On September 25, 2015, 193 member-states of the UN, including the Philippines, have committed to 17 “global goals” to achieve three extraordinary things in the next 15 years—end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice and fix climate change.
These Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), officially known as “Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, is a set of 17 global goals with 169 targets in between them. So what do the SDGs have to do with associations? The short answer is that associations can help in fulfilling these SDGs.
While associations are “nonstate” organizations, they play a critical role in society. Among others: (a) They enrich lives through volunteerism, create standards of safety and quality, and build citizenship with communities around the globe; (b) They sustain competitiveness by committing resources to lifelong learning, professional development, mentoring and research and; (c) They impact the economy through industrial development, product and service innovation, environmental protection and domestic and international business facilitation. In essence, they share their work and advocacies to nation-building.
Such is the experience of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives (PCAAE), the “association of associations” in the country. There are already programs and activities in place that associations and other membership organizations here contribute to sustainable development. Among them are the winning association programs of the PCAAE’s annual Ang Susi Awards.
Ang Susi—which stands for Associations nurture National Growth through Social Unity and Sustainability Innovations—honors the key role and contribution of associations and other membership organizations and their leaders in national sustainable development.
In 2016 these program awards went to: the Manila Bay Sunset Partnership, Inc. for its “Manila Bay Clean-up Drive” (Environmental Impact Award); the Philippine Institute for Supply Management for its “National Certification Program” (People Empowerment Award); the Cement Manufacturer’s Association of the Philippines, Inc. and ASKI Multi-purpose Cooperative, Inc. for “Road Safety Program” and “Agriculture Value Chain Strengthening Project”, respectively (Industry Development Award); the National Confederation of Cooperatives for its “Aflatoun Social and Financial Education Program” (Community Service Award); the National Confederation of Cooperatives for its “e-Learning Program” (Technology Innovation Award); and the Ligao Women’s Club for its “Love for Women and Children Program” (Change Catalyst Award).
This year’s awards will be presented in conjunction of the PCAAE Associations Summit 5 slated on November 22 and 23 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila. The two-day summit is expected to draw more than 200 association professionals here and abroad. Supporting the event are the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines, PICC, and the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific, the umbrella organization of development-financing institutions in the region.
The PCAAE is reaching out to associations and other member-based organizations to share their outstanding program stories that are making an impact on reducing poverty, inequality and injustice, as well as combating the ill effects of climate change in fulfilment of the SDGs. Submit your entries to the Ang Susi Awards 2017.
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The column contributor, Octavio “Bobby” Peralta, is concurrently the secretary-general of the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific and the CEO and founder of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives (PCAAE).
The PCAAE is holding the Associations Summit 5 and the “Ang Susi” Awards 2017 on November 22 and 23 at the Philippine International Convention Center. E-mail inquiries@adfiap.org for more details.
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