MANILA, Philippines - Filipino contemporary heroes Antonio Meloto of Gawad Kalinga (GK) and 2009 CNN Hero of the Year Efren Peñaflorida inspired a network of young Asian leaders to start an ambitious project seeking to address some of the problems plaguing Asia and its neighbors.

After a 5-day exposure trip and leadership workshop in Manila, the alumni of the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youth (Jenesys) Future Leaders Program committed to organize regular and synchronized activities that will address issues such as environmental degradation, poverty, migration, cultural diversity, and conflict.

The network is composed of about 300 young professionals from Asia and Oceania who were invited to Japan at different times to attend workshops on various issues. The alumni include government officials; staff of internationally recognized groups like the International Labour Organization, World Wildlife Fund, and International Committee of the Red Cross; local NGOs; and the media.

Their first project will be a worldwide tree planting activity in October to address the shrinking forest cover worldwide. In the Philippines, government data shows that only 25% of the original forest cover remains. Local environmentalists claim it's even lower.

"This is a start for our generation―from our region―to come together. This is why our theme is Day 1: Planting our Shared Future,” said Filipino alumni JP Alipio. He is a co-founder of Cordillera Expeditions, a group that promotes and rehabilitates the Cordillera mountains in northern Philippines.

The Jenesys Future Leaders Program was funded by the Japanese government and organized by the Japan Foundation. “We want to promote the network among young leaders to fulfill the goal of building the East Asian community…. After 5 years maybe we can build a very strong and very promising network in the region,” said Ben Suzuki, director of Japan Foundation-Manila.

Bottom-up change

The visiting Jenesys alumni were in tears after their exposure to Gawad Kalinga and Peñaflorida’s Kariton Klasrum. Aside from hearing speeches from Meloto and Peñaflorida, they also spent a day painting houses and laying down paving bricks in a GK village in Manila.

Gawad Kalinga means "to provide care." It uses volunteers to help build colorful homes for the poorest of the poor. Peñaflorida’s Dynamic Teen Company, on the other hand, gathers teen volunteers to take the pushcart filled with school supplies and books--a form of a roving classroom--to unschooled kids in public markets, slums, and even prison.

“They always say we cannot do anything to the poor and we cannot do anything for people who do not want to change themselves. Most of the time, they actually fail. But the organizers put their efforts together and we see the results. Before it was so ugly, now it is so beautiful. You cannot remain a cynic when you see something like this (GK),” said Indonesian journalist Nirwan Arsuka, who writes on arts, science, and culture.

“We usually just talk about change in our air-conditioned houses. Now we've made the effort to come and actually do it. It tells me that there is hope despite corruption and degeneration,” added Indian lawyer Simar Suri, who fights for women’s rights.

Japanese Naomi Inoue said she'd like to adopt the style of Kariton Klasrum in Japan although she may use vans instead of pushcarts. “I feel like what he’s doing is very feasible. Even in Japan, we have so many children who cannot go to school. We can use the idea in our country,” she said.

In Japan, there’s a growing concern for children who refuse to attend school because of fear of being bullied or because they cannot adjust to the strict Japanese schooling system. This is a big problem for child migrants who struggle with the foreign language.

A total of 28 Jenesys alumni attended the reunion activities in Manila. It was co-organized by the Japan Foundation and Probe Media Foundation. (Probe Media’s Yasmin Mapua-Tang and this author are members of the network.)

Mika Mukai of the Japan Foundation-Tokyo said they chose to hold the activity in Manila because of its “very democratic civil society…which all of the other countries can learn from.”

“One of the biggest objectives of this Jenesys followup program was to show the best practices of the alumni themselves and to stimulate and motivate each other. I knew from my experience that this is not something I need to worry about in the Philippines because there are so many wonderful alumni there,” she added.

The young Asian leaders were also exposed to the Neo-Angono artists and the successful waste management program of Teresa town in Rizal. Broadcaster Cheche Lazaro also gave a workshop on conducting interviews.

Day 1: Planting a Shared Future

The tree planting activity in October is dubbed the “10-10-10” project. The Jenesys alumni will encourage their contacts worldwide to plant 10 trees each at 10 a.m. on October 10.

“It's a way to connect the spirit of all Jenesys alumni. It's a simple activity. Everyone can do it. It's easy to implement. There's no need for so much funding," said Indonesian Supri Dona Cantik, who supports government efforts for the reforestation of East Kalimantan.

The 10-10-10 project is also meant to test the commitment of the network and prepare for bigger projects in the future.

“As a country which is not yet developed in the area of development assets I hope that through networking we will be able to learn and share on persuading the sustainable development and enhancement of the assets of the country,” said Roger Thiha Kyaw of Myanmar.

The network is promising, according to University of the Philippines and Ateneo Graduate School of Business lecturer Ruben Canlas Jr., who facilitated the leadership workshop.

"I found the people enthusiastic and highly energized. Passion is key to making change and I saw this in the eyes of everyone during the workshop.... Another good thing about the Jenesys Future Leaders Program alumni is their willingness to learn and collaborate across disciplines, even across geographic and cultural barriers," said Canlas.