The Australia Awards and Alumni Engagement Program – Philippines (AAAEP-P) is proud to host the second run of the Regional Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Alumni Leadership Summit. 

This year’s Summit will revisit problems and challenges on inclusion, address cross-cutting issues, and start a dialogue on inclusive actions that will help build resilient communities. 

In line with Australia’s International Development Policy, the Summit will strengthen its commitment to promote inclusion and equal opportunity, as well as provide a platform to tackle the pressing issues around climate change to ensure that preventive action or resilience measures are inclusive and responsive to all needs. The 2nd Regional Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Summit aims to provide an opportunity for knowledge-sharing, networking, and collaboration among alumni from the Philippines and across the Indo-Pacific Region, particularly on addressing key issues on building inclusive and resilient communities.

Now more than ever, our communities must have the capacity beyond relief efforts to respond to disaster and climate risks. How can our communities protect vulnerable groups during natural and human-caused disasters? Are their needs considered when developing and implementing policies and programs? Community initiatives should promote not only social inclusion but also resiliency to ensure that vulnerable groups will continue to receive essential services even amid environmental and societal challenges. 

This Summit will focus on the theme GEDSI-liency: A Collaborative Journey towards Inclusive Climate Action.