A group of concernced Filipinos headed by PINAS First chairman Manny Sarmiento planned to stage a big launching of an intiative that could help Filipino migrant voters in Austria to participate in the forthcoming May 2010  national elections int he Philippines.
„We all know that in May 2010, around 46 million Filipinos, including us here abroad thru the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV), will exercise our most sacred right of suffrage. Will we make it in choosing and installing the right person/s to lead our country this time around? Historical records of the electoral process document Dirty and Unorderly Elections (DUE). In fact, the open issue of the 2004 election, the scandal of "Hello Garci" tapes, is still fresh in our minds,“ Sarmiento told BikolExpress news.

Some 21 convenors came together and agreed, after several meetings and deliberations, to conduct an awareness campaign towards a peaceful and clean May 2010 elections. They agreed to take the word HOPE which means Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Election as campaign slogan.
„As concerned Filipinos in Austria, it behooves us to do our part in promoting understanding and involvement towards an Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Election,“ Fr. Mars Sahulga, SVD , one of the convenors, said.

HOPE aims to:

1. Throw light into the context, character and dynamics of the Philippine electoral process
2. Communicate to the Pinoys in Austria the importance of the 2010 elections
3. Encourage the broadest possible participation of Pinoys (individual or community organizations thru their leaders) in the entire election process
4. Provide relevant and appropriate information that will enable potential voters to participate in the elections

HOPE will be launched on November 30, 2009, 7-9pm at the "Breitenfeld Pfarre", Florianigasse 70, 1080 Wien (U6 Josefstädterstrasse)
The  HOPE convenors are expecting a large number of Filipinos to join and participate in this campaign for a clean and peaceful elections in the Philippines.!