5
NGOs receive $75,000 U.S. Embassy Grant
U.S.
Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Joseph Mussomeli (center,
in dark suit) and other U.S. Embassy officials pose with
officers of five nongovernmental organizations that received
a total of $75,0000 grants from the U.S. Embassy to implement
projects that strengthen democracy, improve conditions that
breed terrorism, and foster understanding of diverse values
and religions in the Philippines. The grants were
awarded during a ceremony held in the U.S. Embassy last
September 26, 2002.
At
the awarding ceremony, Mr. Aniceto Sobrepena (seated,
left) represented the International Visitor Program-Philippines
Alumni Foundation, which received a grant for its project
to establish venues for dialogue on conflict resolution
at the grassroots level in strife-ridden areas of Mindanao.
With him in the photo are International Visitors Program
alumni (standing, front row, l-r:) Dr. Enrique Torres,
Chairman of the Board of the Philippine Human Rights Information
Center; Maria Lourdes Mangahas, Board Member of the Philippine
Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ); Shiela Coronel,
Executive Director of PCIJ; Cerge Remonde, Chairman and
CEO of the Radio Philippine Network; and (standing, fourth
from right:) Atty. Jose Luis Gascon, Executive Director
of the National Institute of Policy Studies. Joining
them are U.S. Embassy DCM Joseph Mussomeli (third, left,
back row), Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer Molly Stephenson
(seated, right) and (standing, r-l:) Public Affairs Counselor
Ronald Post, Press Attaché Karen Kelley, Cultural
Affairs Officer Thomas Kral, and (standing, fifth from
right:) U.S. Agency for International Development Frank
Donovan.
The
National Institute of Policy Studies, represented by
its Executive Director, Atty. Jose Luis Gascon (seated,
left) and Atty. Lawrence Fortun (standing, second right),
received the U.S. Embassy's funding support for the
training of youth leaders and the establishment a citizen's
network to promote civil liberties.
The
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism will
use the Embassy grant to develop a series of video
reports on "best practices" in good governance to
be shown on national television. PCI was represented
at the awarding ceremony by PCIJ Executive Director
Sheila Coronel (seated, left), board member Ma. Lourdes
Mangahas (standing, third, left), and PCIJ Broadcast
Desk head Luz Rimban (fourth, left).
The
Philippine Human Rights Information Center (PhilRights)
will use the U.S. Embassy grant to develop, print,
and distribute child-friendly materials in comic
book format addressing conflict resolution, peace-building,
and human rights in four Filipino dialects.
PhilRights Board Chairman Dr. Enrique Torres (seated,
left), and officers Gina de la Cruz (standing, left),
Remedios Gatchalian (standing, third, left) and
Clarissa Yap (standing, third, right) represented
the organization in the grant awarding ceremony.
Marit
Stinus-Remonde, General Manager of the Associated
Workers Foundation (AWFI), represented the nongovernmental
organization in receiving the U.S. Embassy grant
for the AWFI's project to produce a half-hour
radio program on human rights, civil rights, and
labor issues which will air every weekday for
an entire year. Joining Ms. Remonde in the
ceremony was fellow WFI officer Radio Philippine
Network Inc. Chairman and CEO Cerge Remonde.
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