Written by Ma. Czarinna de Cadiz | Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities
The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), together with its partners from AktivAsia Philippines and the Paranas Local Government Unit, conducted a four-day Foundational Training on Campaign Strategy, Organizing, and Leadership on July 4-7, 2024, at the Samar Island Natural Park Headquarters in Brgy. Tenani, Paranas, Samar. The training session aimed to capacitate the youth from Guiuan and Salcedo, Eastern Samar and Paranas, Samar with the tools and competencies to craft their own campaigns to help advance a locally-led climate action in Eastern Visayas.
Facilitators Elainne Lopez and Francis Joseph dela Cruz from AktivAsia kicked off the training with a set of icebreakers to create a space for the participants from different municipalities to get to know each other and share their backgrounds and experiences. This was designed to set a familiar and collaborative environment for the subsequent sessions focusing on campaign strategy development.
The Foundational Training on Campaign Strategy, Organizing, and Leadership module was divided into two main components, spread throughout the duration of four days: The first half focused on learning sessions regarding key concepts around climate change and action. These were delivered through discussions ranging from Climate Change 101, to in-depth presentations on understanding nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation. To contextualize these concepts, the training facilitated sessions on leadership and power through the framing of the youth from the project sites as the main actors.
The remaining sessions were designed to provide participants with the space and time to design their own campaigns to contribute to the overall goals of the Multi-Actor Partnership towards Enhanced Local Climate Action (MAP-ELCA); the project’s strategic approaches were reintroduced to the participants as potential pathways for their campaigns. In the objective-setting session, participants identified critical issues in biodiversity conservation in their respective municipalities. Youth from Paranas and Salcedo highlighted the community’s lack of awareness regarding the role of mangroves in climate change mitigation; similarly, participants from Guiuan identified the lack of awareness about marine ecosystems and their services as their primary concern.
A couch session was also integrated into the program to deepen the participants’ understanding and appreciation of the Paranas Karst Forest and how the local communities are conserving it. Eugene Igdaleno of the Tour Guides, and Boat Operators for River Protection and Environmental Development Organization (TORPEDO) shared his community’s journey and best practices in establishing an eco-tourism enterprise within the Karst Forest. Following this, the participants were invited to join a walking tour of the SINP area, hosted by guides from a local women’s organization managing the developed eco-trail, the Tenani Association for Women and Development (TAWAD).
The highlight of the four-day training was the establishment of a coalition of the participants, representing a diverse array of government and non-government organizations across three MAP-ELCA sites, each contributing unique backgrounds and experiences as dedicated youth.
Salcedo, Eastern Samar is represented by participants and campaigners from the Sudao GREEN Minds, Salcedo Local Youth Development Office, Barangay Sequinon Youth Organization, Salcedo Parish Youth, Tagbacan Youth and Children Organization, and Caridad Active Movers for Progress.
From Guiuan, members hail from the Guiuan Local Youth Development Office, Youth Organization of Bungtod, and Salug Youth Organization. Meanwhile, Paranas members encompass the Pag-asa Youth Association of the Philippines-Paranas Chapter, Paranas Takraw Club, Paranas Sangguniang Kabataan Federation, Paranas Parish Youth Ministry, Achieve Minarog Youth Organization Paranas, and Samar State University.
The coalition was named the MAP-ELCA Youth Campaigners, and will serve as a dedicated space and platform for the participants to exchange knowledge and collaborate on initiatives to advance the objectives of MAP-ELCA. More importantly, it will be a platform focusing on empowering the youth involved in local climate action in Eastern Visayas. By leveraging their collective resources, networks, and expertise, the organized youth campaigners underscore their commitment towards advancing biodiversity conservation and climate action.
The USAID-funded MAP-ELCA now aims to further strengthen the existing capacities of its Youth Campaigners: Following the initial training by AktivAsia, an advanced-level Training of Trainers (ToT) is currently underway to build on the knowledge and skills the participants have acquired. The next phase will focus on expanding the impact of MAP-ELCA Youth by equipping them with the competencies needed to effectively foster broader climate action engagement in their communities and municipalities.
