Just to give you an idea of where I'll be working and what I'll be doing in the Philippines, a brief introduction to the Kapwa Upliftment Foundation. Kapwa's main concern is the improvement of the quality of life of indigenous groups and migrants who live from small-scale farming inside the Mount Apo National Park. Mount Apo is a stratovolcano - whatever that may be - but the date of its most recent eruption is unknown and unrecorded in history (I sincerely hope that I won't be witnessing its re-awakening, spectacular though that may be). Mount Apo is also the ancestral domain of the Bagobo Tabagawa, an indigenous group that holds an official title to this domain. Unfortunately, the indigenous people and migrant communities are becoming increasingly marginalized due to corporate activities, energy projects and - you'll never guess - tourism.
Kapwa wants to empower the communities by introducing agroforestry to enhance sustainability and biodiversity and to counter soil erosion due to deforestation. Kapwa also tries to emancipate the communities to defend their rights vis-á-vis local and national governments and voice their needs in government planning for the region.
My job description is still somewhat vague, though my main task is to document Kapwa's interventions in the region and publish on the projects. I will also have to document destructive projects of international investors in order to allow the people to make a case against soil degradation, social marginalisation and pollution. Although the Filipino government officially recognizes indigenous land titles, the reality shows an easy-access policy to these lands for mining and detrimental single-crop agriculture.
Kapwa wants to empower the communities by introducing agroforestry to enhance sustainability and biodiversity and to counter soil erosion due to deforestation. Kapwa also tries to emancipate the communities to defend their rights vis-á-vis local and national governments and voice their needs in government planning for the region.My job description is still somewhat vague, though my main task is to document Kapwa's interventions in the region and publish on the projects. I will also have to document destructive projects of international investors in order to allow the people to make a case against soil degradation, social marginalisation and pollution. Although the Filipino government officially recognizes indigenous land titles, the reality shows an easy-access policy to these lands for mining and detrimental single-crop agriculture.
1 comment:
Wel, als iemand wil weten wat een stratovulkaan is, dit is Wikipedia's antwoord (dus Pieter, beter dat jer er inderdaad géén meemaakt):
"A stratovolcano, also called a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano composed of many layers of hardened lava, tephra, and volcanic ash. These volcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions. The lava that flows from them is viscous, and cools and hardens before spreading very far. The source magma of this rock is classified as acidic, having high to intermediate levels of silica (as in rhyolite, dacite, or andesite). This is in contrast to less viscous basic magma that forms shield volcanoes (such as Mauna Loa in Hawaii), which have a wide base and more gently sloping profile."
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