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PALA – PALA STATEMENT: OUR TASK TOGETHER
We,
the participants of the 1977 Asian Secretaries Formation ASFOR, have come
together from diverse cultures, religious and national -backgrounds and
adhering to different creeds. We have met together and formed
and community during the fast five weeks of the first ASFOR session.
We
have met and lived with workers, students, peasants, managers and professionals
and the ethnic -communities. We .have experienced the fragmented reality of
Philippine society as microcosm of the Global reality of Third World people. We
have heard peasants in Bacolori as they described
their work in the cane fields, earning a measly wage of P7 to 10 per day out of
a production that contributes the largest share in Philippine economy. We have
seen the conditions of workers in the Bataan Export
Processing Zone which "develops" the Bataan
peninsula at the expense of the workers who earn more P6.75 a day. We have been
among the mining laborers in Zamboanga who are living in the midst of the
so-called religious confrontation between Christians and Muslims. We lived also
with the peasants of Pangasinan who are struggling
for their rights to own the land, which they cultivate, an unfulfilled promise
of the land reform program of the government. We had the opportunity to mix
with the students who are denied a voice in their own education, which attempts
to uphold and consolidate the status quo.
In
analyzing these and other concrete situations, we see the common systemic link
in the suffering of the oppressed sectors of Philippine society. In reflecting
on our national situations, we recognize the same systems of oppression active
in our countries.
Given
this exposure and knowledge, we consider the substance and mandate of our
faith. What does it mean to be faithful in an oppressive world? What are we
called to be as we leave the shelter of our ASFOR community and return to our
local situations?
In
considering all of the above, we, the 1977 ASFOR participants, are challenged
and motivated by the following general principles;
One: That we must
seek to understand the continuous struggle against the oppressive structures of
the world.
two: That we must work toward the formation of
a just society by organizing the oppressed and the powerless.
three: That we must
struggle for self-reliance and self-determination in our own societies.
four: That we must strive to make
the SCM as an integral part of the struggle for justice in our own land.
five: That we affirm the role of the Christian
witness in the struggle for liberation.
Further,
we recommend the following in terms of the process for future ASFOR gatherings:
one: Endorsement of the praxis-oriented model
of formation.
two: Encouragement to movements in Asia to
recognize the participation of women at all levels. We note the fact that only
one-fourth of the participants in ASFOR'77 are women. We recommend equal
participation of women in future
ASFOR gatherings.
three: Further dialogue
with and understanding of various religious communities in order to define our
common struggle.
four: Specific discussion in the
area of human rights encompassing not only civil and political rights but
economic, social and cultural rights also.
five: Use of the formation input and model
within the local SCM.
We
also wish to publicly thank the following for their support and solidarity
throughout: ASFOR '77:
The Local
Organizing Committee
Union
Theological Seminary and Dr. Levi
Oracion
The Philippine
SCM
The WSCF
regional staff: Nael Cortez, Supardan, Ruth Cortez and Wiwil
Supardan
Our speakers:
Dr. Feliciano V. Carino, Dr. Levi Oracion,Senator Jovito R. Salonga, Sr.
Mary John Manansan and Fr. Carlos Abesamis.
And, finally,
our guides and hosts in our plunge-in
exposures.