Sharing the Philippine Experience
by Miko Alino, SG Pilipinas
While people involved in the Rostock protests were in their respective camps and participating in confrontational blockades, a number of young people gathered today in their own "alternative summit" at the Rostocker Freizeitrum (the venue looked like a nursery school to me). We took part in a skill-share workshop organized by Solar Generation and People & Planet. I exchanged views on school-based campaigning with people from China, France, the United States, Britain, Germany, and Slovakia.
I found the workshop interesting because I have little experience in campaigns that target schools and universities (I normally participate in organisations that deal with political bodies or business institutions). Together with Cheng of Solar Generation China, I presented a case study on what Solar Generation has been doing in the Philippines. The exchanges featured discussions on how-to's in campaigning. We also tackled broad issues, ranging from cultural sensitivity to global student networks.
Cheers to the participants of the skill-share. I hope you guys also learned a lot from it (I forgot to let you hear a sample track from my favorite band Pinikpikan. You can check their website at pinikpikan.com).