Community Action Modalities

1. Education and Cultural Heritage Preservation.

Education is an essential tool in the empowerment of the community. Empowerment as defined by the
united nation (un.org, 2012) is the process of enabling people to increase control over their lives, to gain
control over the factors and decisions that shape their lives, to increase their resources and qualities and to
build capacities to gain access, partners, networks, a voice, in order to gain control. The term
empowerment is being used interchangeably with the term education in the context of community
development process.

Cultural heritage preservation is one aspect of community empowerment. The people in a particular
geographical area were provided with means to rediscover their rich cultural heritage. This can be a
driving force towards appreciating their racial and socio-cultural heritage. Also by rediscovering their rich
cultural traditions they may be able to have a sense of ownership and responsibility towards their
community.

2. Environment

The environment is where humans live. Where we get our foods, the air we breathe, the water we drink
and use for cooking and cleaning. Our environment also provides us with the materials we use produce
other essential things like clothing, houses, and including the tools we needed to become more
productive. Environment may be classified into two categories namely the physical and the man-made
environments. A clean and healthy environment is essential to the peoples’ well-being. This particular
view is what motivating people to advocate for the protection of the physical environment. Some
organizations focus on specific issues like the wild life, water resources, waste management, clean air and
climate change.

3. The EcoWaste Coalition

The Ecological Waste Coalition of the Philippines (EcoWaste Coalition) is a public Interest network of
community, church, school, environmental and health groups united by the common goal to end wasting
through the promotion of environmental justice and stewardship (ecowastecoalition.org).

The EcoWaste Coalition pursues sustainable solutions to the problems on waste, climate change and other
issues related to the use of harmful chemical in the production of products consumed by the people. It
envisions that by 2020 the Philippines is no longer facing any problems related to ecological wastes.
Among its programs are:

 Sustainable consumption and lifestyle

 Chemical safety
 Zero waste for environmental and climate justice
 Ecological agriculture
 Plastic use reduction

3. Women and Gender Equality When we talk about women issues in the context of social movement, the
concept of feminism would always come into the picture. Feminism as a theory intends to eliminate
gender inequality by analyzing the status of men and women in society (Jose & Ong, 2016). In recent
years, the discussions on gender equality has grown form the traditional dichotomy of men and women
into more complex issue with the entry of the gender orientations represented by those belonging to the so
called LGBTQ community.

Activity:

Create your own organization: Imagine that you will be creating an organization in your community and
of course you will be the leader. In the table you will try to figure out the issues your organization will
wish to address, its advocacies and the challenges your organization may face in your community.

Name of Organization

Community Issues Advocacies Challenges

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Submit your output on May 3, 2024