[caption id="attachment_125" align="aligncenter" width="602" caption="Members of the National Secretariat staff pose with Fr. Bob Hogan SJ and other guests at their Christmas Party held last December 23, 2008."][/caption] The Signs of the Times Discerning Group (STDG) has launched a Kapihan Series as an informal forum for the discussion of societal issues. Held every three weeks on Fridays at 8-10 p.m. at Leunis Hall, the sessions seek to provide CLC members with an open, transparent and participatory environment for the discussion and analysis of issues toward a more informed individual and community discernment process.

• The first Kapihan was held last December  12, 2008 on What have we learned about the Church and its relationship with society in light of the Reproductive Health Bill?
• The 2nd session held last January 9th featured Vince Lazatin, Executive Director of the Transparency and Accountability Network, who described TAN’s actions and initiatives to reduce corruption in the Philippines, particularly Bantay Lansangan and the Supreme Court Appointments Watch (SCAW) .
• The 3rd Kapihan on February 5th will feature Zamboanga Rep. Beng Climaco of the Camino Nuevo CLC, who will share her perspectives and experiences dealing with the signs of the times as a CLCer in Congress.