Gavagives is making a second attempt to reach its Marawi funding goal for internally displaced persons (IDPs) at the upcoming Politicon 2019, a showcase political debate between politicians, candidates and social media personalities in an open town hall format to be held on April 27, 2019 at the Rizal Park Hotel Ballroom.
The event is seen by many to be pivotal in re-engaging with a divided public through professionally moderated political discourse featuring the most influential figures and critics in the arena today.
While it’s been nearly two years since the destructive siege of Marawi was officially declared over, hundreds of thousands of IDPs have yet to be resettled.
“The process of reconstruction has been painfully slow and will continue to sow disenchantment and grievance if not settled soon,” says Gavagives Founder and CEO Ann Cuisia.
An earlier attempt to crowd-fund donations for Marawi had fallen short of its goals due to timing issues and the lack of any supporting activity.
“It’s crucial for all Filipinos to contribute in whichever manner possible to the residents of Marawi to return to a semblance of normality after the trauma of a months-long siege by terrorists that included losing their homes and, in some cases, loved ones.”
A successful crowdfunded charity giving platform, Gavagives is now operating its version 2 using blockchain technology to accept digital assets for donations or contributions. It now has a growing roster of 200 plus charitable institutions.
“We have started to expand by providing whitelabel platforms for evangelical churches,” Ms. Cuisia adds.
Ms. Cuisia also describes Politicon as a “great avenue for involving the community in a peaceful conversation about the most relevant events in our country, including the upcoming elections.” She expressed confidence that the event would also refocus the national attention on the plight of Marawi IDPs.
Celebrated host for Politicon and media magnate Franco Mabanta was also asked about his own connection to the cause. “I personally know quite a number of our Marawi veterans—many lost legs, arms, eyeballs and even parts of their skull,” he replied. “So I said yes to this project for many reasons but paramount to all of them was because I wanted to help my friends.”
Estimates vary on the actual number of refugees. Some peg them at 400,000 to as high as 600,000. As Ms. Cuisia had pointed out, rebuilding and resettlement efforts face considerable challenges. Some press reports describe Marawi’s battered cityscape as similar to devastating scenes in Raqqa and Mosul in war-torn Iraq.
Gavagives is committed to engage communities in the most creative ways, and this includes events such as Politicon, according to Ms. Cuisia. “Our goal is for everyone to promote generosity through meaningful activities. We hope to provide more campaigns that will ultimately help our fellow countrymen.”
Due to growing interest and now undeniable social media virality, Politicon Philippines 2019 could prove to be the best opportunity for Gavagives to achieve exactly those goals. Some of the brightest politicians and social media analysts will be in attendance.
All ticket sales go directly to Marawi veterans and IDPs. Tickets can be purchased at the Gavagives website (www.gavagives.com). Students who present their ID’s get a 50% discount.
More information on Politicon 2019 is available on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/politiconphilippines/.