Articles

 Then 15 years old, Ms. Greta Thunberg spoke at the United Nations (UN) "Climate Change Conference, 2018."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFkQSGyeCWg&feature=youtu.be

"My name is Greta Thunberg. I am 15 years old. I am from Sweden. I speak on behalf of Climate Justice Now.

Many people say that Sweden is just a small country and it doesn't matter what we do. But I've learned you are never too small to make a difference. And if a few children can get headlines all over the world just by not going to school, then imagine what we could all do together if we really wanted to. But to do that, we have to speak clearly, no matter how uncomfortable that may be. You only speak of green eternal economic growth because you are too scared of being unpopular.

You only talk about moving forward with the same bad ideas that got us into this mess, even when the only sensible thing to do is pull the emergency brake. You are not mature enough to tell it like is. Even that burden you leave to us children. But I don't care about being popular. I care about climate justice and the living planet. Our civilization is being sacrificed for the opportunity of a very small number of people to continue making enormous amounts of money. Our biosphere is being sacrificed so that rich people in countries like mine can live in luxury. It is the sufferings of the many which pay for the luxuries of the few.

The year 2078, I will celebrate my 75th birthday. If I have children maybe they will spend that day with me. Maybe they will ask me about you. Maybe they will ask why you didn't do anything while there still was time to act. You say you love your children above all else, and yet you are stealing their future in front of their very eyes. Until you start focusing on what needs to be done rather than what is politically possible, there is no hope.

We cannot solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis. We need to keep the fossil fuels in the ground, and we need to focus on equity. And if solutions within the system are so impossible to find, maybe we should change the system itself. We have not come here to beg world leaders to care. You have ignored us in the past and you will ignore us again. We have run out of excuses and we are running out of time. We have come here to let you know that change is coming, whether you like it or not. The real power belongs to the people.

Thank you."

GENDER MISSION
by Melvin D. Banggollay

Mr. Banggollay wrote this poem as a participant during the
Training of Trainers (TOT) on Gender for Cooperatives (Level 2),"
conducted by GERC Inc., February 4-8, 2019, Baguio City, PH (photo below).
He is a gender trainer and advocate, and co-op officer from Tabuk,
Kalinga-Apayao, PH.

G-ender equality and equity
In today’s advent of modernity
Calls one to have propriety
In sustaining humanity’s beauty.

3rd National Summit on Gender and Development (GAD) in Cooperatives

Waterfront Cebu City Hotel, Cebu City, PH

April 3-5, 2018

THEME: Philippine Co-ops Stepping up UN SDGs through GAD Mainstreaming #1phcoop1actionforSDG2030

Cebu City National GAD Summit 2018

 DECLARATION AND CALL FOR ACTION

KEEPING IN MIND that cooperatives are instruments for social justice, equity, and economic development

TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION the gender and development (GAD) perspective in the “Statement on the Cooperative Identity (SCI)"

DEEPLY CONVINCED that the challenge for Philippine cooperatives is to become gender-fair to allow women and men to have equal rights, equal benefits, equal opportunities for advancement, and equal access to and control of resources and benefits

TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION the declarations and calls for action adopted in previous summits and conferences on gender equality, particularly on the issue of integrating a gender equality perspective in all policies, programs, projects, and activities of cooperatives at all levels

RECOGNIZING the importance of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), adopted by world leaders in September 2015, that seek to “end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities, and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind,” and of the important roles that cooperatives have in attaining the UN SDGs through GAD mainstreaming and other development actions, and  

FURTHER RECOGNIZING that sustainable development, in relation to the UN SDGs, is defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs; calls for concerted efforts toward building an inclusive, sustainable and resilient future for people and planet; for its achievement, needs the harmony of the three core elements of economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection; and the eradication of poverty in all its forms and dimensions is an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. To this end, there must be promotion of sustainable, inclusive and equitable economic growth, creating greater opportunities for all, reducing inequalities, raising basic standards of living, fostering equitable social development and inclusion, and promoting integrated and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems,[1] and

PURSUING the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) campaign “Co-ops for 2030” that aims at making “cooperatives learn more about the SDGs, commit to pledges to contribute to achieving the SDGs (often through initiatives that are already in place), and report their progress.”

WE, the 884 delegates (609 female and 275 male) from 336 primary co-ops, unions and federations, cooperative banks,  co-op development councils, local government units, national government agencies, and non-government organizations gathered here in Cebu City in a Summit of hope, commitment, and action, guided by our shared values and principles, and determined closely to work together to advance the cause of gender equality, firm in the belief that gender equality is an idea whose time has come, do DECLARE and RESOLVE the following:

1.      CALL on all cooperatives to put into action the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) Memorandum Circular No. 2013-22 or the “Guidelines on Mainstreaming Gender and Development in Cooperatives” and Memorandum Circular No. 2017-04 or the “Tool for Assessing Progress of Gender Equality in Primary Cooperatives as Supplemental to Memorandum Circular No. 2013-22” and for the CDA to enforce compliance; and for all cooperatives to capacitate themselves, including developing their own GAD trainers, to be able to conduct gender-related training or sessions to their own officers, staff, and members;

2. CALL on all cooperatives that they must continue mainstreaming GAD in their own organizations to help them attain the UN SDGs for greater development and sustainability, and for support to environmental protection and environmental programs;

3.     CALL on all cooperatives to step up the development of micro-, small-, and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) for national economic development, especially that 58 percent of 922,677 MSMEs in the Philippines are owned and managed by women and households;[2]

4.       URGE Philippine Congress to review and amend Republic Act No. 9520 or the “Cooperative Code of the Philippines” to integrate gender in the law, that is, regarding the co-op structure and co-op statutory allocation;

5.      CALL on government and non-government organizations; local government units; and co-op development councils, federations, and unions to help and support co-op efforts to attain the UN SDGs;

6.    URGE Philippine Congress to review and amend Section 487, Article XVII ("The Cooperatives Officer") of Title V ("Appointed Local Officials Common to All Municipalities, Cities and Provinces") of Republic Act No. 7160 or the "Local Government Code of 1991" to support local government units (LGUs) in the setting up of cooperative development offices and appointment of Cooperative Development Officers;  and to include in the roles of the co-op development offices and Cooperative Development Officers their support to cooperatives in GAD mainstreaming;

7. URGE GERC Inc.; cooperative federations, councils, and unions; co-op banks; and other co-op-supporting organizations to conduct mapping of GAD mainstreaming progress and GAD needs of cooperatives in the Philippines.

ADOPTED this 5^th day of April 2018 in Cebu City, Philippines, during the “3^rd National Summit on Gender and Development (GAD) in Cooperatives”  with the theme ”Philippine Co-ops Stepping up UN SDGs through GAD Mainstreaming” #1phcoop1actionforSDG2030, organized by the Gender Equality Resource Center (GERC) Inc. and Cooperative Development Authority (CDA).