AMMORE holds General Assembly
The Alliance of Marriage Migrants Organizations for Rights and Empowerment, or AMMORE, has successfully concluded its first general assembly in Bangkok, Thailand last March 23, 2017.
With 14 participants from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Hong Kong and the Philippines representing 11 organizations, the AMMORE reaffirmed its commitment to steadfastly organize marriage migrants and their families all over the world, launch campaigns and various initiatives championing the rights of marriage migrants, and engage actively and meaningfully as a section of the migrant sector in various platforms.
Hsia Hsiao Chuan of the TransAsia Sisters Association Taiwan, one of the first marriage migrants organizations ever formed and a founding member of AMMORE, reiterated in her keynote the importance of forming an international alliance of marriage migrants in order to provide a more united voice for marriage migrants to not only speak about their issues and concerns but create a solid force of marriage migrants contributing to a growing global migrant movement and aiming for a just world without exploitation, discrimination or abuse.
The participants, many of whom were marriage migrants, reaffirmed the AMMORE Basis of Unity as well as deliberated and approved the Constitution and Bylaws and General Program of Action for 2017-2020.
The AMMORE Coordinating Body (ACB) was also formed – Hsia Hsiao Chuan of AMMORE representing Taiwan, Agalyn Nagase of Kafin representing Japan, Jane Brock of Immigrant Women’s Speakout representing Australia, Won Okkum of Vietnamese Community of South Korea representing South Korea, Sam Wong of New Arrival Women’s League representing Hong Kong, and Rey Asis of the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants representing the associate members.
The ACB elected amongst themselves the following officers: Hsia Hsiao Chuan as chairperson, Agalyn Nagase as secretary general and Sam Wong as treasurer.
Other participating organizations in the AMMORE General Assembly were AMMORE Japan, EMBRACE (South Korea), Gabriela Philippines and Migrante International (Philippines) and Indonesian Migrant Workers’ Union (Hong Kong).
Marriage migrant organizations and support networks from various parts of the world that were unable to attend the general assembly but have expressed support to the AMMORE are currently being sought to join as members.