UP Lingg co-organizes "Kapwa Tulungan sa UP Diliman" - Department of Linguistics

The Department, in collaboration with Etniko Bandido Infoshop, Local Autonomous Network, Food Not Bombs, Sining sa Daan, Hiraya Project Construction, UnDatu Life, and Snack Shack, held “Kapwa Tulungan sa UP Diliman,” a two-day event that aimed to foster the importance of mutual aid and to celebrate the Department’s 102nd founding anniversary.

Kapwa Tulungan, a proposed translation of Peter Kropotkin‘s concept of mutual aid, encapsulates the significance of a reciprocal collaboration that extends beyond humans and instead highlights the equal importance of the environment and everything in it. This is why in the opening program, it was explained why semantically similar terms like bayanihan–which is supposedly interpreted as anthropomorphic–were not chosen in the attempt to translate this form of mutualism to Tagalog.

On 27 August, during the first day of the event, artist Aida Azin gave a lecture-workshop on visual art installations, which was followed by a film showing at Palma Hall Room 207. Sixto Bereber then led a discussion on food security and permaculture, while the rest of the afternoon was allotted for artist talks, music performances, and an open mic.

While all of these presentations were ongoing, several parallel activities were carried out at Palma Hall’s second floor lobby: art exhibitions, merch tabling/latagan, free haircuts, and “Really Really Free Market“/libreng palengke.

A class on different yoga asanas was held to open the second day of Kapwa Tulungan when it continued on 29 August, while Bas Umali and Dr. Randy Nobleza gave a book talk for “Pangayaw and Decolonizing Resistance: Anarchism in the Philippines.”

During lunchtime, a panel discussion on environment, climate issues, and language endangerment was done by Alyansa Tigil Mina (Justin Magbanua), Local Autonomous Network (Jassim Guila), 350.org (Fread De Mesa), and The Katig Collective (Patricia Asuncion and JM De Pano). Workshops on film-making and indigenous musical instruments were led by Arvin Belarmino and Bryan Paler, respectively.

Dennis Victoriano meanwhile gave a t-shirt screen printing class based on an alternate Kapwa Tulungan poster designed by artist Joy Waldas. Performances from UP Kontemporaryong Gamelan Pilipino (Kontra-GaPi), Joee Mejias, Kriselle Cartalla, and many more wrapped up the celebration.