Comfortable accommodation, fruitful lectures and friendly hosts! These were my impressions i cherished during the eve of the final moments of the Visayas-Mindanao Youth Conference of Human Rights at the City of Golden Friendship – Cagayan de Oro. But wait..there’s more of that..in deep!
Since my secondary days, i always consider myself as a human rights advocate, a defender of the oppressed and a promoter of what is moral and just. I am convinced that there is always an underlying principle beneath what I am fighting. A principle that was hidden in the rubble of oblivion, until it was finally revealed to me, slowly by the blows of wisdom during the conducts of the conference. There the unclear became vivid, the vague became specific and the implied became expressed. Thanks to AI for the amnesty given to the ”ignorant” of the most basic, like me, who needs nothing more like an education of “derechos humanos“.
Forty-six young people converged in the heart of Mindanao to seek relevant information, at some aspect challenge, and share perspectives on the pressing human rights issues in Visayas and Mindanao and how the youth as a force to reckon with should take the lead in ameliorating the situation and to make the region a better place for all. The crowd seems to me like a perfect replica of Mindanao, having participants who embraces different cultures, follow different creeds and converse using different languages, a perfect diversity. However, this composure, appeared to be an advantage for the attainment of the success of the program and to squeeze from the participants what the event demands. A manifestation that unity is possible, amidst diversity.
I learned a lot from the program. I learned from the experiences of my fellow participants.
There were some things that I realized after several moments of deep thinking. I realized how the current government is a failure in addressing the problems in the grassroots. I realized how the Philippines ironically behaves as if it is the number one vanguard of freedom, yet has the most number of abuses on human. I realized how unjust is the society, why some people still don’t enjoy, what others take pleasure in. I realized how others manage to spend millions for a dinner yet others only eat once a day. I realize why the constitution values social justice, yet, its still the rich who becomes richer and it’s the poor getting poorer.
This are valid synthesis that i can’t afford to ignore. I said to my self, given the status quo the struggle of human rights is still a long way to go, the road will still be steep, but, if people just get involve and rise, we can take a shortcut, to get to the “Utopia” that we are dreaming of.
We should continue to jump, for us to rise from the traditional field and exceed the norms imposed by the society and we must shout, so everyone must know of our cause and warn the world that there are small voices that will persistently demand dignity, by all means. This is the revelation..that my will dictates — to commit, that i will dedicate even the last drop of my blood and the final echo of my voice for the restoration of genuine freedom and for the dismantlement of walls that continually divide us. In my own little way.
Lukso, Singgit Alang sa Tawhanong Katungod.
