The province of east-Flanders is working together with the CDPC network in the Cordillera since 1994. It is a successful partnership.!
Today is a day of solidarity, of power created by cooperation.
It is a day of hope and belief in a just and sustainable society .
A society that cares about all its members, that cares about health, welfare en human rights.
A society that cares about children, about the future, about nature!
We know it is not easy to achieve social changes.
In every country, and also worldwide, there are financial en economic forces who try to influence the policies for their own short time profits.
Only a strong civil society can give a counterbalance.
In a real democracy the economic and social interests of all persons are put in front of the financial interests of a minority group. A social movement is necessary to watch over this.
During our visits we perceived the great commitment and perseverance of the organizations in the Cordillera. Even in small and isolated villages people are organized to work for social changes, to change their own future in the short and long term.
To create social changes we need a long and strong chain. Not only the number or the strength of the links are important, also the connection between the links is necessary to create movement and change.
We believe in solidarity and international solidarity.
Also in Europe a social movement was and is still necessary to achieve and to preserve social changes.
We know it is not easy, it is hard.
We support the theme of this cordillera-day "Fight for our Land, Life and Rights" because it are democratic an sustainable rights.
As long as we can we will support our partners in the Philippines, because we believe a social movement is necessary to achieve social sustainable changes.
We hope the social movement in the Philippines can continue to grow, we hope more and more people will believe in the power of cooperation, believe in the possibility of change
We wish you luck and courage.
Know that you have partners in solidarity, friends, in Belgium, in the province of East-Flanders.
Eddy Couckuyt,
Depute of the province of east-Flanders