Cecile Guidote-Alvarez presents Manila SD achievements in Paris

Magsaysay Outstanding Asian Artist Laureate for Public Service and President of the Global Social Change Network of the International Theatre Institute Cecile Guidote-Alvarez presented to UNESCO in Paris in mid-September the successful holding of the Manila Sustainable Development Goals ResiliArt Earthsaving events, designed to help the Philippines'  fulfillment of the UN 2030 SDG's Agenda.

Guidote-Alvarez was invited by human-rights advocate and Ghanian Ambassador to France and Portugal Anna Bossman to speak at the special forum and screening of the docu-fiction "Ulysses from Ghana". Her participation was facilitated by Ambassador Junever Mahilum-West, the Permanent Delegate of the Philippines in UNESCO.

"The film stresses the history of slavery in Africa as UNESCO commemorates its concern with the historicity of this event and the lessons to be learned," Guidote-Alvarez said in her speech on 19 September at the forum.

"We were pleased to host and organize the SDGs ResiliArt Earth-saving Peace Event in Manila that featured the world premier VIP showing of this film co-hosted by the Film Development Council of the Philippines," she added.

UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay, assisted by the Office of Assistant Director General for Priority Africa and External Relations Firmin Edouard Matoko and ADG for Culture Ernesto Ottone Ramirez, supported the Manila event.

"It became a platform to bridge Afro-Asian connectivity as the Earthsavers-UNESCO Artist for Peace and the Philippine Center of the International Theatre Institute-Social Change Network parallels 'Indigenous Lives Matter' with 'Black Lives Matter'," Guidote-Alvarez said.

Guidote-Alvarez recalled that at the Global Indigenous Cultural Olympics in the Philippines, the Senegalese Ambassador exclaimed after seeing the Aetas that "there will be no Pan-Pacific African Festival without their presence. It was a testimony to realizing our brotherhood, our inescapable kindredness between Asia and Africa. The event was addressed by the first black African Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka."

Besides "Ulysses from Ghana," a Philippine animated film for children titled "Ballesteros On My Mind" was also shown.

"We trust our country has seeded the dynamic possibilities of holding a similar event annually in different countries and various continents to help the fulfillment of the SDGs 2030 Agenda. Currently, we are engaged in a fruitful dialogue with the Ghana Center of ITI to host the next festival in September 2023," she added.

This was the first time Guidote-Alvarez flew out of the country since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which took the life of her husband, Earthsavers founder, climate justice advocate, and former senator Heherson T. Alvarez.