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Repudiation of all physical, cultural and philosophical & religious justifications for macho-patriarchal beliefs, rules and practices

Promotion and institutionalization of genuine respect between the sexes

Promotion of equality of opportunities for all individuals regardless of sex or gender preference

Attainment of Equality view as institutionalized standard and, upon this premise, focusing on work for Holistic Harmony between the sexes.

  1. Total Human Development and Harmony Through Synergism

  2. Holistic Health Care and Medicine

  3. Deep Ecology and Harmony with Nature 

  4. Sense of History and Sense of Mission

  5. Civics and Democratic Governance

  6. Culture as Community Creativity

  7. Light-Seeking and Light-Sharing Education

  8. Gender Sensitivity, Equality & Harmony

  9. Reconstructive/Restor-ative Justice

10. Associative Economics, Social Capital and Sustainable Development

11. Synergetic Leadership and Organizations

12. Appropriate/Adaptive Technology

13. Mutual Enrichment of Families and Friendships

14. Human Dignity and Human Harmony: Human Rights and Peace

15. Aesthetics Without Boundaries: 'Art from the Heart'   

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Synergism and the Liberation of Women

By Ed Aurelio Reyes and Joydee Cahanding Robledo

Mr. Reyes and Ms. Robledo have been writing partners since 1997, starting out as the two-member Management Team of SanibLakas Foundation, and issuing statements for the Foundation on various occasions. This one was issued on International Women’s Day, March 8, 1998.]

THE LIBERATION of women from patriarchal ideas and practices is in the best interest of entire human communities. Both the womenfolk and the menfolk should synergize for this liberation, and synergize further on the basis of this liberation. No positive social change is possible without it. No social change can be complete without it.

The International Women’s Day, March 8, is a good occasion for both the women and the men to ponder these thoughts and assert them. Likewise any or all of the other days in the whole year.

Can humanity be uplifted as the female of the species merely carry and birth children and then raise them? What is often overemphasized is the woman’s ovum “waiting to be fertilized,” her pelvis structured for pregnancy or her breasts ready to nurture an infant to childhood.

What is often missed out is the woman’s strength of mind and her strength of character within. What is often ignored or denied is that women’s experiences are a rich training ground for excellent leaders and managers. It’s time we ended conditions where the women are made to passively accept what they are told to do. These conditions harm us all.

With enough women cultivating their energies together, the resulting synergies among themselves and with the men head toward the betterment of society and the upliftment of the whole nation and the whole of humanity. Whatever the women achieve by coming together and combining their energies, due recognition should be given to them for performing all those defined and undefined roles that must be recognized and valued by all.

For any effort towards positive social change, a community can at least double the capability of the people comprising it by attaining the liberation of the womenfolk from the shackles of patriarchal ideas, structures and practices. And wherever synergism is alive, the liberation of women more than doubles the community’s power.

SANIBLAKAS Foundation salutes the women, and also the men who are enlightened enough to really work hard for women’s liberation from patriarchy. On International Women’s Day. And everyday.

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