Musical musings take center stage
On June 15, 2007, as a culmination of the Music and Art Education workshop held in Miarayon, Bukidnon, Cartwheel staged an intimate concert celebrating the harmonies of art and cultures. Youth and members of the community, mostly students of program partner St. Therese of Miarayon High School, with Music for the People (MFTP) packed their instruments and compositions created in Miarayon and brought it to the city of Cagayan de Oro. An Exchange of the Arts: Music of the West and the Tala-Andig of Miarayon featured five new compositions borne from the collaboration of the Tala-andigs and MFTP. It was held at the Immaculate Conception Chapel, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan.
Adventure and advocacy come together in Raft for a Cause
From June to October, Cartwheel, The Red Rafts Cagayan de Oro, and media partner, Men’s Health, invited adventure-seekers to take a thrilling ride on the renowned Cagayan de Oro River white water rapids. Proceeds from Raft for a Cause help support the cause of indigenous peoples’ education. Philanthropy is fun!
Give me Three! At Powerbooks Trinoma
The opening of Powerbooks at the Trinoma Mall brought together great books and a great cause! Through Powerbooks’ generosity Cartwheel received 3 pesos from every receipt at Powerbooks Trinoma! Cartwheel Board Chair Lanny Nañagas shared Cartwheel’s mission with Powerbooks Trinoma guests.
Forging Partnerships For Peace
Forging Partnerships for Peace (FPP) hosted the first Luzon-Visayas IP Conference for Peace last August 7 – 9, 2007. This was the second major IP conference, following the one in Mindanao held in Davao City in 2005. The FPP intends to be an initial response to the challenge of consolidating various initiatives for IPs as it looks into IP issues with adverse implications to peace and security.
xx IPs from x provinces in Luzon and Visayas came together and participated in the small group workshops that resulted in the formulation of an IP Agenda. The small group workshops focused on: 1) Kultura at Kasarinlan (Cultural Integrity and Self-Governance), 2) Karapatan sa Lupa (Land Rights), 3) Kalikasan (Environment, Resource Use and Management, Livelihood), 4) Karunungan (Knowledge and Education), and 5) Kapayapaan (Peace and Conflict Management, Social Justice). The IP Agenda was presented to the assembly and to select governemtn and international agencies present on the last day, in time of the World Indigenous Peoples Day celebration.
The FPP is organized by ten civil society organizations who served as the Steering Committee: Philippine Association for Intercultural Development (PAFID), Cordillera People’s Forum (CPF), Balay Rehabilitation Center, Gaston Z Ortigas (GZO) Peace Institute, Anthropology Watch (AnthroWatch), Inter-Peoples Exchange (Ipex), Koalisyon ng Katutubong Samahan ng Pilipinas (KASAPI), Non-Timber Forest Products-Exchange Programme (NTFP-EP), Assisi Development Foundation (ADF), and Cartwheel Foundation.
A unique gathering becomes a tradition
October was indigenous peoples month and for indigenous youth all over the Philippines, it is also meant another gathering for Kalindogan 2007: National Youth Peace Congress in Davao City. On its second year, Kalindogan brought together some 300 indigenous youth and this time welcoming new representatives from Luzon. With the congress’ theme of “strengthening solidarity among indigenous youth in asserting indigenous peoples rights”, the youth participated in workshops, dialogued with tribal elders, shared life skills in the spirit of celebration and commitment to community and peace building. Running from October 16-19 and held at the Pamulaan Center for Indigenous Peoples’ College, the congress ended with the formation an Indigenous Youth Peace Unity Statement and an IP Youth Network towards a pro-active and connected base of indigenous youth across the country.
Cartwheel included in Metrobank’s Grants Roundtable
Every year, Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI) awards grants to different organizations whose work are in line with the Foundation’s main program thrusts: education, healthcare, the arts, and the recognition of excellence of individuals in various sectors of society. On November 29, Cartwheel joined seven other organizations in MBFI’s Grants Roundtable Conference to exchange stories and experiences in development work. The intimate gathering was presided by MBFI President Aniceto M. Sobrepeña, who likewise shared the Foundation’s own story in helping effect societal change. The P50,000 grant to Cartwheel goes to the Scholarship Program.






