Hope Against Hate Training 2 Summary
“Nalaman ko kung bakit tayo nabibiktima at natutunan ko rin kung paano umiwas at protektahan ang sarili ko. Importante din na may matatawagan ka na kaibigan, pamilya at organisasyon tulad ng Damayan. Malaki ang nagagawa pag nagkakaisa” (I learned why we are victimized and I also learned how to avoid situations and protect myself. It is also important that you have a friend, family, and an organization like Damayan that you can call. There is so much that we can do when we stand united), Damayan member Mary Lou shared during the “Hope Against Hate Training, Training 2: Community Mapping and Assessment Threat” in Elmhurst Baptist Church in Queens, NY.
Last June, Damayan members participated in the training as part of the training series that Damayan mounted with the generous support of the Asian American Federation (AAF) to address the growing systemic violence against the Asian community in the US, including Filipinos.
Nonviolent Peaceforce US Director of Programs Kalaya’an Mendoza started the training by establishing that recognizing physical safety is a way to protect one’s self. Being aware of what physical safety is, how it feels, and what it looks like taught everyone how to recognize when something threatens their safety. As Mendoza engaged the attendees to conduct threat assessment in groups, the members found strength as one community. They learned to look out not just for their own physical safety, but for others’ as well. Systemic hate may be a menacing threat, but the force of one community standing together for each other is a matchless force.
NYC Commission of Human Rights (NYC CHR) Deputy Commissioner Kajori Chaudhuri also presented about the Commission’s mandate to enforce the human rights law, particularly how it relates to workers, including domestic workers.
Damayan - true to its mission of organizing Filipino low-wage workers to combat labor trafficking, promote human and workers’ rights, and develop social justice leaders - will continue to equip their members with knowledge and tools to overcome threats and rise as social justice leaders who uplift their communities.
#NoToAAPIHate #AntiAsianHate #NonviolentPeaceforce #AsianAmericanFederation #Damayan #DamayanMigrants #DamayanMigrantWorkers