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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2017 n Rey Ylala is planning to mark International Women’s Day on Wednesday by handing over a petition on behalf of global non-profit organization ONE to StevestonRichmond East MP Joe Peschisolido at his office on No. 5 Road in Ironwood. Ylala, along with thousands of fellow ONE members around the world, will also break 130 pencils outside the office to signify the estimated 130 million girls and women globally who don’t have access to education. Photo by Alan Campbell/Richmond News
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Making a point for women Lone man will mark global recognition day outside MP’s office Alan Campbell
Staff Reporter acampbell@richmond-news.com
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f you see a man frantically snapping pencils outside MP Joe Peschisolido’s office on Wednesday, don’t be alarmed or feel the need to contact the police. Rey Ylala will, in fact, be ceremoniously breaking the lead 130 times to represent the 130 million girls and women around the world that don’t have access to education. And with Wednesday being International Women’s Day, Ylala — on behalf of ONE, a global anti-poverty advocacy organization — will be one of 70 people making a “point” outside of MP’s constituency offices across Canada. The irony of Ylala being a man, advocating for women on their international day of recognition, and that he’s the single Richmond member of a group called ONE, is not lost on the community worker and foster parent.
“It may be a little odd, but as a foster parent and in my job, I experience the challenges faced by girls and women; I’m surrounded by them all the time,” said Ylala, who hopes to hand over ONE documents and a petition to Peschisolido on Wednesday at his office on No. 5 Road, just south of Steveston Highway. “I was also born and raised in the Philippines and witnessed extreme poverty first hand. So I have seen how the opportunities to learn, to read and write around the world can be totally sexist.” Although being the only local member of ONE, Ylala, who lives in the Bridgeport and No. 4 roads area, said he will be embarking on a recruiting drive for volunteers and advocates this summer. On Wednesday, Ylala and fellow ONE members across Canada and around the world will be lobbying their MPs to call on the federal government to increase international
development spending to help ensure that girls around the world have access to quality education. The meeting with the MPs will also include a delivery of hundreds of hand-written letters from constituents about this issue. In January, ONE launched their “Poverty is Sexist” letter, calling on world leaders and citizens to make sure every girl has the chance to go to school. The letter has been signed by more than 289,000 people, including George Stroumboulopoulos, Meghan Markle, Ryan Reynolds, and Blake Lively. ONE, which was co-founded by U2 lead singer Bono, doesn’t solicit donations, as it’s funded almost entirely by foundations, individual philanthropists and corporations. The global non-profit organization of nearly 7.5 million people, takes action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. See Women’s page 4
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Working for Richmond. Working for you. Teresa Wat 屈潔冰 MLA for Richmond Centre