Anakbayan South Seattle September Newsletter

Never again, never forget. Join us September 20th in remembering the martyrs and survivors on the 50th anniversary of martial law under Ferdinand Marcos (ML@50)

Sep 17, 2022

Never Again, Never Forget: 50th Anniversary of Martial Law in the Philippines

From 1972 to 1986, Ferdinand Marcos Sr. declared martial law in the Philippines. During this time, the Filipino people would experience some of the most intense economic hardship and political repression they would ever face because of Marcos’ abuse of power. The Marcos Sr. Administration tortured, imprisoned, disappeared, and killed tens of thousands of Filipino people–many of whom were peasant, student, and Indigenous activists crying out against their conditions.

Over these 14 years, the Marcos family would pocket billions of pesos from the Philippines to be used for their own leisure and the continued violent repression of the people. Much of their ill-gotten wealth is still missing to this day.

As of today, a fascist government like that of the US-Marcos I regime has taken hold of the Philippines once again. With a presidential campaign based on nostalgia for his father’s government, the US-Marcos II regime has has already paralleled much of the economic hardship and political repression.

As if a reflection from the 70s, the Marcos dynasty returned to Malacanang with the recent election of Ferdinand “BongBong” Marcos Jr. as president.

President Biden extended an invitation to BBM to visit the US & attend the UN General Assembly. This absurd gesture should not come as a surprise, as it further solidifies our understanding of the vast history of US imperialism sinking its teeth into countries across the global south. The US today, just like during the martial law era, only seeks to bolster systems that encourage mass poverty and political repression to extract cheap labor, land and resources.

This September 20th will mark 50 years after Marcos Sr.’s declaration of martial law. Join BAYAN organizations and community members in remembering the victims & honoring the survivors of the martial law era on September 20th, 7-9pm at Seafood City in Tukwila.

Never forget! Youth remember People Power! Never again to martial law!

We need your help! Donate today.

Honor those killed under martial law by helping BAYAN Seattle raise $3200 in the month of September. As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of martial law now under the US-Marcos II regime, consider contributing to our efforts to support the National Democratic movement.

✈️ Additionally, ABSS is joining other BAYAN organizations in sending members to the ML@50 action in New York this year. Donate to @anakbayan-southsea on Venmo to contribute to travel and food expenses ✈️ Salamat sa lahat!

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KABATAAN ALLIANCE · STATEMENT
SEPTEMBER 2022

Solidarity With Teachers Strikes - Seattle Educators Association & Kent Educators Association

As a grassroots youth and student organization and member organization of Kabataan Alliance, Anakbayan South Seattle stands in firm solidarity with the teachers strikes in the Seattle and Kent school districts. Members mobilized to the picket lines during the first week of September to learn more about the needs and demands of teachers across these districts and show support in demanding a fair contract! Read the Kabataan Alliance solidarity statement below, and see the original post on Instagram.

Kabataan Alliance (KA) extends our solidarity to Seattle Education Association and Kent Education Association who are currently in contract negotiations with their respective school districts. Teachers are being pushed to the breaking point but district administrators seem determined to get the school year started without proper support for educators or students.

Kabataan Alliance expresses its gratitude to all educators and students who fight for the basic right to an education and adequate labor standards. We recognize the demand and need for improved conditions for students and educators in Washington schools.

KA uplift the following demands that are shared by SEA and KEA:

NO cuts and INCREASE funding for Multilingual and Special Ed staff
Mental health services for students and teachers
Increase teacher pay to better reflect inflation
Smaller class sizes

The contract negotiation that Seattle Public School has been evading with the Seattle Education Association will determine the next 3 years for all school workers—this includes teachers, healthcare workers, administrative staff, etc. Proposed cuts by SPS include eliminating funding for Special Education and English Language Learners programs. Rather than cut funding for these programs, SEA and KEA demand more support for these programs to improve conditions and support for students. We support the demand for wages to correctly reflect inflation, along with fair and proper compensation for paraeducators, substitutes, and all school workers.

Every student has a right to a quality, relevant and culturally sustainable education, students deserve to study in spaces in which they thrive, this can only be achieved by meeting SEA and KEA educators' demands! With budget cuts to programs essential for the wellbeing and growth of students, growing class sizes resulting in unsustainable teacher to student ratios, and stagnant pay, students and educators are advocating for themselves by demanding change.

KA cannot help but see the parallels between the local teachers’ struggle and the issues of education in the Philippines. Filipino schools are underfunded and teachers, especially in the underserved Lumad indigenous communities, are targeted by the military simply for providing a culturally relevant education. Like the Seattle and Kent School districts, the Philippine government has spread misinformation villainizing these hard working educators. In reality, it is the repressive education systems that must be held accountable for stalling the improvement of conditions for both students and educators.

Kabataan Alliance says: Support the demands of Seattle and Kent teachers! While districts continue to underpay their educators and school staff in addition to making cuts to programs benefiting Washington state’s students, $600 million taxpayer dollars in military aid to President Duterte and the Philippine government, with paltry human rights restrictions and oversight. Federal money in the Philippines should fund public education and fighting the current pandemic— not human rights violations in the Philippines. Under the new President, Bong Bong Marcos will only heighten and we must continue to fight for the passage of the Philippine Human Rights Act and redirect our tax dollars to the needs of our students and teachers here.

How to take action

Support educators by standing in solidarity with SEA and KEA in the event that strikes continue, and by sending a message to the Seattle School Board & Superintendent Israel Vela. Be ready to join educators at workplaces across the Seattle school district and Kent-Meridian High School for picket line actions until a proper tentative agreement (TA) that genuinely reflects the teachers demands has been reached. Demand they settle a fair contract with Seattle and Kent educators. Visit wea.mobi/Kent2022 to sign the petition and email your message of support for Kent educators. Send an email of your support for Seattle educators and students to the SPS Board: https://buff.ly/3Ahfbfv.

#FairContractNow
#UnionStrong
#DefendLumadStruggle
#TakeBackOurEducation
#FundEducationNotMilitarization
#PassThePhilippineHumanRightsAct

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE OF PEOPLES STRUGGLE
AUGUST 2022

ILPS Solidarity School

Local Seattle anti-imperialist organizations gathered for a weekend at Seattle University to share lessons and skills in order to collectively sharpen our analyses of current conditions, acquire solid organizing skills, and build a stronger anti-imperialist movement across our region.

As a member organization of ILPS (International League of Peoples Struggle) ABSS offered a skillshare on chapter building. In this workshop, we were able to share amongst allies our lessons from our year long process of becoming a full chapter from starting out as a Chapter organizing Committee and even before then, an AOM team.

ABSS also performed two songs as ARAK Band, our cultural group that meets weekly to share space & learn Filipino revolutionary songs and the history behind them.

SAVE THE DATE · ILPS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY · OCT 21-23

ILPS will be holding its historic 2nd national assembly here in Seattle, Washington October 21-23. Member organizations will be coming from across the country to participate in this 3-day event that will include workshops, alliance building and a mass anti-imperialist mobilization.

ANAKBAYAN SOUTH SEATTLE · CHAPTER ELECTIONS
AUGUST 2022

Newly Elected Executive Committee

Anakbayan South Seattle has a newly elected Executive Committee! Congratulations to all our new EC members for taking up their role of leadership and driving our organization forward as we agitate, organize, and mobilize the Southend! Our new Executive Officers are:

Chairperson - Linda
Vice Chairperson - Nica
Secretary General - JR
Educational Development Officer - Kash
Solidarity Officer - Mar
Finance Officer - Noah

We offer deep gratitude to our outgoing EC Officers (Rizelle, Rockie, Ryan, and Kai) for their service to our organization, launching us into our first year as a chapter.