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| GK Global Summit in Boston: RP out of 3rd world status by 2024 |
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"From the leadership of Tony Meloto as the transformative and credible leader, to the network of donors and supporters, to the fact that the organization is both local and faith-based, something that is very Filipino and ingrained in our culture, those make up for a very workable model," he added.
Meloto turned over the reins of GK a couple of years ago to Luis Oquiñena, who has been working with him when the latter was just 16 years old.
Oquiñena represented GK when it was chosen as the lone Filipino non-governmental organization to participate in the Clinton Global Initiative in the New York in 2007, a gathering of key people and reputable organizations addressing pertinent global issues among them poverty. Strictly by invitation only, the Clinton conference back then saw Gawad Kalinga as an emerging successful template for development which could be adopted by other developing countries such as Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia where there are now existing GK communities.
"GK in its simplest form is bayanihan. It is all about engaging without judging, embracing without secluding. Both the public and private sectors have the transformative capacity to collaborate and develop programs to eradicate poverty, and we will all do it the GK way," Oquiñena said.
Change
The historic Boston summit gathered partners from all over the world, including Singapore, Brazil, Colombia, Philippines and Canada. Each one, through a piece of paper, proclaimed their resolve to end poverty of the five million poorest families in the country by 2024 and gave their pledges.
Among those who gave their pledge was Su-Chzeng Ong, a resident of Singapore and the director of GK Hope Institute, who is a strong believer in the project.
"There may not be poverty in Singapore, but we want to bring GK and make it relevant there. What we have there I think is emotional poverty, and through giving to GK, we can address that," she said.
As the organization grows exponentially, so does its network of partners. This is one of the reasons why the organizers thought of bringing the first global summit to Boston.
"Boston is the most prestigious city as far as education is concerned, it is home to Harvard and MIT, and we would like all these great minds here to study what we have here in the academic setting so that we can grow properly," Meloto said.
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