Philippines
Jofabelle Mae Jalalon
Bangkok, Thailand
Email:bornfree_jalalon@yahoo.com
Birthday: September 3, 1978
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education Major in English Language Teaching
Occupation: Educator
Please describe your vision of a world that works for everyone
Combining English Language Teaching for high school level and Environmental Humanitarian Development Work, I put emphasis on raising examination achievement of students whilst preparing them for the world outside the school gates. One of the most motivating ways I love to engage 21st century learners is through the pedagogically-sound use of multimedia in the classroom. In any given field, I am confident that a combination of practical work experience and a solid educational background will prepare people for making an immediate contribution to the world. It will provide them an understanding of the level of professionalism dedication and commitment required for long-term success in their chosen career path. Indeed, the world needs people who are committed to changing the world in a positive manner. I dream of a world that provides equal access to learning and growth, a world wherein achievement is recognized, and people are given opportunities to make a real difference irrespective of gender and race, a world which in turn will produce men and women working alongside each other in harmony and synchrony, able to work for multi-faceted growth for themselves, their families, their local communities, and the rest of the world.
What do you see as the most pressing problems facing the world today?
There biggest problems facing the world today are complex. These problems are overwhelmingly complex that they require a people much wiser and stronger than we are allowing our self to be.A key problem facing the people in the world today is our own stubborn and wilful refusal to accept responsibilities for our actions. What many of us seem to be able to do about it is point our fingers at faceless governments and assign the blame. We shake our heads sadly and sigh: “If only the leaders would lead then the people would surely follow.” The best we seem to be able to muster up in dealing with problems facing the world today is protest. Protest is fine, but it’s not enough. Demanding stricter controls from governments proven to be incompetent will not handle this problem nor will any mutually assured destruction solve this problem. The age we live in is often called the age of information. It is an age wherein propaganda abounds across the globe and it is only effective because people are such easy prey to propaganda. However, it requires a higher level of awareness to discern fact from fiction and truth from talk. That level of awareness will not be accomplished before we learn how to accept responsibility for our actions. Accepting responsibility for our actions requires we become more honest with ourselves and admit we are too lazy and to willing to stagnate on all levels. Therefore, I would like to focus on problems that are global in scope, have the potential to rapidly escalate into severe crises, and I can make a real difference in addressing.
Economic Collapse : Fragilities in the current global economy is tipping the developed world into conditions not seen for many generations. There is an ongoing struggle in our world today to get the personal and corporate GREED under control.
Rapid Climate Change : While the debate rages on about the causes of climate change, global warming is an empirical fact. The problem is both a curse and blessing, in that people from different cultures will either have to work together or face mutual destruction. This problem in turn is correlated to Species Extinction. Certain species that human beings depend upon for our food supply are going extinct; if their numbers fall too low we may face extinction ourselves. Every day human creations produce pollution as a result of the devising and invention of machinery. Humans are responsible for nearly everything in the world that has been created and is the source of pollution.
Malnutrition and Hunger Disease Proliferation, and Insufficient Education of Women: Despite significant reductions in income poverty in recent years, under nutrition remains widespread. Recent estimates have shown us that each year, at an alarming rate, under nutrition contributes to the deaths of children in many parts of the world.
How do you feel these problems could best be solved?
Widen free trade. The benefits from a wider free trade are enormous. Success at global free trade negotiations could boost global income. Trade reform is not just for the long run, it would make people in developing countries better off right now. There are large benefits in the short run and the long run benefits are enormous. Unless the economies of developing countries grow, they will still be mired in the same problems of poverty many years from now as they are today. By reducing trade barriers, income per capita will grow, enabling more people in developing countries to take care of some of these problems for themselves.
Malnutrition, disease control, and the education of women. Fortifying foods with iron and iodized salt. Have enough iron in their diets so as to avoid energy sapping anaemia and cognitive deficits in children and adults. Lack of iodine stunts both physical and intellectual growth. It is quite a common scenario in developing country households not to have iodized salt as part of their nutritional regimen. Correcting these micro-nutrient deficits will help a lot while including expanded immunization coverage of children; bio-fortification; de-worming; lowering the price of schooling; increasing girls’ schooling; community-based nutrition promotion; and support for women’s reproductive roles. In lowering the price of schooling this solution is not about lowering the cost of schooling, but reducing the price faced by poor parents who have to choose between sending their daughters to school and having them work to supply household income. Ways to reduce the price is to supply vouchers or channel more public funds to schools for women.
Mitigate man-made global warming by cutting the emissions of greenhouse gases. The best defence against climate change in the developing countries is going to be their own development. Funding education to create a literate labour force boosts the productivity of a country enabling economic growth. Economic growth produces wealth that helps people address and adapt to the problems caused by climate change. Emission of outdoor air pollution in developing country can be reduced by installing technologies to cut the emissions of particulates from diesel vehicles. Set in place a tobacco tax mechanism, reduce indoor air pollution, and extending microfinance.
As an individual join hands with the rest of humanity and take part in a worldwide campaign that will help concentrate the attention of policymakers, charitable foundations, and members of the public on the relative urgency and costs of the world’s big problems. A self-initiated campaign that may be starting small but is envisioned to achieve something big geared towards making the world a better place for me, my family, my community, and the rest of the world. May I end my proposed solution quoting leading economist Finn Kydland, “It’s hard to see how one could do any better in terms of coming up with a well-founded list of where to start”.
Profile
I am a survivor a leader a motivator and I work in harmony with others being at my best when aligning and synchronizing myself with a team. As a development worker I have done extensive travels and immersions in Europe and Asia to hone my craft while deepening my lifelong commitment to serving humanity.
Ultimately, what I constantly try to achieve is touch peoples’ lives…to make a difference in this world in a manner that comes naturally to me and in a meaning that makes sense to me…hugging people here by making them feel good about themselves, encouraging people there by making them realize how great they are, appreciating life and people. My holistic goal. My own ‘Developmental and Communication’ language.
I have a very strong and healthy connection with colleagues, friends and my family and I do my best to get in touch with them and stay connected with my soul-ties through written exchanges of life perceptions. Sometimes mentoring them at other times asking them for advice…We all have blind spots. We need people who will help us see the truth about ourselves and our lives. I need a kind of a relationship with friends and family that does not break down when truths are spoken and flaws are shown in love…it is an ongoing and enriching dialogue of sorts.
Making a life transition in United Kingdom as Filipino citizen is proving to be a challenge for me. I am up against barriers, for instance working out a visa that will allow me to seek employment in the country with hopes of prosperity for my husband and me. I tenaciously refuse to let the routine sterilize me. I determine to become a dynamic well rounded individual who keeps growing, exploring, and learning. With passion I seek new levels of maturity that I hope will keep on bringing about positive changes in me as I move forward in my life purpose, touching peoples’ lives. I pursue challenges that enable me to increase my life skills. Being dedicated, among others, to education environment and humanitarian development, I love to do development work for children, women in distress, and disadvantaged people. Being in development work is teaching and mentoring for me. Only this one is on a unique level of consciousness. I envision to expand my horizon, and to align the life studies I’ve done with the visions of people who inspire me and life circumstances that move me.
Noted for my tremendous openness to new ways of doing and accomplishing things and for acting whenever appropriate on my own initiatives in terms of new situations and identifying ways to learn and to improve streamline particular processes and systems, I demonstrate my willingness to adapt my personal style to that of my new work context. Confronted with new situations in working together with international funding organizations, I quickly develop professional relationships and demonstrate the confidence and regiment to apply to my newly acquired knowledge and skills successfully.
Rachel Giacchero (Thailand)
I am a psychologist and have been working in the development sector for more than 10 years. I have worked, lived and studied in many countries around the world and love experiencing new cultures, traditions and ways of life. Traveling, reading, taking pictures and people are my passion and I have been to more than 30 countries as of now. I love music and dancing and my favorite instrument is the conga drum. I have two sisters and one brother and even though we live in different countries, we are very close and always in contact. I am also blessed with parents who are still on their never ending honeymoon and this has shaped my character and personality in many ways.
I like watching documentary films as they show the reality we live in and this gives me the chance to see many things from various angles and perspectives. I like reading books on spirituality and am interested in metaphysics. I like visiting sacred sites and going on spiritual pilgrimages from time to time so that I stay in contact with the divine essence within me and inside others.
I do a lot of community work and volunteer with organizations that work directly with communities where the result is tangible and gratifying. I have done many leadership trainings with notable organizations like the British Council and the German technical cooperation. I am also interested in learning and preserving indigenous wisdom, original and natural healing methods for various maladies, and the simple lifestyle and ancient ways of showing respect to nature and living in harmony with all existence by keeping the balance of life. I feel this deserves a lot of attention as it offers insights into finding solutions to our current world problems as the only advancement we have achieved greatly over the last few centuries is mainly technological.
As our world is fast becoming one huge melting pot of everything we humans are, it takes a lot of understanding, tolerance and acceptance of who we are collectively and as individuals. This is not easy as differences naturally lead to resistance or initial rejection of new ideas and customs and sometimes, deep or sudden culture shocks can bend bridges to friendship and cooperation which will take a very long time to repair. Even though we naturally cannot accept everything about everyone, we can however take the best from whatever we are exposed to and learn new ways of doing things and explore the beauty in our differences.
Often times, we can only give from what we have and this includes creating joy and building peace in the societies we live in. Only a peaceful person can act in a way that will make others happy and at ease so I believe that cultivating and maintaining inner peace is the basis of all tranquility inside ourselves and all around us. I believe that having inner peace allows us to be much more tolerant and accepting of how things are, the way they are. Sharing information, resources or the loaf of bread we have is the way to start paving the road to a peaceful world.
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Books Completed:
As A Man Thinketh
Jonathan Livingston Seagull