YGoal, Inc. is a continuing Linking & Learning Facilitator in the Philippines from Phase 1 of Voice. Recognising the challenges that rapidly emerged in 2020, YGOAL believes that the work of sustaining a community that will push for inclusive participation will be more challenging. But it is a journey that YGOAL is eager to embrace. Being the Linking and Learning facilitator in the Philippines for the past two years gave YGOAL the experience to dive deeper into the complex issues of the rightsholder groups. This strengthened its commitment to make inclusion an integral component of the organisation and be a voice of the rightsholder groups in every opportunity where it believes they can be invited, rightly participate, or be properly represented.

Linking and Learning (L&L) Beyond Voice is the central theme for its Phase 2 initiatives. It is about solidifying the community to ensure it will be sustained. YGOAL believes that a “primus inter pares” or first among equals approach among every rightsholder group will enable a civic space for them to advocate, voice out their stories of triumphs and failures, and most importantly, be their own representation in discussions that affect their lives and in forming an inclusive nation. With this, YGOAL is implementing a Linking and Learning Collaborative Approach to ensure that not just the community alone but all the rightsholder groups, grantees, and stakeholders take part in building and sustaining the community, while at the same time collaborating and working with like-minded organizations who embrace the principles of Voice.

This approach will not only be within the bounds of the Voice proposal but is a commitment that will ensure the sustainability of the community beyond the Voice’s and the grantees’ respective programme/project timelines. YGOAL will continue to be the lead organisation for Linking and Learning and will work side-by-side with the National Society of Parliamentarians (NSP), Sowing Legacy Movement, Inc. (SLMi), Hagonoy Young Leaders Programme (HYLEAP), and Syn and Strat Consulting Inc. (Syn and Strat) on specific Linking and Learning areas as collaborators. Involving strategic partners in facilitating L&L is a mindful decision of bringing in critical advocacy stakeholders and laying the pipes for a more sustained support system that is not co-terminus with the project. Coming together will help nourish stronger capacities among grantees as well as harness alliances.

“Our source of empowerment lies in our capacity to see beyond our advocacy. Intersectionality became a major part of our Linking and Learning Journey. Our nourishment and growth go beyond our own personal advocacy.”  – Timothy Salomon- BUKLURAN 

After three years of taking on the role of Linking & Learning Facilitator, YGoal, Inc. has gained a multitude of rich, inspiring experience together with the grantees, rightsholders, and other stakeholders. Below are the key learnings YGoal, Inc. shared which gives a view of the linking & learning process in the Philippines as well as the remarkable results. 

 WHAT WORKED? 

 A Unifying Framework 

The application of a unifying framework in all the Linking and Learning activities was very helpful. Dialogue and Dissent framework is the heart and soul of the Linking and Learning Community. Through this framework, the grantees and rightsholder groups were able to give their thoughts and insights on various issues and concerns while allowing a healthy exchange of ideas.  

 An Emphasis on Inclusion 

Espousing inclusion in every activity was the key to greater engagement among the grantees and rightsholder groups. Inclusion creates a safe environment that would allow meaningful conversation. Setting expectations and objectives was an opportunity to discuss and understand each other’s context and sensibilities. In the sessions, co-creation was encouraged, allowing more grantees and rightsholder groups to be resource persons for knowledge- and practice-sharing.  

 Practicing Empathy 

Empathy starts with the idea that everyone in the community has its own story to tell. Although consultations were already being done with regards to L&L activities, 

amid the pandemic they saw the need to immerse themselves more with the grantees and rightsholder groups’ experiences and situation.  

Exploration of Different Approaches/ Methodologies 

Aside from using innovative program design such as ‘Unconferencing’, and ‘Rapid Ideation’, they also transitioned in terms of mode of delivery. They also utilized different media platforms to conduct their activities such as GoogleMeets, Facebook, Zoom, Streamyard, and more. Exploring these online collaborative tools helped in making the activities interactive despite the limitations caused by the COVID pandemic. 

“To be frank about it, at first we view the Voice LL activities as part of the requirement. But it changed when we realized that we could learn something from joining the activities. I always look forward to joining the LL activities because I knew that I could learn something new. What is good about LL is that they try to connect with the target audience. The sessions were delivered in a creative way given our challenges because of the pandemic.” – Timothy, BUKLURAN

Involvement of Organisational Partners in Facilitating L&L 

In the whole duration of the project, YGOAL, Inc. was able to involve partners from different sectors. This became key to building the community beyond the Voice network. Not only that the grantees and rightsholder groups were able to talk to external stakeholders but were also introduced to potential allies and some of these already prospered.  

Shifting Gears Amidst Challenging Times

 As part of shifting gears amidst the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, YGoal, Inc. co-created a series of capacity-strengthening sessions called the Linking & Learning Pathways. Through unconferencing and rapid ideation, critical themes surfaced from the actual experiences of the rightsholders. These emerging themes were validated with the grantees and rightsholder groups through consultations and became bases for the Pathways. 

“On behalf of LAPDI, I want to thank the L&L facilitators, learning pathways resource persons, our co-grantees & of course the Voice team. All the learnings acquired from the legislative advocacy; communication & advocacy planning will be a big advantage for us in lobbying for the creation of Persons with Disability Affairs Offices in several LGUs in Laguna. These pathways are great tools in our advocacy efforts. Thank you very much.”- Anthony Rebenque, LAPDI

“The Legislative Advocacy pathway helped us to be reminded to seek other platforms and channels to lobby our advocacies. The sessions also helped us to be acquainted with other grantees, know their advocacies, and share lobbying experiences as well. Although we have experiences at the national level for lobbying, we also wanted to explore lobbying at the local level and we are glad that it was also discussed during one of the sessions.”- Kim Alvarez, KAISAHAN

“The Communication and Advocacy Planning pathways is a great help in learning different approaches and methodologies on how to effectively convey our message to the public. Like us, young farmers organization, it helped a lot on how to encourage our fellow youth to engage in farmer through our advocacy.”- Mary Jane Magan, KAISAHAN/ ORKALEFF

 While online platforms are main channels in engaging the community, other means of reaching out to groups who do not have access to technology will be continuously explored. A Learning Management System (LMS) is an integral part of the Voice L&L Pathways to ensure that no one is left behind. The LMS includes the video recording of the sessions, presentation of the resource persons/speakers, and pathway outputs. USB thumb drives containing all presentations and provided a hard copy of these resource materials were also sent to grantees with very limited internet connectivity. 

WHAT IS LINKING & LEARNING FOR YGOAL, INC. AND THE WHOLE VOICE PH L&L FAMILY? 

 Linking and Learning is Growing Relationships and Building A Community 

As we reflect on our linking and learning journey, we realised that it was a gradual experience for the whole Voice PH community. Continuous experimentation or testing was done and constant clarification with Voice country and global team on “What linking and learning is” became an avenue to shape priorities, processes, and methods. The community is now more open and well-acquainted with one another. We also deemed personal relationships important. Ultimately, linking and learning is the avenue to bind the grantees together and find space for collaboration and exchange.  

Linking And Learning is Influencing Others To Be Inclusive and a Space To Improve 

Establishing an open and safe space does not only rely on the facilitation process. It should also emphasize the roles of systems, preparations, and involvement of other stakeholders. One instance was when we were able to encourage a venue facility in providing ramps and signages in assistance to the persons with disabilities. Inclusion of captioner and Filipino sign language interpreters, as well as grantees’ openness to the process, play crucial roles in creating inclusive spaces. 

Overall Impact to YGoal, Inc.

In general, facilitating linking and learning for the past years has been an enriching experience among grantees and YGOAL as the L&L team. It widened our perspective on how we, as an organization can be an agent of inclusion within our spheres of 

influence. It pushed us to improve on our own ways of working not just in facilitating L&L but also in all programs we manage. 

Our journey as the L&L facilitator propelled us to innovate and adapt. It challenged our preconceived notions on building linkages and facilitating understanding among diverse groups. It allowed us to grow as an organization and individuals.  Through our L&L role, we gained a deeper appreciation of the diversity and the nuances of the rightholder groups. We also gained awareness of the varying sensitivities of the rightsholder groups which helped us in facilitating inclusive conversations. 

 Links to outputs 

 Special Feature of an Innovation 

VPRI Report for YGOAL 

YKBI Special Feature 

 2021 National Summit  

https://fb.watch/7kjYOUmuv3/ 

https://fb.watch/7kj_ObzZq4/ 

Connecting Voices Podcast: 

https://open.spotify.com/show/0Jt5CRJcLHCDLhS7Mj15UA?si=sg-SsWu3TEG2AnBvWrZpuQ 

https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/connecting-voices/id1573031458 

 Yani Alonto’s reflection blog: 

https://voice.global/blog/linking-and-learning-pathways/ 

 Future plans 

 YGoal, Inc. continues to be the Linking & Learning Facilitator of Voice Philippines for its extension phase. Linking and Learning (L&L) Beyond Voice is the central theme for its Phase 2 initiatives. It is about solidifying the community to ensure it will be sustained. YGOAL is implementing a Linking and Learning Collaborative Approach to ensure that not just the community alone but all the rightsholder groups, grantees, and stakeholders take part in building and sustaining the community, while at the same time collaborating and working with like-minded organizations who embrace the principles of Voice. Involving strategic partners in facilitating L&L is a mindful decision of bringing in critical advocacy stakeholders and laying the pipes for a more sustained support system that is not co-terminus with the project. Coming together will help nourish stronger capacities among grantees as well as harness alliances.