UNIV_GawadKalinga
Report on the Launch of UNIV 2010 at Daniw Study Center (Loyola Heights, Q.C.)
Saturday, 18 July 2009
Special Guest Speaker: MS ANNA MELOTO-WILK (Gawad Kalinga)
Can Christianity inspire a global culture?
YES! seems to have been the resounding answer to this question [UNIV 2010 Theme] by Ms Anna Meloto-Wilk, daughter of Mr Tony Meloto, founder of the famed GAWAD KALINGA [lit. "grant of care"].
She proceeded by way of her personal testimony of her experience collaborating with her Dad in this highly-successful social program which is ultimately based on Christian principles and values, such as Justice, Compassion, Human Dignity, Integrity, etc.
Starting out at a very tender age, her involvement began in Youth for Christ (YFC) where she learned Fun, Friendship and Freedom. Here she built a strong foundation of life, including a strong sense of SERVICE, where the youth learned values like sobriety since they were made to "expect LESS"; they likewise learned cultural sensitivity as they dealt with people from various provinces of differing creeds/convictions.
Then, when her Dad sometime 1996 felt the calling to return to the Philippines (from Australia) to serve the community at Bagong Silang, Quezon City, --a "call to be their Dad as well"-- she learned that alongside the social project itself (of providing shelter and looking after people's security) there was constant need for talks on God's love, Hope (how to have hope in the midst of gangster culture...), etc. At this point, Gawad Kalinga began really taking shape. A Community Center was put up, which kicked off the "bayanihan" ['camaraderie'] spirit which was to imbue all the projects --the 'Kapitbahayan' idea-- thereafter... One of the hallmarks of this Kapitbahayan principle was that project leaders were to be the last to receive housing (in accord with the rule "Una sa Serbisyo, Huli sa Benepisyo" [First in Service, Last in Benefit]).
Bringing the Christian spirit to the non-Christian world:
They've managed to bring GK to the world of our Muslim brothers and sisters, a concrete manifestation of Christian bravery, which the Mindanao people admired :-) With full sincerity, without the 'threat of shelter-in-place-of-conversion-to-Christianity', they've successfully provided upliftment, security and shelter to those down south...
Eventually, the 'Conceptual Framework' of the 'GK way' became:
Total Change of Environment:
Physical (shelter, security, health...)
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Spiritual (Christian values, Mentoring...)
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Socio-Cultural (environment/ecology)
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Economic (Social Enterprise)
The latter has been lately emerging, with the socially-responsible business that the couple has decided to set up: HUMANHEARTNATURE...
For details, please go to: http://humanheartnature.com/
Based on this Talk, I'd summarize the possible paper topics as follows:
Imbuing Social Projects with the Christian Spirit: The Cases of Gawad Kalinga, Developmental Advocacy for Women Volunteerism [DAWV] and XXX in the Philippines
Integral Human Development in Caritas in Veritate: Focus on Microfinance and Credit Cooperatives
Christian Inspiration in Successful Social Initiatives: The Case of XXX
Human Development Issues and Socially Responsible Businesses
Happy UNIV-ing!!!
General thoughts on UNIV 2010 for the Philippines:
http://alizaracelis.googlepages.com
Timetable for UNIV 2010:
Dec. 2009 - Local (Center-based) Paper Presentation
Jan. 6, 2010 - Deadline to National Secretariat, Final Paper
mid-Feb. 2010 - UNIV Final Paper Presentation!
27 March–4 April 2010 - International Congress, Rome!