The AP regional office successfully concluded the
1997 HR and Solidarity Workshop last 19-30 October in the cities of
Similar to past workshops, this year's activity
also focused on providing participants with basic knowledge and skills in
conducting Fact Finding Missions (FFM), as well as facilitating the building-up
of the region's solidarity network. According to Necta Monies, Regional Women's
Programme Coordinator and staff-in-charge for the activity, the workshop
specifically dealt with:
o
enabling participants to undertake FFM on specific
HR violations, analyze the results of the missions, and prepare FFM reports;
o
enabling them to better understand concepts and
ideas related to HR, and
o
the instruments and mechanisms for protecting
HR; and T enabling them to share their experiences and exchange ideas on SCM
activities with the end in view of further improving the region's HR Action Plan.
Necta shared that the workshop was fortunate to
have resource persons who are knowledgeable and have lots of first-hand
experiences in human rights work. Mr. Vic Ladlad of Karapatan (an alliance of human rights groups in the
Two FFM groups were formed from among the
participants, and were separately tasked to research on issues related to the
right to cultural identity, issues related to women workers' rights. A 3-day
FFM-cum-exposure trip started on the 22nd and culminated in joining the
LAKBAYAN, a five-day march-rally organized and participated in by various
people's organization to demand for an increase in the daily wage of workers
and a stop to the pending oil price hike.
In
The workshop ended on a positive note, with the
participants drawing encouragement from what they've learned and experienced
throughout the activity, and committing anew to further strengthen their
participation in human rights work.
FFM team 1: Right
to Cultural Identity
The team stayed in Loacan,
Itogon, Benguet
in (he Cordillera Region (highland area north of
The Case: mass arrest and harassment of over 200
village people who barricaded an open-pit mining site that was being expanded
by BCL The expansion operations reached the local
community's mining site, hut is being claimed by BCI. The arrest/harassment was
made by a combined force of more than 600 BCI security personnel, police and
the military.
On Post-Fact
Finding
ü
Post-FFM action/activity can be determined by:
o
the strength (truthfulness) and depth (adequacy and
impact) of data gathered
o
the willingness and capability of the people/ local
community to undertake an action or activity
o
the capability of the sponsoring NGO or church
o
analysis of the incident
o
identified needs and demands of the community
ü
Planning a FFM action involves:
o
a convenor organization
o
representative/s of the community
o
other concerned groups (depending on the nature of
the issue/problem)
ü
Types or forms of action that can be taken
(separately or in combination of any or all):
o
a follow-up mission (if the initial mission failed
to achieve its objectives or there is lack of data gathered during the first
FFM)
o
education (awareness) and information campaign on
the issue/problem
o
training on specific
skills needed by the community/people for them to follow-up on the issue (e.g.,
documentation training, etc.)
o
organizing the local community, support groups and
national/international networks
o
legal action in the forms of individual or class
suits, and public hearings
FFM (cam 2: Women Workers' Rights
The
(cam visited/studied three situations, all in Metro Manila: Gimbles
Corporation (producer and exporter of children's dresses), Tri-Star Electronic
Company (television sets), and Magnolia-Nestle. Philippines,
Inc. <lee Cream).
Issues
and Cases: management's violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement, union
busting, and illegal lockout of workers. The unions in all three companies are
staging pickets (at the time of the FFM —1 months in Gimbles,
2 months in Tri-Star, 9 months in Magnolia), and have filed (separate) lawsuits
demanding the payment of back-wages, reopening, and rehiring of employees. In
(he Magnolia case, several incidents of police harassment were documented
(e.g., violent dispersal of picket line, indiscriminate firing of guns by the
police, and wounding of a union member).
On Writing the Fact-Finding
ü
Present the findings and recommendations of the FFM
in an organized manner
ü
Disseminate the results of the FFM to the biggest
possible number of people
ü
The report should include:
o
profile of the community objectives of the FFM
methodologies used
o
organizations that participated in the FFM
o
the facts of the case/s which center on the effects
of the violation/s on the people
o
the people's response/s
o
conclusions and recommendations