World Youth Movement for Democracy

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Dyan Aimee Mabunga Rodriguez
Philippines

I live in a period where some individuals and institutions have started to doubt the significance of democracy in our nation's development. And it is not easy. When you are young and bursting with idealism, hearing or seeing some people exchange their long fought beliefs for comfort and convenience can crush faint, young hearts. My heart has been crushed several times but my spirit fights.

Ideally, democracy equates to freedoms. This is enshrined in our written constitution, the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

As a democratic country, citizens have rights and one these rights is the right of suffrage. The rule of the majority thus becomes a source of authority.

Qualified citizens directly vote for our leaders including the highest position in the land which is the presidency. This right empowers people and gives them the power to steer history based on their values and principles.

A realistic and recent example is that democracy can be observed and practiced in periodic elections. Elections in our country are festive and bright. Everywhere you look posters, banners and flyers are extant. Watching television would mean having no choice but to watch political advertisements of wannabes who promote themselves. Hence, elections are not often taken seriously. With the majority of the electorate in poverty, ideals can be taken in exchange for cash. Some of the barangay (the small government unit) leaders dedicate their influence to the highest bidder. Thus, platforms and party lines are not necessarily given importance. Wealth becomes the strong driving force for one to win.

Growing up, I have always believed that I live in a highly democratic country because this is what the books say, this is what my teachers say and this was what I was made to believe.

And it is true. The supreme written law of the land states so, explaining in detail the rights that are afforded to every Filipino citizen. This can be felt in every day life. When mass organizations rally and picket in front of the courts of the congress hall, they practiced their right to peaceably assemble. They are indeed in a democratic country where they have avenues for redress of grievances.

I read a quotation once: "Poverty is not a very good political adviser." I do not underestimate the capacity of the poor to make the appropriate political decisions because I also come from a poor family. But this has always been used as an excuse when one sells his or her vote for the highest bidder. When an honest political candidate campaigns, some people would not receive leaflets (which would have educated and informed them about his accomplishments) unless there is money. When majority of the citizens think this way, sadly, the rule of the majority becomes a sham for this is not based on an appreciation of one's role in a democratic process but an underrated and crass materialistic view of democracy during elections.

A professor once emphasized in class: "My freedom ends when your freedom begins." What is democratic to one may not be democratic to another. There are boundaries. Such as when a politician cries foul when a journalist "sensationalizes" news stories and using freedom of expression as defense. After elections, loads of election protests are filed. These politicians insist that they would have won the elections. But after 2006, when the controversy on the alleged presidential election fraud which included the incumbent president and a commissioner for the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) was brought to the public, the underlying opinion is that the rule of the majority in the election can truly be altered. Thus, elections are not anymore expressions of democracy; only when the votes are counted honestly can democracy be truly expressed.

With democratic rights come obligations and duties to the government and the country. The lack or without a better understanding of duties which should supplement democratic rights results to a confused democracy anchored on mere freedoms sans the responsibilities. This was also presented in the proposal by the Consultative Commission, a body formed by the President to present amendments to the constitution. This commission was headed by former University of the Philippines President Jose V. Abueva. They recommended a Bill of Duties and Obligations to complement the Bill of Rights. Abueva mentioned that some citizens are not even concern about their duty to pay taxes. Taxes play a very crucial role in any government; hence, if citizens refuse to file their income tax returns, the coffers of the government become gravely affected, causing a dovetail of problems in basic social services.   On the other hand, some citizens refuse to pay taxes since they perceive the government as corrupt, siphoning an important portion of their salary translated to tax. As a young member of the workforce, I believe that it is crucial for me to pay me taxes. If I want to be an active and sincere critic of the administration, I want to make sure that as a citizen I am doing my duties as well.

I believe that democracy can be better appreciated when people are equipped with the knowledge to understand and recognize the importance of strong institutions in building a better future for themselves and the country.

Through quality education and committed teachers, the children and the youth will grow up to be more mature and responsible citizens - citizens who will appreciate democracy not because of the wrong perception that democracy breeds lack of discipline but democracy harnesses creativity, self-reliance and ingenuity. This will gradually lead to a birth of a generation who believes that brilliant ideas play important roles in the country's development.

Through an active playing of roles of civil society, it is hoped that a more open-minded and responsible citizenry will be led to appreciate that there are duties and obligations that go with freedoms. Along with the freedom of expression is the responsibility not to express thoughts and ideas which do not hold any truth. Along with the right of suffrage is the responsibility to be an informed and educated voter. With the right to education comes the duty to study diligently with tireless commitment. With the freedom of religion is the obligation to give due respect to other religious groups and give regard to other faiths.

When the citizenry is educated and persuaded to play active roles in the community, institutions such as the government become more cautious on how they fulfill their obligations. Thus, knowledge on how the government should work and the standards of efficiency that are expected of government leaders are not anymore privy to the wealthy and educated alone but also to ordinary citizens who become watchdogs.   As a young student leader, I used to believe that leadership is merely about brilliance and superiority. However, as I became more immersed with the concerns of the people through trainings and seminars provided by non-government organizations, academe and the church, at a young age, I became more aware of the realities and the dynamics in the community. I have come to understand the roles of the institutions and government agencies. Thus, in some of the programs and projects that I have organized, I always coordinated with various institutions because I am fully aware of the wealth of experience that they have or the non-monetary resources that they can offer. True, there were a lot of periods when working with these institutions such as the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation (highest youth governing body in a city with national representation) drew disappointment. Some of the officers of the SK have become young traditional politicians who, in spite of their youth, would submit to inefficiency, dormancy and irresponsibility like old, traditional politicians. However, after allowing some time to heal and accept that I have become disillusioned, I draw inspiration again and continue the work.

Watchdogs are extant in any democracy. However, some watchdogs merely criticize. Mere criticism without concrete proposals discourages other citizens to take part in debates and discussions lest they be accused as mere critiques. The kind of activism that should be encouraged is developmental activism or pro-activism. In high school, one of the youth organizations in the country promoted a pro-active kind of leadership in student organizations. Being pro-active means being able to serve as a watchdog but at the same time fill some gaps in leadership. I used to be the university student council chairperson in college, as the head of the highest student governing body, I represented the voice of the students particularly on issues which directly affected them such as the lack of potable water in our school. Only a few of the student population could afford distilled bottled water; hence, this became a problem. Along with the other officers, we raised this issue to the university administration but at the same time we provided affordable potable water to the students which also served as an income generating project for the student council. At the present, I am working for one of the staunch members of the opposition in the House of Representatives in the congress. I fully support the stance of our district representative against the administration. However, we are not contented with mere criticism, projects and programs such as the scholarships and construction of water systems and electrification projects continue even in the absence of fund releases from the administration.

At the end of the day, what becomes of democracy when people are waging an excruciating battle against involuntary hunger? Can democracy be expressed in the poverty stricken halls of educational institutions? How can democracy express its wisdom and beauty when it is overshadowed by the evils of corruption?

Our country should be able to elect leaders who will commit to reforming the government so that it can be called as truly democratic. Unfortunately, this becomes a chicken and egg question. How do we reform the government? Do we reform the citizenry first to elect honest leaders who will reform the government? Or, do we change the government to form a citizenry who will lead in positive change?

Over-thinking problems like this could have contributed to the Filipino diaspora. As for my part, after the defeat of a competent and an honest presidential candidate last 2004, I have made a commitment to myself to bring about change in any positive way that I can, even in simple ways.

As of the present, I live in the province where there are a lot of young people who do not see themselves as instruments for change. The work is tough and there are days when I wake up, I had to struggle whether I should continue the fight or should I live a normal family life. Developmental activism sometimes brings pain and tears to the eyes. But I always find myself working for the common good whether be it in my classroom when I was a young college lecturer, through the documentaries that I have made as a television writer, the trainings that I have organized or the people that I have spoke with and in my daily life.

And I draw courage and passion with the thought that miles away, there are people of different languages and cultures, who believe in the same things...

Daghang salamat (thank you).