Saving the earth not by force, but by art & media

After being rescheduled three times from May 2020 because of the ongoing pandemic, the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goal) ResiliArt Earthsaving event in Manila is finally pushing through on December 2-10. This was announced during its press conference on November 10 at the Manila Hotel.

Gracing the event were former senator and The Manila Hotel President Jose D. Lina, UNESCO Artist for Peace Director Cecile Guidote-Alvarez, South-South Cooperation Council President Dr. Viktor Sebek, Councilor Numero “Uno” Lim, Philippine Normal University Vice President for University Relations and Advancement Dr. Lordinio A. Vergara.

Also present were the directors of the various workshops, art camp, forum, festival performances, and outreach program: Director Frank Rivera (workshop for prisoners), Neni Miranda (ASEAN Art Camp to be held at the Philippine Normal University), Dr. Ted Everest Esguerra (workshop for the health workers), Gigi Felix Velarde (workshops for PWDs), Ed Pagayon (workshop for handling of refugees and dislocated indigenous communities), and Joe Lad Santos (workshop for comics).

Organized by the Earthsavers UNESCO Artist for Peace and the Philippine Center of the International Theater Institute (ITI) Social Change Network, it is being held in celebration of Human Rights Week.

The event actualizes the roadmap identified in the May 2018 Manila Declaration for the Launch of the International Peace and Climate Justice Movement: Not by Force but by Art, under UNESCO Patronage. This agreement was endorsed by the Nov. 2018 Cartagena de Indias SSCC Conference and at the December 2018 Katowice COP 24 through an international citizen art exhibition at the ART’s PLANET. This event will showcase the Philippines communications agenda in support of South-South Cooperation and United Nations Programmes on Cultural and Biological Diversity Dialogue on Sustainable Development.

The nine-day event will feature:

-ART CAMP, an interactive activity involving Filipino and ASEAN visual artists in interaction to create mural paintings conveying the SDGs;

-FESTIVAL OF PERFORMANCES, a harvest of techno-artistic manifestations on the SDGs to be staged by foreign and local dance groups, musicians, singers, poets and other artists;

-FORUM, a series of discussions to forge a platform of action for actualizing the SDGs focused on people, planet, peace and prosperity through partnerships;

-WORKSHOPS, sessions showing transformation, healing of trauma popularizing science and income-generating creative industries among the vulnerable communities namely, Prisoners, PWDs, Health Workers, Refugees and Indigenous Dislocated Families; and,

-OUTREACH PROGRAM, cultural immersion and interaction of delegates and performing groups in the Visayas and Mindanao hubs.

Participating in the event are distinguished cultural animators, media leaders and artists of different disciplines, UNESCO Artist for Peace, parliamentarians, and executive officers (basic education and culture, higher education, science and technology, ecology, women, tourism, poverty alleviation, public information, trade and industry, information and communications technology, human rights, and indigenous communities), performing groups by partners endorsed by relevant UNESCO National Commissions, vulnerable communities such as prisoners, persons with disabilities, rehabilitation center drug dependents, refugees and displaced indigenous communities.

“Because what we’re all fighting is equity of opportunities, respect for cultural diversity but unified as one global community. That’s what we’re going to allow the world to see. If they think of Greece as the one who started the Olympics games, they’re going to remember the Philippines which started this global cultural movement. Not by force but by art and media,” shares Earthsavers UNESCO Artists for Peace Director Cecile Guidote-Alvarez.

Hosting the event is the Senate of the Republic the Philippines, individuals endorsed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and affirmed by the Office of the President, and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Nick Lizaso, Chairman, Philippine Normal University (PNU) President Dr. Bert J. Tuga, and Manila Hotel President and former senator Jose D. Lina.

The goal is to have examples of how art can build bridges between countries and areas of conflict and encourage similar exercises across the globe in the future, to have strong implementation of SDGs through the medium of art and media, to have public education at all levels on environmental protection and climate justice through art; popularizing science and motivating the will to reduce carbon footprints and promote alternative clean energy not to breach 1.5degree C, and to have the input of the work of relevant committees in the Congressional Committees on Environment and Climate Change, Culture and Education, Peace and Order, health, social, justice SDG Committee. For more information, you can go to https//:manilasdgevent.info.