YOUTH VOICES ON AIR: Walking the Talk on the MDGs
September 4, 2005Youth and the MDG: Radio Program Launches
Voice of the Youth Network, Philippine Resources for Sustainable Development and DZME Radyo Uno 1530 kHz Release
Manila, August 13th 2005 - Philippine Resources for Sustainable Development together with “Lakas Kabataan - Tinig Kabataan Fully Charged!” a radio program of Voice of the Youth Network ( voty.org), launched today “YOUTH VOICES ON AIR: Walking the Talk on MDG.”
Starting with its first segment a day after the International Youth Day, the 2-month radio program, to be aired every Saturday, 12-1 pm, aims to build youth-led multi-stakeholder partnerships for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals(MDG) by raising awareness on the Goals among Filipino youth through a multi-media platform.
In the march to raising awareness on the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), the Philippines , most notably through its extensive pool of non-government organizations (NGOs) and development-oriented institutions, is progressively gaining public support and continually reaching out to key stakeholders to do their share to achieve the Goals and targets.
Yet there is an evident lack of inclusive participation and active engagement of and by young people in this important process of building community consciousness of the MDG. It is unfortunate that avenues available for Filipino youth to participate in the campaign is either limited or simply not there.
By making use of ICTs, the project will involve key stakeholders and decision-makers from the Government, private sector, civil society, and, most importantly, young people in an interactive debate on pressing global and national issues related to the MDG; and nurture a vibrant community of Filipino youth advocating and working for the MDG
An introductory song capturing each weekly episode’s featured Goal will be played to enliven the discussions. These songs sung by Filipino artists were written in Tagalog and English and compiled as an MDG awareness album that will soon hit the airwaves. A first of its kind in the MDG Campaign circuit!
Tune into DZME RADYO UNO 1530 kHz
http://www.millenniumcampaign.org/site/apps/nl/content3.asp?c=grKVL2NLE&b=190470&ct=1293811
YOUTH VOICES ON AIR:
Walking the Talk on the
MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS
“ON LINE VOICES ON THE MDGs” Episode 1
As presented by:
Philippine Resources for Sustainable Development (PRSD)
And
Voice of the Youth (VOTY) Network
On air at:
DZME 1530 kHz Ang Radyo Uno (The Radio One)
Saturdays 12 – 1pm
FULLY CHARGED!!!
Mabuhay! Greetings from the Filipino Youth!
“L akas – Kabataan ( Youth Power) - Tinig Kabataan (Voice of the Youth): RECHARGED!” enters its Second year on the Airwaves with a BANG!
VOTY Network is now ” FULLY CHARGED!” in Informing, Inspiring, Involving and Empowering the Filipino Youth as it welcomes a partnership with Philippine Resources for Sustainable Development (PRSD) in launching and airing YOUTH VOICES ON AIR: Walking the Talk on the MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS!
A re the young Filipinos aware of the MDGs? What’s the point? What’s the buzz? Where are we now? What’s in store for us? Who’s working on it? What can we do about it?
T hese are just some of the questions the Filipino Youth would aim to answer during the 9 – part DZME Radio Series of PRSD and VOTY dedicated to each of the MDGs.
“ON LINE VOICES ON THE MDGs” is a cyber newsletter based onthe weekly transcripts of each episodes of the radio program.
August 13, 2005
Take it from Lilo: “NOONE GETS LEFT BEHIND.”
What’s the point of these young people talking about the MDGs on-air on a typical Saturday noon? (When they could just hang out on a mall or watch a noontime TV Show or sleep).
It’s high time for young people who would inevitably inherit everything, to care about all the opportunities and of course, all the problems ahead and the actions to solve these problems.
As Bob Sagun, 25 years old and founder of PRSD puts it… “We should raise awareness among the Filipino youth on how important the MDGs are and how they could act on it” through “building multi-stakeholder partnerships towards its achievement in the country”.
For 18 yr. old Angelicum Oda , VOTY director for ICT and Volunteer for the UNV Philippines, “it’s a great opportunity to share what VOTY and other organizations has done to spread awareness onthe MDGs and how the youth can replicate these to their own communities.”
Still, not all Filipinos are aware of the MDGs and that the whole world is actually aiming for them since it’s formation as a result of the Millenium Declaration. This is despite the fact, that in June 2005, the Philippines already launched the second progress report of the MDGs for the first five years.
Our first guest resource speaker, Spanish Sandra Romero , program officer of the UN Volunteer – Philippines, believes that Filipino awareness onthe MDGs is still very low. “We have to share the information with everybody and make the media more educative.”
S o why should the youth care about the MDGs? Sandra stresses that the youth are often misconstrued as a generation in the midst of crisis in identity. That’s why, ” the MDGs are a very good excuse to tell everyone that the youth actually have something to fight for, like ending poverty, where young people can work all together”.
TO RECHARGE THE EFFORT
A Promise to the People
A gain, what’s the point of having the MDGs in the first place?
Of course, it’s every citizen’s and every country’s dream to end poverty, have gender equality, education for all, live a healthy life etc. even before the MDGs are conceived. So, now the UN has set a target date countries in the world to accomplish these dreams… 2015.
Angelicum explains that the UN has somehow reformatted these goals and actions into such blueprint to boost their efforts. VOTY chief operating officer, Ion Gonzaga, 22, believes that the target date on achieving the MDGs is necessary unlike other programs simply fail because they don’t have specific deadline.
A s for the Philippines, Sandra says that the entire government has agreed and signed for the MDGs and has committed itself to its achievement. VOTY founder Choy Gonzales, adds that the government has incorporated the MDGs to its Medium Term Development Plan or MTDP.
F or Bob, even if we can say that the MDGs in a sense, is just a paper… “What’s more important is that 200 governments signed this document and we can always refer to it when a country does not act on its commitments.”
“And that the Filipino youth should make the government know that we are aware of the promise they made and that they should keep it,” Angelicum adds.
M ore than anything else, the Philippines signing the MDG is a promise and commitment to the Filipino people. It’s not just a deal with the United Nations as an international agency.
I n other countries, Angelicum says that the young people in Vietnam especially the UNV, have been organizing events and projects and the monthly basis so as not to stop the cycle for the whole year. They are disseminating information by discussing the MDGs in all of the schools in one of the capitals, something worth duplicating here.
SPREAD THE NEWS
Resty Flores, 18, student of Polytechnic of the Philippines, inquires what the UNV and other organizations have been doing to spread the news about the MDGs. In fact, he testified that majority of the students in his university are not aware of it if not for VOTY, he wouldn’t know what the MDGs are all about.
S andra says that UNV has started several programs in other universities, like in De La Salle, Ateneo and University of the East and their response has been supportive. She says that a great start is for the Department of Education to include the MDGs in the curricula. Angelicum adds that partnership with universities is a project under the United Nations’ Information Technology Service, wherein volunteers are sent to help out for IT applications and the like.
U NV, PRSD and VOTY are more than willing to coordinate with universities and conduct forums to make students aware that they are actually helping out in accomplishing the MDGs through their community development works.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER 2015?
W hat happens if the country fails to accomplish the MDGs after 2015? Is there a sanction? (Quite candid, yet a serious question.)
S andra explains that there are no sanctions for the government, but perhaps it’s a good proposal. The accountability is very much a question in all the countries. The MDGs are very general goals though they have specific targets. It is a design to link the government with the civil society and international communities. UN created the MDGs as a good resource and reference for agencies, local and national government.
It doesn’t have to end in 2015 and right now, we should work, assess and evaluate. 10 more years to go and the Filipino Youth, VOTY and PRSD are more than willing to take that challenge!
Stay Tuned for the next episodes of Youth Voices on Air: Walking the Talk on the MDGs as we randomly discuss, debate, talk and act on each of the goals.
PROFILES
Sandra Romero came first in the Philippines in 2003 and stayed for one and a half year as a representative of a Spanish NGO. She came back in the country January 2005, now as a program officer of the UN Volunteer Philippines. UNV tackles several advocacies focusing on the volunteerism, youth, gender issues, HIV/AIDS, peace and development and ICT. Sandra has traveled in the country and loves Sagada and Pagudpod.
Angelicum Oda is one of the most active UNV Philippines volunteer since 2002. He created its website, www.UNV-Ph.org. He’s been featured in several broadsheets, papers and television programs after receiving international recognition for creating www.youngmdg.com which awarded him travels to Jamaica and Los Angeles this year. He says that it’s an honor to work with the UNV because of its wider scope of beneficiaries.
HEAR IT FIRST: TAYO – TAYO SONG
The theme song and anthem of the Millennium Development Goals in the Philippines, entitle “TAYO – TAYO” was launched and first aired in Lakas Kabataan – Tinig Kabataan: FULLY CHARGED!!! The Philippines is the first country to have a song for the MDG, which would surely be a hit!
Several acclaimed Filipino Singers and Artists have collaborated for free to create such an inspiring and cool song that is truly fit for the Pinoy’s taste. Aside from the “Tayo-tayo” MDG theme, there are also singles dedicated to each of the goals.
Some of the artists featured in the song are: Lea Salonga, Sharon Cuneta, Gary V., Ariel Rivera, Kitchie Nadal, MYMP, Rico Blanco, Aiza Siguerra, Christian Bautista, APO Hiking Society and Freddie Aguilar and a lot more. The song is available to download online for free at www.UNV-ph.org
Also in LKTK, the Youth Power 2005 Conference and Expo theme song was first played. “Youth Power” was interpreted by Brenan Espartinez. Songs of upcoming bands like Strawberry Experience was also first aired in LKTK.
“ON LINE VOICES ON THE MDGs” episode 1 – a cyber newsletter
Written by MR. DJ Emsie Reyes
VOTY Media Director, Co-host of LKTK: FULLY CHARGED!
Pictures courtesy of
Bob Sagun
Founder, Chairman PRSD
