Nicole Bornales

“REACTION PAPER ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FROM AN LGU PERSPECTIVE” As an individual who likes joining pageant, I am always thrown in situations of putting myself under someone’s shoes and Crack the tough round of questions and answers with conviction. It is not new to all that each candidate in a beauty pageant contest has their own advocacy to promote. And mine has always something to do with the nurturing mother earth. “How could you save mother earth in your own little ways?”, “What will be your contribution in mitigating global warming?”, “What is your role, as a youth, in today’s crisis?” and so on...–Some of the many questions that lead me to deep realizations and understandings on life. Millions of people across the world live in a state of acute environmental crises caused by the lack of access to safe and usable water resources, because of natural disasters, socio-economic conditions, wars and conflicts. With these, Meeting present needs without compromising the stock of natural resources remaining for future generations is both a goal and a challenge to all. In today’s Era of volatility, there is no other way but to re-invent. The only sustainable advantage other people can think of and have over the other is agility. Some people believe that nothing else is sustainable and everything else that can create, is somebody else to replicate. But haven’t you thought of the use of good houses if we (people) don’t have a decent planet to put it on? One of the realizations I got from this thinking is that I think we abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. But I believe that when we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect. Having the goal (which is sustainability) and the challenges it brought with is an exciting time to be reshaping the dialogue about the environment that brings all political viewpoints to the same table, with common goals for a sustainable future, and catalyzes solutions through innovation. I see sustainable development as the masterful balance of meeting our own needs without jeopardizing future generations’ ability to do the same. Here, the balance will come from our ability to make development choices which respect the relationship between economy, ecology and equity. The Economy serving common good, be elf-renewing and building local assets and self-reliance. The ecology, having the Humans to be part of nature, knowing their limits and being responsible for protecting and building natural assets. And lastly the equity, the opportunity for full participation in all activities, benefits, and decision making of a society. Sustainable development requires human ingenuity. We (people) are the most important resources. In order to create a sustainable world, we need to educate ourselves first. For I believe that every person left uneducated about the system of this sphere, the nature will make us all pay for it. Sustainability can only start in the mind. It does not happen, not until communities unites as one and works upon it. Change will not come if we (individuals) wait for some other person or some other time. It’s been years since I heard the line “change is coming-“, no dear, it will only come if we make it so. We (Individuals) keep seeking for the change, not knowing that we are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. I believe that the only way forward is, if we are going to improve the quality of the environment, is to get everybody involved. It's an effort to take into account future needs and self-reliance as the community as society and the economy change over time. It's also an open and conscious way to address the environmental impact that communities have throughout their lifetimes. Educating the youth about the importance of volunteerism can be done by organizing programs and events that specifically focuses on getting our youth involved. In this case, many will have an initiative in joining volunteer groups. Making them fully aware of what they can gain out from it, is important as well. Sustainable development is the pathway to the future we want for all. It offers a framework to generate economic growth, achieve social justice, and exercise environmental stewardship and strengthend governance. To achieve it with lasting peace, it is my call for all the members of the international and local communities to cooperate fully with one another and make concerted efforts.