Filipino youth from different states in the United States gathered for their third Kabataan Magkaisa Conference and general assembly of the Kabataan Alliance on October 5-6 at the University of California in Los Angeles. An estimated 450 youth from 113 organizations participated in the gathering.
With the theme “Kabuhayan, Karapatan, at Ating Kinabukasan, Ipaglaban!” (Fight for our Livelihood, Human Rights, and Our Future!), the conference tackled social issues and the situation of Filipinos in the Philippines and overseas. Various discussions and activities were held during the two-day conference.
The conference was first held in January 2016, then in September 2017, which coincided with the founding of the Kabataan Alliance. The National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON), Anakbayan-USA, and the Northern California Pilipinx American Student Alliance (NCPASA) spearheaded the founding of the alliance.
According to Anakbayan-USA, the gathering coincided with the celebration of Filipino-American History Month. “We reaffirmed our duty as youth and students of Filipino overseas in continuing our history of resistance by fighting for a genuinely free and democratic Philippines,” the group said.
Guest speakers and organization leaders shared their experiences in organizing and advocacy during the conference. The conference reaffirmed the Filipino youth’s support for the struggles of workers, support for the Palestinian people’s struggle, and condemnation of US imperialism’s militarization and war in the Philippines.
“We as youth are inheriting this world, and as a powerful social force for change, we must continue our legacy of resistance in the fight for national democracy as the true solution to the issues faced by not just the youth but of the toiling masses,” Anakbayan-USA added.