By Peter Solis Nery
PRAGUE — The European Network of Filipino Diaspora in the Czech Republic (ENFiD-CZ), in cooperation with the Embassy of the Philippines in Prague conducted a blended seminar, with live audience at the Embassy and online live streaming via Facebook, last month.
Palanca Awards Hall of Famer Peter Solis Nery, during the Prague stopover of his extended trip of Europe visiting key cities like Paris, London, Vienna and Milan graced the occasion with a talk on Transformative Literature. Along Nery were Erasmus scholars Andy Peñafuerte III, who spoke on Storytelling for Migrants in the Digital Age; and Jay-Vee Marasigan Pangan, who shared on Euro-Pinoy Youth for Sustainable Future.
Attended in person by Ambassador Eduardo Martin Meñez, Consul General Indhira Bañares, ENFiD Board Member Marison Rodriguez, members of the diplomatic corps, and several leaders of the Filipino community in Prague, the event, with the theme of Empowering Euro-Filipinos in the Czech Republic via Literacy and Cultural Connection through Stories, was moderated by Dr. Reysa Alenzuela from the Czech Academy of Sciences.
Emphasized in the seminar was the call to tell our individual stories in every form and platform. “Only you can best tell your story,” Nery said. “Your experience is unique; and perhaps someone, if not the whole world, needs to hear it.” Nery also added that the first step is writing down the stories we want to tell, that the practice can be quite therapeutic, and that in the future, when we decide to publish what we have written, we can always get an editor to help us, if necessary.”
From Ambassador Meñez’s welcome to Consul General Bañares’s closing remarks, through the talks of the three resource speakers, and input from the live audience and online participants, it seemed agreed that Filipinos back home and their host countries abroad need to hear all kinds of stories to paint a better picture and understanding of Filipinos in diaspora; and that these kinds of literary and cultural remittances are necessary in promoting world peace and global understanding.
Plans for writing workshops and ideas for writing retreats with Nery also came up during the seminar and the post-event dinner with ENFiD members in Prague.
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Peter Solis Nery is a multi-awarded Filipino poet, fictionist, filmmaker and playwright who divides his time living in the Philippines and traveling around the world. He is a Palanca Awards Hall of Famer, and the first Filipino author invited to the Sharjah International Book Fair in the United Arab Emirates.
