexual slavery' and to 'implement effective administrative mechanisms to provide reparations to all surviving victims of the 'comfort women' system and the families of its deceased victims'.

This resolution joins the growing worldwide call for justice for the survivors of Japan's military sexual slavery system. In July 2007, the US House of Representatives passed resolution 121. In November the Dutch unanimously passed a motion calling for justice for comfort women. The Canadian Parliament unanimously passed Motion 291 on 28 November.

Amnesty International urges Parliaments in other countries to take a similar stand and welcomes recent moves in the Philippines, Germany and the UK to consider tabling resolutions.

Amnesty International strongly urges the Government of Japan to heed the international voice calling for justice for the survivors of Japan's military sexual slavery system and to:

* accept full responsibility for the 'comfort women' system in a way that it publicly acknowledges the harm that these women suffered and restores the dignity of the survivors;

* apologise fully for the crimes committed against these women;

* provide adequate and effective compensation to survivors and their immediate families directly from the government;

* include an accurate account of the sexual slavery system in Japanese education text books on World War II; and

* publicly denounce sexual violence against women whenever and wherever it occurs

Background

Tens of thousands of women were forcibly abducted and deceived into sexual slavery into Japanese military controlled "comfort stations" organized in the different occupied countries before and during World War II. Amnesty International believes that the crimes perpetrated against these women amount to crimes against humanity. To this day, the Japanese government has refused adequately and unequivocally to acknowledge its responsibility for the crimes committed against former "comfort women".

European Parliament Demands Japan Apologizes Too!

2007-12-14T07:28:00.000-05:00

The Lolas must be dancing at this news! Thanks to the European Parliament! Here is an article from Bloomberg.

European Parliament Demands Japan Apologize to `Comfort Women'

By Stuart Biggs

Dec. 14 (Bloomberg) -- The European Parliament passed a resolution demanding Japan apologize and accept legal responsibility for forcing women to serve as sex slaves during World War II, according to a statement on its Web Site.

The resolution called on Japan's government to provide more compensation to the former sex slaves, known euphemistically as ``comfort women,'' and condemned recent remarks by Japanese officials seeking to distance the government from responsibility.

As many as 200,000 women from China, Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan and Indonesia were forced by Japan's Imperial Army to serve as sex slaves in 2,000 centers before and during World War II, Japanese historian Yoshimi Yoshiaki wrote in his 1995 book ``Comfort Women.''

The system ``included gang rape, forced abortions, humiliation, and sexual violence resulting in mutilation, death or eventual suicide, in one of the largest cases of human trafficking in the 20th century,'' the European Parliament's resolution said.

The resolution called on Japan's parliament to enact laws recognizing individuals' rights to claim reparations against the government and said compensation to former sex slaves should be ``prioritized, taking into account the age of the survivors.''

The U.S. House of Representatives agreed on a similar non- binding resolution on July 30 calling on then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to apologize for the Imperial Army's actions.

Causing Controversy

The resolution was introduced by Representative Mike Honda, a California Democrat and chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Abe caused controversy on March 1 when he said no evidence exists to show the government and military were directly involved in forcing the women into slavery, contradicting the findings of a two-year government study in 1993 that formed the basis of an apology by then-Cabinet Secretary Yonei Kono.

Abe backtracked on his remarks during a parliamentary session on March 26.

``Some Japanese officials have recently expressed a regrettable desire to dilute or rescind'' the government's previous apology, the European Parliament's resolution said.

A group of 44 Japanese lawmakers were signatories to a full-page advertisement in the Washington Post in June denying the Japanese military's responsibility for forcing the women into the camps and to protest the introduction of Congress's resolution.

The advertisement was signed by 29 members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, 13 members of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan and two independent lawmakers, including Hiranuma Takeo, the former Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.

To contact the reporter on this story: Stuart Biggs in Tokyo at sbiggs3@bloomberg.net .

One by One The Nations Rise in Support of Surviving "Comfort Women"

2007-11-30T07:27:00.000-05:00

One by one, the nations of the world are asking you to step up, Japan. Hold your head up, look at your past. Take responsibility for your actions. One by one, the nations are asking you to please do the noble thing, the just thing.

Thank you, Canada!

BBC NEWS

CANADA CHIDES JAPAN ON SEX SLAVES

Canada's parliament has unanimously passed a motion calling on Japan to apologise for forcing some 200,000 women to serve as wartime sex slaves.

The motion sponsor, opposition MP Olivia Chow, said the episode constituted "crimes against humanity".

The women affected were mainly Chinese, Korean, and Filipina, but other nations have demanded Japan apologise.

In 1993 Japan issued an official apology over so-called "comfort women", but parliament never approved it.

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe caused uproar earlier this year when he said there was no proof of state involvement - a statement he later played down.

'FORMAL AND SINCERE'
The symbolic, non-binding Canadian motion calls on Japan to "take full responsibility for the involvement of the Japanese Imperial Forces in the system of forced prostitution".

It must offer "a formal and sincere apology expressed in the Diet to all of those who were victims".

Japan said it regretted the vote, and it would not help bilateral relations.

Similar motions have been adopted in the US and the Netherlands.

Speaking to the AFP news agency after the vote, Ms Chow said: "For me, this isn't crimes against 200,000 women. It's crimes against humanity and all of the world's citizens have a responsibility to speak out against it."

"Fifteen-year-old young girls were subjected to torture and raped by countless men for weeks, months and years on end," she added.

OLD WOUNDS
The comfort women were forced into brothels for Japanese soldiers in the 1930s and during World War II.

Japan's failure to apologise and issue official compensation remains an irritant in relations with the nations affected.

In South Korea, surviving "comfort women" still demonstrate every Wednesday outside the Japanese embassy in Seoul. Many did not reveal their involvement for decades out of a sense of shame.

Japan set up a private compensation fund in 1995 as a way of offering recompense without officially acknowledging wrong.

But many women have rejected the offer, saying it should come from the government itself.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/7118249.stm

Published: 2007/11/29 02:55:48 GMT

© BBC MMVII

Pinay Power Protégé Supports Friends of Lolas

2007-10-31T07:53:00.000-04:00

I have just come back from attending the Filipino Women's Network Summit, an amazing four days in Washington DC where strong women gathered on Capital Hill to discuss their work as activists, leaders, working women and business moguls. The group named the 100 most influential Filipina Women in the U.S. and I was honored among them with the "Nicole" an award that "honors Filipina women whose words, actions, and activism, inspire others to act and revolutionize our society's way of understanding traditional beliefs and customs. This category is inspired by "Nicole" who sparked an international dialogue about women's rights, national sovereignty, and international law as she steadfastly pursued justice against her rapists."

Thanks to Marianne Villanueva for nominating me.

More importantly, this award is a working award and we have been asked to choose a protégé to mentor for the next five years. I found this to be an amazing opportunity to share the work and the stories of the lolas with another young woman leader, so I put a call out on my campus at the University of Miami. I was looking for a freshmen or sophomore woman of Filipina descent to mentor as we grow "Friends of Lolas" at the University of Miami.

Below is the winning essay written by Rhea Olegario of Pembroke Pines, Florida. The photo is of the two of us on the night of the gala award ceremony in Washington DC.

Welcome to the struggle, Rhea! Congratulations!

Pinay Protégé Essay
By Rhea Olegario
I can easily recall the first time I heard about the comfort women of WWII. It was during the annual 2007 CFAGA Filipino Independence Day held in my hometown of Pembroke Pines. Wanting to find something to do, my friend and I were passing by the various booths that they had. One, in particular, was called Laban for the Lolas. Not thinking much about it, I probably would have passed it by had not one of the young ladies behind the booth vigorously approach us and inform us of their cause. I remembered feeling ashamed and moved at the same time when I heard about the horrific experiences these comfort women had to go through. Before I always would hear about the injustices occurring throughout the world such as those in Darfur, but it never occurred to me till that point that such injustices could hit right at home. I was ashamed about not knowing sooner about this issue. But I was also moved at how these inspirational and courageous Lolas are standing up along with their supporters to fight for their overdue justice. Recalling dark pasts especially out to the public can never be easy. Further adding to what I learned that day, I see, especially now, how important being informed and sharing information are. Had not that young lady approached me, I wonder how long would I have been ignorant of this issue?

Since my first encounter with the issue, much progress has been made by the Laban for the Lolas—most notably the passing of House Resolution 121 by Congress. Consequently, Laban for the Lolas has taken on a new direction and focus: to eliminate present and future ignorance of the issue of comfort women, especially Filipino comfort women, through the awareness and education of the public and to support the mission of the surviving Filipina comfort women of Lila Filipina, The League of Filipina Grandmothers. It absolutely humbles me to be afforded the opportunity here at the University of Miami to not only encounter for the second time the organization, now named Friends of the Lolas, but also to contribute to the organization in a way like never before. Recently ushered into the world of college, I am quickly becoming acquainted with the idea that one’s role in the future is largely determined by the actions done in the present. Therefore, this opportunity for me to be a significant part of the Friends of the Lolas would guide me into the long-term path I plan to take: Fighting against injustices in the world and aiding and supporting people who desperately need it. It is through my qualifications, experiences, and drive that I find my motivation to actively participate and take part in this urgent and needed cause.

Since High School, I have been involved with many service organizations that I have felt passionately about. In Respect Life and Social Justice, not only did we learn about issues surrounding faith and society, but we also in turn passed on the knowledge and took action through various activities like walks and informational seminars. Additionally, through my favorite project, Hope Outreach, where we mentored young children of low income families, I realized the importance of taking an active role in the community. I began to see the effects of my mere participation in the project: it made the children see that they were special and very much mattered (not that they never did). As my favorite quote by Mahatma Ghandi goes: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” It was through these projects that I discovered my passion to serve and inform the community.

As far as leadership positions go, Editor-in-Chief for my school’s yearbook would be my main experience. Some of my tasks would entail coming up with ideas to write articles on, coordinating events such as Class Picture Day and athletes’ sport photos, and organizing important and numerous items such as Senior ads. With a student body of more than 2000 and a faculty of a little more than 100, it was never easy—intense planning and efficient coordination were a must. As Editor-in-Chief, I dedicated a lot of time into composing our award-winning yearbook. My dedication to the yearbook could be seen through the long hours that I worked. I believe that the skills I learned as Editor-in-Chief for my school yearbook would enable me to coordinate events, organize efficiently important matters, and come up with interesting ideas, especially for fundraising for the Friends of the Lolas.

What mainly fuels my motivation for being an active member, however, is my passion for fighting for justice and human rights. Some of the goals that I have set for myself are to be involved in international organizations where I can aid people, especially those who are suffering from injustices. After reading about the horrific experiences of brutality and systematic rape that Maria Rosa Henson went through, I knew that for comfort women like herself to finally close that unimaginable chapter of their lives, apologies are to be made by those responsible i.e. the Japanese government. With the Japanese government unresponsive to the women’s requests, supporting these amazing women, who have gone through so much, in any way I can would be an honor for me to take on.

I could easily recall the first time I went to the Philippines, a third world country. The homeless children that I saw on the streets are haunting memories that still stick with me today. Nevertheless, I also saw images that made me proud to be a part of this amazing country: I saw like never before the night sky bursting with stars, unhindered by city lights; I saw immense crowds of people of all classes flocking to Church and praying as one; and, most of all I, saw and experienced from my distant relatives the compassion, humility, and warmth that are so indicative of the Filipino people. I am proud to say that I am a Filipino-American. So upon hearing the injustices the Filipino comfort women had to go through like Maria Rosa Henson, I knew then and there that I had to find a way to support them. During the Filipino Independence Day Festival, I supported them by writing a letter and encouraging my friends to do so. However, now with the opportunity to take on a significant role in the organization itself here at the University of Miami campus, I know that I must give everything I can to assist them in anyway so that their plight will never be forgotten by the world. For the country that has given me this rich heritage and for the people who have given me nothing but love and support, I know I would full heartedly and uncompromisingly carry out my role in the Friends of the Lolas to the best of my abilities.