In early December, the performance of the Philippines’ Earthsavers Dream Ensemble at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris was a smash hit, drawing thunderous applause from the appreciative audience. This consisted of representatives of civil society, the UNESCO secretariat and permanent delegations.
The Ensemble is composed of nine physically and mentally disabled young adults who danced, sang and acted out their message to protect Mother Nature, to stop violence and to promote tolerance and understanding among the peoples of the world. The group, marking UNESCO’s commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, also amazingly and incredibly included in its program native dances: the tinikling, pandango sa ilaw and maglalatik.
Organized and led by theater icon Cecile Guidote-Alvarez, the Ensemble was designated as “UNESCO’s Artists for Peace†in 2003 in recognition of its dedication to UNESCO’s aims and ideals and its contribution, through the performing arts, to the propagation and promotion of the organization’s message of peace, tolerance and hope.
Irina Bokova, first woman director general of UNESCO, in her address after the Ensemble’s performance, said: “Through their performances, they appeal to each of us to better care for our fragile planet. They raise awareness about the wealth of our biological, creative and cultural diversity. In short, they share the dream of a single human family. I cannot think of a more powerful message at a time when the Philippines is recovering from the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan.
“I would like to pay special tribute to Cecile Guidote-Avarez for showing the way by making art — and arts education — the prime medium for empowering the most fragile, and for building more inclusive, peaceful and tolerant societies.â€
Mrs. Alvarez, highly gifted actress and theater director, also founded the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA). She recently gave a speech before the United Nations in New York.