27 May 2011 - The Philippine Embassy in Berne reported that a conference on the theme "Philippines in Perspectives" was held last May 14 at the University of Berne in Switzerland to raise awareness and appreciation of the richness of Filipino culture and society.
Presenting the different perspectives on the Philippines were Labor Attaché Manuel Imson of the Philippine Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Ms. Irina Wenk of the Institute of Social Anthropology of the University of Zurich, and Professor Iwar Werlen, the head of the Linguistics Institute at Berne University. Mr. Imson talked on "Aspects of Philippine Migration". He presented the history of Philippine migration, its socio-economic impact on Philippine society, and the Philippine Government's support mechanisms that protect the welfare of Filipino migrants all over the world.Ms. Wenk's "From Prejudice and Displacement Towards A Self-Determined Future" talk elaborated on indigenous land rights and the impact of the 1997 Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (IPRA) of the Philippines on the rights and cultural identity of indigenous peoples.
In his talk "The Philippine Languages and the Notion of a National Language Filipino," Dr. Werlen gave an overview on the evolution of Philippine languages and dialects, and how these shaped the Filipinos' multi-lingual and multi-cultural identity.
The conference was participated in by a heterogeneous group of around 50 Filipino, Swiss and Swiss-Filipino students, professionals and researchers.
The event was organized by the Network of Integrated Pinoys or Noi-P, a network of young Filipino-Swiss professionals based in Switzerland, with the support of the Embassy.