“Be the change you want to see in the world,” is what spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi professed to India and the world. Now, Fair Trade supporters are saying this to you too.

The Advocate of Philippine Fair Trade, Inc. (APFTI) and the World Fair Trade Organization-Philippines (WFTO-Phils) invite you to be that change and celebrate with them and 52 other countries World Fair Trade Day 2010 (WFTDay) from May 23-29.

AYAD Melissa Bull gets a lesson in litter in the Philippines and helps build a legacy fo local communities with the idea that everywhere is someone's back yard. Turning trash into a healthy vision for communities is all part of the job description for Melissa and her counterparts in San Juan. How did they do it?

Read on as Melissa gives us the low down on some dirty business:

Driving along a bouncy road, at a speed I was sure couldn’t be legal; I closed my eyes briefly so I couldn’t see the pedicab’s and jeepneys that we were weaving through, barely centimeters from collision.  Arriving in Tacloban City that morning, I had met the representatives from host organization, the Municipality of San Juan, and we were on our way to my new hometown…some 3-4hours drive away.

On 3 February 2010, over 100 underprivileged Filipino children will participate in the ‘Kids Creating Change’ Festival at La Mesa Ecopark, Quezon City. This creative-arts based event will inspire and empower Filipino children to actively address the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Addressing Social Problems through Art and Creativity

One of the highlights of the day will be ‘Nylon Zoo’, a massive inflatable salmon which holds 30-40 children and will be a venue for dress-up animal parades and story time. The day also involves a performance by the Hope Worldwide Puppet Theatre Troupe and a theatre performance by former street children from Bahay Tuluyan Philippines.

The MDGs of literacy, sustainable development, children’s health and livelihood projects will be featured as part of the event’s activities. The children attending will gain skills, inspiration and confidence to lead change in their communities.

Event organizer Lea Czikowski said: “The empowerment of children means that they can act as the drivers for development in their community. I strongly believe that the creative arts are intrinsic to development and that together we can achieve wonderful things.”

 

VIDA volunteer Constantine Carluen takes a break from his hectic schedule as the Development Communications Officer for the Philippines-Australia Community Assistance Program to reflect on the past 2 years.

The Philippines: a second rebirth

When friends and family from back home ask me what is it I do in the Philippines, I jokingly reply “I tell the human story of where your taxes go!”