The Challenge Is Ours

The Challenge is Ours Nothing is so urgent and critical today than what United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, has issued as a call to million of people around the world─ to make the UN millennium Development Goals happen, otherwise, a lot of people will die, prematurely and unnecessarily. Indeed all of us have to heed the call with our concerted efforts; for it is the people mobilized as we are, according to Secretary Annan, who could overcome the obstacles to a better world. As a Filipino youth, we should be apart of the concerted efforts. Young as we are, we should help promote the eight goals of the millennium. We must act as catalysts for social change. Ours is the challenge and we can do it! Try to consider these. Today, people and organizations working closely in the field of liberation and peace have come to feed the hungry while watching the war that causes their hunger to rage. Oftentimes, we shelter the homeless but are powerless t halt the forces that drove them away from their homes. Too often, we improve subsistence farming but cannot initiate reforms that could allow our small farmers to anchor beyond subsistence. In the past, most of these organizations in the Philippines and in abroad have worked separately without having to accomplish the same targets; not until the Millennium Development Goals were formulated. The MDG was brought about by the collective decision of our world leaders to create programs of action that will lead humanity to a world of sustainability and peace- where poverty and sufferings lie away from every door of every family. What are included in the MDG? By 2015, 191 members of the United Nations agreed to meet the following :(1) eradicate extreme hunger and

poverty, (2) achieve universal primary education, (3) promote gender equality and empowerment of women, (4) Reduce child mortality, (5) improve maternal health, (6) combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, (7) ensure environmental sustainability and (8) develop a global partnership for development. Eradicating extreme hunger and poverty is a difficult task. It requires a series of actions from the local, national and international level, formulation of national and sub national plans of action and reexamination of existing programs and policies and budget for poverty alleviation. We have been conducting yearly or even monthly conventions and consultations aimed to eradicate poverty in our country, spending millions and even billions of pesos for planning, research, program initiation, accommodations and visits and sometimes leaving the budget for monitoring and evaluation unaided, thus having programs and projects that are short termed. Why not spend this money for the development of the youth? Some may think of it as an act of extravagance or even a charitable gesture, but we must understand that it is the best way of ensuring our country’s economic well being. Last week, I was invited to talk about the MDG and the situation of the youth at this pressing time on a National Children and Youth Conference. I explained and made clear to the participants and government officials present, that it is not enough for us to promise projects for the alleviation of poverty and the realization of the MDG, even there are enough resources to back it up. If the whole community and the target participants are not mobilized to do the action, then the project will have less impact and it won’t last long. For years, I have been reaching out to communities, not just in Western Visayas, but in the entire archipelago; and I will never stop until

I see all of my countrymen and fellow youth having to enjoy and develop their full potential, in a Philippines where sustainability, development and peace resides. Access to primary education has also been a problem of our country and of the whole society thus it was included in the MDG. Our country’s educational system has been undermined by the lack of classrooms, textbooks, teachers and budgets for the student’s development. We must bear in mind that our children and youth’s primary education is vital for the development of our country as highlighted by World Vision Development Foundation to wit: “We must be built in a commitment of helping our young ones achieve their full potential which inexorcibly means going beyond the provisions. Universal primary education will also entail, breaking the barriers that prevent poor families from sending their children to school. Education must be the bedrock of our national budget. Cutting educational funds will limit economic growth and worsen the cases of poverty and hunger in our country.” What is distressing is the result of the survey conducted by the Local Government Units, Non Government Organizations and Peoples Organizations that here in our country, In every 10 children entering elementary, 7 will graduate grade 6, five will enter high school and only 3 are able to finish high school. Upon knowing this, I have acted like a virus infecting my peers about the sad news. I’ve joined a lot of organizations and later on became the president of the National Coalition of Children’s Association of the Philippines, Board of Director of the National Federation of Children’s Association of the Philippines, SK chairman, a writer and a student council president. Through these organizations and positions I have created information drives and visits not just to enhance

the awareness of our peers and the people but to also influence them in the process. Gender inequality is also a problem of our country, affecting our personal, local, national and international relations. For some, they consider this as an easy problem- can be solved through personal considerations, but the fact is, it had already destroyed a lot of homes, ruined friendships and inflicted force on a lot of people especially to the women. As young individuals, we should do our share to minimize these series of abuse and inequality. We must have a fresh start in order to create a world fit for all. We have also been facing problems on infant mortality, maternal death, the pandemic of HIV/AIDS and malaria and environmental instability. All of these are affecting us in many ways. Many lives were killed and a lot have suffered. At this pressing moment, we must consider the vital role of communication in the solution of these problems. Lines of communication must be opened to ensure that projects and programs are on its best. “Kabataang Noypi,” Let us not wait for 2015 to realize the MDG. Time is very important at this moment because we may not notice that the next victim would be us, our family and loved ones. Together let us redirect the course of history for the betterment of humanity! ”Laban natin ito!” Let us not serve as problems to be targeted but as partners to the realization of the Millennium Development Goals, proving a lot of people wrong about their negative impression on us and affirming to the statements of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.