New York-- Upon news of the announcement of the postponement of the United Nations Conference on the World Economic and Financial Crisis and its Impact on Development from June 1-3 to June 24-26 in New York, Filipino-American groups Anakbayan New York/New Jersey and NY Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (NYCHRP) joined allies in sponsoring an outdoor People's Economic Summit in front of the Manhattan UN Headquarters. The purpose of the alternative Summit, organized by a grassroots network known as the Bail-Out the People Movement (BOPM), was to invite voices of the general concerned public to engage in an official discourse on the global economic crisis and its impact on people's struggles.

Members of both Filipino organizations led break-out groups in the morning before the afternoon plenary session. Members of Anakbayan from Jersey City facilitated a breakout group on youth issues, while members of NYCHRP facilitated breakout groups on immigration and struggles against corporate power around the world.

During the larger plenary session in the afternoon, two Filipino panel speakers-- Dulphing Ogan of Kalumaran, an indigenous peoples alliance in Mindanao, and Berna Ellorin, Chairperson of BAYAN USA-- gave presentations analyzing the root causes of the global economic crisis, its impact on the Philippines, and the implications of the postponement of the UN Conference convened by UN General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto of Nicaragua.

Ellorin presented a statement from RESIST!, a international campaign against globalization and war initiated by the International League of Peoples Struggle (ILPS), warning of intentions of the most powerful and industrial countries of the world, the G7, to derail the D'Escoto's UN Conference due its aim to examine how poor, developing countries are affected by the crisis and to seek pro-people, cooperative solutions to alleviate the intense burdens on the world's impoverished.

"The imperialist powers are attempting to derail the UN-initiated process at least until the election of a more compliant [president]. At the same time, they are prepared to utilize this venue to push for a convergence around the basic elements of the G20 agenda," Ellorin presented. "All these mean we cannot leave the most important decisions governing our lives in the hands of those in power. The challenge for us is to strengthen the mass movement for change."

Other plenary panelists included Byron Blake, UN Ambassador for Jamaica and senior advisor to D'Escoto, who offered a greeting to the Summit audience and former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark.

NYCHRP and Anakbayan members also set up a RESIST table where audience members could purchase indigenous woven products from the Philippines, books and sign on to the RESIST statement Ellorin presented earlier.

As part of the Ten Days of Action before the UN Conference next week, Filipinos will once again hold a special forum on Migrants in conjunction with the UN Conference on Monday, June 22nd, 7pm at the UN Church Center (777 United Nations Plaza) in Manhattan. The said forum is sponsored by RESIST, IBON Philippines, International Migrants Alliance (IMA) and the World Council of Churches.

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