Montreal 2023. General Assembly of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, Canada Chapter.
The conference I attended was the 3rd General Assembly of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) Canada Chapter. It happened in Montreal in early May. ICHRP Canada is a coalition made up of various kinds of organizations and individuals, including churches, unions, grassroots solidarity groups, and others. This conference was an opportunity for all members to come together, learn from one another, unite on the focus of our actions in the coming three years, and network. There was also some sector-focused activities, such as several workshops focused on the faith sector and how people of faith can organize for Philippine solidarity.
I am an individual member of ICHRP based in Toronto, so it was important to me to attend the conference. There faith components of the conference also interested me. ICHRP leads a smaller coalition called the International Interfaith Network, which attempts to unify all kinds of faith institutions around the world. I am one of the coordinators of this international faith network. Because of that, I believe it was important for me to attend the conference and network with the various representatives of faith organizations who were present. It would also give me an opportunity to meet and make plans with existing members of the interfaith network.
With the help of the WSCF grant, I was able to travel to Montreal and stay there for the duration of the conference. The conference was a big success, with over 100 participants including a few who traveled from the Philippines. Over the few days I had the opportunity to participate in multiple workshops, meet other members of ICHRP from across Canada, and meet key contacts in the faith sector. For example, I was able to make the contact of key members of the United Church of Canada who have since been actively involved in the work of the interfaith network. I also assisted in leading one of the workshops on the topic of peace talks in the Philippines, which is an important topic for the interfaith network.
I felt very invigorated after this conference, and am grateful to have been able to attend. I’m glad that I got to connect with several other people of faith who share the same values as me, which also allowed us to strengthen the interfaith network of ICHRP which I think is very important right now. Another positive outcome is that some other members of Saint Luke’s United Church, a church that I have been attending in Toronto, also came to Montreal to attend the conference, and we have been able to share our experience with the congregation since returning.
