Red Love Monday: Monica and Dinah

Every Monday, Dating Politics features leftie couples who’re shaking the laws of lust and motion while saving societies in crisis and motion. Based on the novel by Russian Rev Alexandra Kollontai, Red Love Monday is about love on the other side and inside the class struggle.

If you and your partner are lefties and want your stories posted, check out the Underground Notes and let me know. I’ll transmit the questions.

Monica and Dinah

She: Dinah, Coordinator of the Filipino Nurses Support Group (a group that organizes Filipino nurses to practise their profession in Canada). Member of SIKLAB (an overseas migrant workers organization).

She: Monica, 1. Philippine Women Centre of B.C. (member organization of the National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada), Community Organizer, organize Filipino women and their families to address their issues as women workers of colour in Canada. 2. Grassroots Women, Community Organizer, organize working-class women to address their daily issues under imperialism with a long term perspective of achieving women’s liberation! 3. Tinig ng Masa Radio Collective, Coordinator. Bringing the People’s Views on Philippine-Canadian News to the masses.

Active Turf: Vancouver, BC, Canada and beyond.

Side by side in the struggle since: Summer of 1999.

The Meeting of Two Worlds: Through mutual friends going on a camping trip.

The Great Leap Forward (stimulating the activist):
Dinah: I was inspired by the other organizers in the Kalayaan Centre. I understood what they were calling for such as rights for workers, especially because I came here under the Live-in Caregiver Program and I witnessed all the struggles and experiences of each worker. I got inspired to do something.

Monica: I saw an ad in the SFU school newspaper asking for young Filipinos who were interested in learning about their roots. I was and have been rooted in the Filipino community in our struggle for social and economic justice ever since.

Anthem: “How Did You Know?” by Gary Valenciano

Battle cry:
Dinah: Makibaka! Huwag Matakot!* The People United Will Never Be Defeated!

Monica: Serve The People! A Woman’s Place is in the Struggle! Proud to be a Freedom Fighter!

Why she activates her world: Monica is down to earth. She is humble to everyone and dedicated to the community since 1996. She is smart, understanding, easy to talk to and is very helpful. She is also a joker between the two of us.

Why she activates her world: Dinah has a frankness that I can always appreciate. She has unlimited common sense and a worker’s attitude that I learn from every day. She also does not hesitate to challenge me to change or improve.

What activates their world: Seeing the work that can be accomplished when a group of like-minded, positive, and creative people get together to strive for social change.

The Long March: To help prepare for revolution and peace (in that order!)


*Advance the struggle! Do not fear!