In commemoration of International Humans Rights Day and International Migrants Day, Gabriela Oakland, ASATA, and the Filipino Community Centre are holding a community discussion on the conditions of seafarers and how we can support them in the San Francisco Bay Area, California (USA).
*I am interested in hearing from Goan/South Asian "shippies" who need support while at sea no matter where they currently are. Please circulate this widely. * Over 1.5 million seafarers worldwide work in incredibly dangerous and stressful conditions to bring the goods that Americans rely on everyday. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic intensified the already horrific conditions of seafarers, exposing them to the deadly virus and leaving over 300,000 seafarers stranded at sea unable to return to their home countries like China, the Philippines, and India. This unseen and forgotten labour is the backbone of our global economy. The community event in California this Saturday is intended to jumpstart a discussion about how people overseas can provide support in various forms to seafarers from the Global South, particularly Asia. If you'd like to join us, please get in touch. In Solidarity, Anibel Ferus-Comelo anibe...@gmail.com OR ani...@berkeley.edu UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education <http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/>