about centre kapwa

Centre Kapwa is a ‘by-and-for’ non-profit organization that serves and supports the mental health and well-being of Montreal Filipinx Youth and their families, through art, movement and conversations.

Our mission is to Unlearn, Unite, and Uplift.

unlearn

Centre Kapwa’s values are rooted in restorative justice and transformative leadership. This means that we aim to collectively unlearn imperial histories, and reclaim our narratives as Filipino/a/x peoples.

unite

With three historical colonial invasions, multiple waves of migration worldwide, and over 7000 islands, we recognize, honour, and celebrate that Filipino/a/x/s are not a monolith.

uplift

We offer experiences rooted in decolonization, healing, community capacity building, civic engagement, education, empowerment, and intergenerational leadership.

what is Kapwa?

Kapwa is an inner sense of interconnectedness we share as human beings.

Reawakening this inner sense through connecting and collectivizing is how we as justice seeking communities can challenge the efforts of colonialism which aim to divide us.

about Our logo

Our logo is inspired by pre-colonial tattoo symbols and was created by Queer Filipinx artist Julay Nieto of Sacred Spirit Ink. When the Spanish colonizers first arrived to the archipelago, they were met with heavily tattooed indigenous peoples and called us Las Islas de los Pintados, the Islands of the Painted People.

The top symbol is a plant sprout. It represents what we are growing and tending to together as a community, while building and co-creating a better future for all.

The bottom symbol is a snake tongue. In Philippine indigenous cultures, the snake and its ability to shed skin represents honoring different generations, and the snake tongue allows the ancestors to speak their wisdom through us.

In this spirit, the symbols on the Centre Kapwa logo has two meanings. They are a way of celebrating where we come from, those who came before us, and where we are heading collectively.