EcoWaste Coalition Gathers in Tondo to Celebrate and Fire Up Culture of Sharing
SHARING
COMMUNITY: EcoWaste Coalition’s members
and partners celebrate the Green Action Week with the theme “Sharing Community”
to stir up greater collaboration and sharing to promote sustainable access to
goods and services and realize the envisioned zero waste and toxics-free
society.
To mark the Green Action Week, a global campaign to promote sustainable
consumption, partner groups and communities of the EcoWaste Coalition gathered
today in Tondo, Manila.
The event attended by some 150 individuals, mainly
from informal waste recycling groups
based in Malabon and Manila Cities, was held to celebrate and strengthen the
culture of collaboration and sharing within the network.
“While sharing is not an alien concept for our affiliates
and partners, we have yet to take full advantage of sharing as a strategy that
will connect our diverse membership and assist them in fulfilling their needs
and aspirations,” said Thony Dizon, Chemical Safety Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.
“Through ‘Project Share,’ we hope to kindle a more active
culture of sharing that will help the network in advancing the envisioned zero
waste and toxics-free society while promoting our rights and responsibilities
as citizens and consumers,” he added.
Community leaders representing some of the most
vulnerable and unprotected members of the informal recycling sector, including
e-waste dismantlers, shared their stories on how they make a living out of
other people’s discards, the difficulties involved and their most cherished dreams.
Sarilaya Secretary General Meth Jimenez enriched the
conversation by providing insights as to how their group integrates a gender
perspective in their community work to promote equality and combat
discrimination.
As access to basic goods is a common concern for low and
middle income families, participants had the opportunity to learn about
container gardening to grow nutritious vegetables, home-made deodorant and
toothpaste to lessen expense on personal hygiene products, and assorted crafts from trash that can augment
household income.
During the event, campaigners also took turns introducing
their advocacies and the opportunities for learning, engagement and
participation. Among the initiatives highlighted were the safe management of
e-waste, the protection of consumers from hazardous chemicals in products, and
the threat from
waste-to-energy incineration, particularly to the
livelihood of the informal recyclers.
Prior to the event, the EcoWaste Coalition conducted a
membership survey to, among other things,
assess the needs of member groups
and prepare an inventory of resources within the network that can be shared
with one another.
“This event marks the beginning of a more willful
approach to cultivate a culture of sharing among our members,” said Ayeth
Enrile, Membership Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition, stressing “there is so much
information, knowledge, expertise and other resources within the network that
is just waiting to be tapped.”
Among the groups who participated in the sharing event
were the Environmental Advocates Reaching Towards Humanity – UST, Global
Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Integrative Medicine for Alternative
Healthcare Systems Philippines, Kanlungan ng Kalikasan, Kariton Empowerment Center,
Maskara Green Stage Filipinas, Mother Earth Foundation, Nagkakaisang Lakas ng
mga Mangangalakal sa Longos, Nagkakaisang Mananambakan ng Dumpsite Area, Piglas Kababaihan, Sambayanang Muling Pagkabuhay
Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Samahan ng mga Mangangalakal ng Scrap sa Capulong, Sarilaya-National,
and the Shoreline Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran.
The Green Action Week is an initiative of the Swedish
Society for Nature Conservation and is implemented in coordination with
Consumers International. The theme for
2018 and onwards is “Sharing Community.”
-end-
Reference:
https://greenactionweek.org/
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