Maria “Chy” Santos Canoy: Taking home a spark of hope?
Maria “Chy” Santos Canoy: Taking home a spark of hope?
My good friend Bae Inatlawan told me that ‘there’s got to be something very human and spiritual in this pursuit’. I always keep that in mind whenever we are together in Manila looking for donors and volunteers to sustain our small undertakings to save the last forests of Northern Mindanao. Here, just like back home in the Phillipines, I only have my stories with me, my bullet truths so to speak.
Last Tuesday we met the rest of the climate activists of the Civil Society Organizations from the North and South. In these meetings, I was looking for allies for the indigenous peoples because that’s what my organization in the Kitanglad Integrated NGOs (KIN) is all about. It’s a relief to discover that Indigenous People, just like women (gender) and concerns for the most vulnerable and affected with climate change are at the core of CSO advocacy in GCF.
The presence of CSOs in every GCF meetings serves as a constant reminder of the actual purpose of the Green Climate Fund. That it’s not a development funding, nor a business enterprise, or even a fund raising campaign --waiting for another pledge from the rich countries extending its pity to the disaster torn countries of the South.
The reason for this North and South dialogue and alliance is that over centuries, somewhere along our way to the future, a massive concentration of greenhouse gases has caused the dangerous climate change. A global phenomenon woke us all to remind us that we are Earthlings and no matter if rich and poor we are going to be affected of such massive consequences that harmed the planet. North and South countries have different responsibilities but they must proceed with a common vision of our future.
In the Philippines, down in Mindanao, we’ve been struck by two unusual storms: typhoons Washi in december 2011 and Bopha in december 2012. These incidents have changed our reality: we’ve seen how responses from international donor agencies arrived much faster than how our Government could act. We’ve also seen the rise of local scientists classifying what could be autonomous and planned adaptive measures.
I had meetings with tribal elders narrating how their wildlife sanctuaries, native plant material stocks, and mini-forests (managed by clans) were ravaged by typhoons. We’ve heard stories of Filipina women who need support for their small gardens to install little greenhouse so that their seeds will not dry out with too much sun exposure. There’s still fifty thousand Indigenous Peoples in Compostela Valley, victims of Bopha who still need shelter, food, potable water and medicines.
The GCF Board will not find the above stories unique because such climate crises keep occurring in many parts of the world. I do believe though that here in Berlin, the outcome of todays and tomorrows conclusive meeting can make a difference. In the GCF Board meeting, one can see a global conduct of leaders whose minds and hearts we need to trust. At the end of the day, when all of us will return home and face our local realities, we need to take home something that could spark hope to the voiceless and powerless.
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Dossier /Trade agreements
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Dossier /Communities Regreen the Sahel
In various countries in the Sahel, vast tracts of land have been restored by the local population by nurturing what spontaneously springs from the soil and protecting the sprouts from cattle and hazards.
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Dossier /Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action (GAGGA)
GAGGA rallies the collective power of the women's rights and environmental justice movements to realize a world where women can and do access their rights to water, food security, and a clean, healthy and safe environment.
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News / 5 november 2025Interview: Both ENDS at COP30 for Climate Justice and Systemic Change
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Learn more about the Both ENDS team at COP30 below, and find all the activities and side-events in which Both ENDS will participate.
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News / 5 november 2025Overview of Both ENDS events at COP30 in Belem, Brazil
Both ENDS is present at COP30 to advocate for genuine access to climate finance for locally led, gender-just climate solutions, and for the mechanisms that make these possible, including those supporting farmer-led restoration. The organisation also engages to highlight the crucial connection between climate negotiations and the trade and investment frameworks that shape them.
Below is an overview of the Both ENDS team at COP30 and a detailed look at the activities and side-events in which Both ENDS will participate.
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News / 27 oktober 2025New Step in FMO’s Complaint Policy – Civil Society Organizations Call for Further Strengthening
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News / 23 oktober 2025TotalEnergies financiers beware: EACOP is eating up money, nature and livelihoods
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Publication / 16 oktober 2025
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Publication / 16 oktober 2025
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News / 14 oktober 2025Communities regreening the Sahel: strengthening resilience from the ground up
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News / 9 oktober 2025Both ENDS launches new strategy: “Connecting people for an environmentally just world”
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Publication / 9 oktober 2025
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Dossier /International trade and investment with respect for people and planet
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Dossier /Amplifying environmentally just practices
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Publication / 2 oktober 2025
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News / 23 september 2025With the undemocratic splitting of the EU-Mercosur deal, Europe is missing the chance to lead on fair trade
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News / 22 september 2025EU-Indonesia Trade Deal Threatens Communities and Environment
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News / 11 september 2025EU-Mercosur: Small GDP Gain, Big Question Marks for Farmers and Democracy
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