Rebecca Gillman's Blog – April 2010 Archive (13)

I've just got back from my weekly class in the business department at the International School. The school opens its doors, once a week, to social entrepreneurs like myself. Providing full financial backing to members of the community like me (yes! we are considered as part of the community now.. amazing, no?) My class comprises of women who work with their hands, who have learned and trained in local NGOs and are now in a position to move back to the province to open their own sustainable… Continue

We love acronyms here in the Philippines.

FYI, the ISKP in the quote above stands for 'Indigenous Knowledge System and Practices'.



Indigenous Knowledge or Common Sense as a Science

● Indigenous Knowledge or Common Sense understanding involves a system and a process. It involves a systematic coordination and correlation of the human senses.

● For example, a sound that… Continue

Whilst seeking to uncover Manila's secret resilience plan, I soon realized that we don't really have one. This didn't come as much of a surprise, to be honest. The damage caused by Typhoon Milenyo a few years back and Ondoy only last year is still fresh in my memory and at present, as we count down to elections, we are reminded, on a daily basis, of our government's inadequacies, how the city is falling short in all kinds of… Continue

This is how I would celebrate World Water Day in 2020. Continue

George Monbiot is my favourite environmentalist. He writes for The Guardian and states his opinions in a matter-of-fact, no nonsense manner. I have been pondering urban resilience for several days now and Monbiot's a****sment of the situation in Europe at the moment, published on April 19 (www.monbiot.com/archives/2010/04/20/an-eruption-of-reality/) has finally stimulated me to tackle this mission. It really… Continue

I share many things with my students. And EVOKE is no exception. In fact, I have been actively encouraging them to join the network because I really believe that this is a powerful platform for collaboration and one that sparks not only inspiration but hope. Hope that more people, in more countries will commit to living more sustainable lives to... ensure a more just and more sustainable future for everyone. Continue

The future of money is Trash. Continue

I have been putting off this mission for a while. Why? Money turns me off. Continue

Instead of giving money to those living way below the poverty line here in Manila, we give them our trash.

Not only do we segregate our trash into regular recycling bins, but we have special collection points for items with high value.

Here are our top 5 most valuable trash items that give hundreds of women salaries.

Plastic bags

Ring pulls

Glossy magazines

Tetrapaks

Toothpaste tubes

Tarpaulin banners



Check out one of our ad campaigns here:… Continue

Trash is something we have plenty of here in Manila.

Through an exciting new partnership with our solid waste management company, this year, have been able to support some of the poorest communities in the city through disposing our trash responsibly. Students are starting to understand that their trash really is someone else's treasure.



Essentially, we are empowering women to sew their way out of poverty.

See my photo story of our… Continue

... and we are gathered under a big tree, shading ourselves from the sun, sipping on Buko juice. Continue

I couldn't help but remember Coleridge's words when 80% of Metro Manila was submerged due to flooding caused by Typhoon Ondoy on 26th September, 2009.

There was, indeed, water, water everywhere but due to bust riverbanks, burst pipelines, washed out communities, thick sludgy mud that covered a large part of the city, clogged-up roads, for many, there was not a single drop to drink.

The TV channels were transmitting images of middle class families who'd lost everything, cars upturned in… Continue

Looking for a little bit of inspiration?

Hope for the future?

A reminder that our children have all of the answers?

Check out Ryan's story at http://www.ryanswell.ca/

Ryan learnt about the water crisis at school at the age of six. With that child-like belief that anything is possible, he set about proving that this belief is fact.

I met Ryan a year ago, at a Global Issues Network Conference in Bangkok. A seemingly regular High School… Continue