Eneriza Menaling
The word that stood out to me the most today is mutirão, which means community effort or gathering. This word is very meaningful because it shows the importance of people coming together to help one another.
I realized that community effort is not just a nice idea, it is something that keeps communities strong. If the whole world practiced community effort, we would have more unity and support to face the challenges that affect both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
In the community where I grew up, I have seen many examples of people working together. Growing up in Bendum, our ancestral land, taught me the importance of belonging and working with others. It shaped me as an Indigenous youth. These also taught me that community effort is not only helpful but is also a way to protect our culture, our environment, and our identity.
Today, we face many problems, especially climate change. We cannot deny the current issues that are happening in the world, but we can act together. Community effort gives us strength to respond to these issues. When people work together, small actions become bigger and more meaningful. Even simple acts like planting trees or reducing waste can make a difference when done as a community.
There is also so much change happening around us. New influences come in, and sometimes it feels like the world is moving too fast. But we must ask ourselves: Should we let these changes shape us completely? Should we just follow everything without thinking? Or should we protect the things that matter – our culture, our land, and our responsibility to care for our common home?
Even as a young person, I can already see the changes affecting our environment. Some of these changes are worrying. I hope other young people also notice this and understand the value of taking care of our shared home. If we ignore what is happening and simply go with the flow, what will happen to the next generation? What kind of world will we leave for them?
This is why community effort is so important not just in one place, but in every country. Climate change is a global problem, and no single person or community can solve it alone. We need to work together, share ideas, and support one another. If we do not act, the problems will only grow. But if we unite, we can create solutions that protect our future.
Community effort, mutirão, gives us hope. It reminds us that we are not alone and that together, we can make real change.
Eneriza Menaling is a RAOEN COP30 indigenous youth delegate from the Pulangiyēn community in Bendum, Malaybalay in Bukidnon, Philippines. This is her reflection for Day 5 at COP30.