Non-governmental organizations have already a history of being effective vehicles for initiating and conducting changes in societies. In our own country, NGOs proliferated during martial law as we had had to couch our missions of removing the dictatorship in organizations that were and still are holding projects for the poor, the disadvantaged and marginalized sectors of our society. We created organizations that addressed economic, health, and cultural issues, among others in order to propagate the idea that people can have power, can govern themselves given the necessary structure and budget for it. And so local and foreign funders responded by giving small and generous amounts to different kinds of projects.
But now we have known that NGOs autonomous character in being with the people is not enough. We still need to go out and mind what relevant legislations are being enacted, how government funds are not succeeding in bringing about a better quality of life for the people, and now the latest of course, is how our votes were not properly counted, or our right to suffrage was subverted.
And so, the entrance of NGO activists in politics is calibrated to bring in whiffs of honesty, sincerity and true public service through government. Unfortunately, the number is too low to bring about a remarkable change in our lives. There are more "crocs" than eagles, more "frogs" than horses ready to bring in changes, big and small in every aspect of the people's lives, foremost of which should have been deleting the words hunger and homelessnes in our social vocabulary.
Hence, this 2009, we prepare for the big bang of 2010 and make sure that the voices of NGOs will be heard. We shall raise the banner of the groups that we now call the Third Force to challenge those forces which have lorded it over in our political life, those administration and opposition officials and their candidates, although in the case of the latter, we might find allies who share our ideals.
These moves shall strengthen the NGO movement in turn as a cradle of true leaders who will lead this country in the righteous directions of good governance. No longer will we rest on simple community and sectoral projects but will increase our presence in the more sensitive spots of government life. We shall be no longer spectators but leaders of highest caliber, prayerfully, incorruptible, honest and true to ourselves for the people.
Painting, "Samurai Tree" by Gabriel Orozco
No comments:
Post a Comment