Globalization, Technology and Humanity

The Role of Catholic Higher Education in Promoting the Civilization of Love and Solidarity as Response to the Economic and Cultural Globalization

Ernesto B. Neri

I sit in front of a computer screen for about an hour and a half everyday with the intention of knowing what is new about the world. Yes, the internet has been an integral part of my daily life. I began this daily routine since my parents agreed to have an internet line linked at home way back when I was in 5^th grade. Then, I didn’t know any better about the great implications of the internet. Now that I have reached an age of reason, I have just begun to ponder on the great implications and possibilities of the internet. I am mesmerized what has been done and what it could do in the future. I cite the internet as a clear manifestation of a borderless, connected, smaller, and accelerating world society. The internet somehow equates with the term globalization and everything that goes with it such as economic and cultural.

This idea brings me to my other reflective point. The pace of human development has reached an exponential growth rate, so fast so hot that it made me stop and reflect upon delicate relationship of humanity and its technology. I have come to the realization that some pockets of this global society have the illusion of being on track yet its rails have become rusty and dangerous – unchecked. It fears me to think that technological growth has surpassed the growth of it very inventors – humanity. This may be fact or fiction but today’s news suggests that this is the present picture of our world. The accelerating technologies that we have resulting to a smaller world have oftentimes detracted us from the fundamentals of our humanity. In a sense, the fundamental values of our humanity are being slowly eroded and replaced by superficial values derived from materialism and the “need to be ahead of the game” in the global perspective. This is an alarming state. If this will go on unchecked, if humanity continues to produce new things, continuous to draw itself together without any sense of contemplation about its congruence to our morals and truths, it may lead us to our own demise as a civilization.

This grim picture can be lightened up. I have high hopes because people throughout the world have returned to the very values of humanity before venturing out into the world of globalization and technology. And one particular set of values is that of our Catholic faith. The Church has always been a steadfast protector of the true essence of humanity and it is needed than ever before to guide us, to protect us, to lead us, to remind us of the values that could never be compromised by technology and the demands of globalization. The most strategic way to do these noble tasks is through forming young men and women with good moral values anchored in a deep and profound faith and love in Jesus Christ. Therefore it is the crucial tasks for Catholic educational institutions, higher education in particular to reinforce what the Church has been doing.

Catholic higher education ought to focus on the holistic formation of the person to prepare him/herself for the greater challenges ahead. Sharp competence, deep and profound conscience and compassionate commitment are the key elements Catholic higher education can contribute to the modern globalizing world. We having been taught the importance of the interplay of experience, reflection and action in our daily lives could anchor ourselves on eternal truths that would secure us with ourselves and our faith in a very fluid fast paced world. The Ignatian pedagogical paradigm in particular has greatly influenced the formation of minds equipped and ready to face the greater community. Having the raw experience of learning and being with the community especially with the poor and the oppressed induces us to feel and extract meaning to what we have experienced. These insights drawn from our personal experiences derived from our faith in Jesus Christ and being with the community produces an insurmountable moral energy that leads us to act accordingly. It is in this manner that our Catholic higher education can produce young men and women ready to rebuild a civilization anchored in a profound love of Christ and bridge communities, cultures and economies with a strong unbreakable sense of solidarity.

Indeed, the Catholic higher education is crucial in reforming the world. Globalization in itself is not bad. It will be so when our humanity is being compromised because of it. Injecting young Catholic catalysts into the global arena can slowly but surely start to mold a global world with Love as its foundation, not money and competition and start to connect a world with the fibers of solidarity instead of the fibers of the internet.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!

Xavier University @ 75

I cried!

Xavier has been and will forever be part of me

It runs in my blood, it moves in my mind, it shows in my bodily movements

Memories run beyond my years of first reason all with in Xavier

Within its walls I learned what is true, what is eternal

My first discovery, my first eureka, my first awe moment, all in Xavier

Warm is its classrooms and fertile is its gardens

I explored, I questioned, I understood all started in Xavier

The becoming of me can be traced intimately with its walls

Now, I see what I can be and see what I am meant to be

With great gratitude, I thank the Creator for the grace, for the mission which is Xavier

May it grow to form men and women who inspires, who moves people to be the best that they can be.

Why XU-URO should be part of the decision making process

I should first address the cloudy judgment based on the secularization of government. The separation of church and state is an established political norm. I have foreseen that this concept will be the foremost argument applied as reason of disallowing the XU-URO into the decision-making process of the government. I would like to argue that the XU-URO is not a church. It does not espouse any particular religion; it is actually a combination of all kinds of faiths. XU-URO is an umbrella student organization whose focus is the spiritual formation and growth of its members and the student body through its activities.

Flowing from this, my second argument is the very mission and purpose of the Central Student Government as stated in the constitution.

ARTICLE III. DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES & MISSION

Section 2. The XU - CSG shall envision a government that is socially – aware and involved, rooted in a clear grasp of reality and vigilantly responding to the general interest of its constituents in a dynamic, effective and united effort; a governance that is founded on the principles of authentic Christian humanism, thereby it shall be a pro-student, pro-people, pro-country, Christ centered and gives due recognition to the rights of those of other religious denomination. It upholds genuine student participation and democratic representation in a dialogical, consultative and non-violent manner.

Our student government happens to be in Xavier University, a Jesuit Catholic university. Rooting from its identity as a non-secular school, a Jesuit school, it is self-evident that one of our prime objectives is to develop and enhance a sense of deep and profound spirituality in the student body, regardless of Christian, Muslim, or Lumad. Admitting an umbrella student organization in the decision making process of the student government suffices the need to meet this mission.

Lastly, it is our duty to constantly adapt our ways and means based on the demands of the times or else we die out. Now that Xavier University is continually expanding its reach through out the different cultures and faith in Mindanao and the country, it is only fitting that we, as the student government of Xavier University channel this effort into the grassroots, the students through this governance improvement.

It is not only our duty to include XU-URO, it is also our obligation to think of better systems and mechanisms in ensuring that voices of different faiths are heard loud and clear. We should nurture diversity. (hint: creation of a tri-partite body)

XAVIER STUDENTS' ACTION CENTER

Historic day and a personal fulfillment! The Xavier Students’ Action Center is now activated. From an idea coined during summer, an enactment made by the directorate, now it has been formally launched witnessed by students and administrators. It is historic not because it’s new, but because it’s simple. The concept behind XSAC is very simple. It gives a friendly, concrete and approachable face of CSG’s STRAW, it establishes a clear articulated process addressing complaints and concerns, and it has a touch of personal care through the person of the case officers, the heart handling the individual cases and concerns of the students. The STRAW now has a center, the abstract, now is concrete. As what Mr. Pimentel said, we should not limit the center for receiving complaints but make sure it is an advocacy center of students’ rights and responsibilities. Therefore the challenge for all of us from the central office is to give justice of the letter “A” of the XSAC. Who knows, ten years from now, it could have its own office.

This proves the power of innovative ideas made real.

FIRST WEEK HIGH!

The first week of the school year has passed and I begin to gather and recollect all the things that happened.

I could still recall the festive air when I entered XU on the first day. I saw lots of young people gather in circles and I bet they are freshmen still sharing there new found world with their high school friends. New people equate greater possibilities and knowing that my accountancy block has a mix of new people brings excitement in me. I welcome Mark, Steph, Shaira and others in block ACB! The first week was also a bustle for me. I found a new vocation, which is formal hosting. I found it uncanny that I feel confident so this means God wants me to sharpen it and I will just do that. The teachers are starting to enter the classes. In terms of teachers, it is quite depressing. I could only count 3 teachers that I feel will inspire the class compared to last year. Still this poses a challenge for us to extract every “inspiration” even in the most boring teacher. In governance, we had a huge success in the 110^th Independence Day Campus Celebration. It was innovative. We had a parade and a stage set up in with huge crowd. Keep the momentum as we always say. We also had our first NSTP session. It was a surprise to know that my FPO is Mr. Pimentel himself. He said we will soon handle a special class for special students. Very intriguing and I look forward for that with my new partner, Crystal. The SLDP 3, a lecture about volunteerism also gave me fresh new ideas and inspiration in how to ignite a fire and how to constantly feed it while taming it. The first day was a hype of activities but as I always say, it is good to always pause and look back. These series of events are signs, are signals, and are puzzles that if we connect together, if we put together will reveal a clearer picture, will speak to us about our destiny. So always be mindful of the patterns! Prayers can be drawn from them.

Corbita Home Work!

1. What are some symbolic meanings of birds and doves as mentioned in paragraph 4?

Birds being the generic term encapsulating creatures that fly. Meanings derived from a bird include universal values such as freedom, simplicity, and humility. These are freedom in flying, simplicity in its nest and humility when it picks sticks from the ground. Doves as suggested in the paragraph are a specific image of a bird. A dove therefore also shows a more distinct meaning from that of the generic flying creature. Dove symbolizes peace, purity, and inspiration. In the Christian context, the white dove gives us the hope of peace, the purity of its spirit, and its gracious flight and posture that inspires us to be the same.

2. What is beauty? What is aesthetic emotion? Relate aesthetic emotion to art.

Beauty is our senses being captured by a pleasing sight. Beauty as I understand it is the connection between the truth and the natural. Truth which means the innate universal rules, images of the ideal/ transcended world (heaven) and the natural world, what our senses can capture. When the two meet, there is beauty.

Aesthetic emotion is a response that surfaces when meaning can be seen in an object. It is a weird mix of reason and emotion induced by what a person sees from a piece of art. Whet it connects, it creates that emotion.

Aesthetic emotion is a response to art. Art as being an expression of a transcended order, an attempt to immortalize a moment, creates in itself meaning and essence. When this meaning is picked up by the one who sees it and it binds with his reason and feelings, it creates a strong emotion referred to as Aesthetic emotion.

3. Explain the relationship between art and culture. Give examples.

Summing up what I understood, art is the humanistic expression of the transcended form of nature, how it is and how we perceive it. Art somehow satisfies the ultimate quest for man to put order in a seemingly spontaneous and juggled universe. Within this context of reality, there exist a set of norms that binds the society as one mega-organism. It is through this cultural fabric of a society that one inculcates his view of the world, this nature of the transcended. Having this norms clearly established in a society, one can now have a solid foundation of deriving such concept of transcended order which is art. Art and culture are intimately interconnected. One can’t exist with out the other. Art can’t exist with out the framework of a culture, while culture can never be called as such if it has no art, no expression of a transcended order binding its cultural framework.

For example, Higaunon art is derived from their norm of natural forces and worship of deities. There art’s medium is commonly soil mixed with water, elements of nature. Another example is the art derived from the Aztecs. Their fierce belief in human sacrifice and sacred warfare produced art emphasizing mutilated human forms, sometimes even painted with real human blood.

4. Explain the statement in paragraph 16, “All the languages of art have been developed as an attempt to transform the instantaneous into the permanent.”

It is always a fundamental truth that man has infinite desires and one in particular is the desire to immortalize a moment of beauty. What is true and beautiful are oftentimes preserved as something rare, something that comes along once in a blue moon in this accelerating world. This yearning to cherish forever what seems to be flicker of happiness is the underlying current of art. Nevertheless, this quest to immortalize a beautiful moment has been inducing humanity to venture, to develop, to master a sort of skill that captures that moment, to transform the instant into eternal. Art is the clear manifestation of such desire and it has been with humanity since we first decided to be one.

5. Explain and give examples: “Art does not imitate nature, it imitates a creation, sometimes to propose an alternative world…”

As I would translate it, Art is not a mere reflection of what is there but it is the expression of what could be, what is transcended. It can never be called an art if one is simply a photocopy of what is obvious. It has no added value. Art is considered a reflection of creation because it (within the Biblical context) has to do with everything that is to become. It is somehow capturing that singular moment of mystery where everything is placed into its proper place yet in the same moment it ceases to be static because it moves, it is becoming to what it is suppose to be. That is similar to art. When it is created, it is in its proper form, as an expression of a transcended order, yet it has its essence that gives it its meaning. That innate quality of art makes it move, it is also becoming as seen through the eyes and interpretations of those who relish it. It proposes an alternative world because it is the expression of what can be to what is. It elevates us from the present reality and captures our imagination to what is beautifully permanent. One good example is the closing part of the story. It suggests an alternative world in which a bird is warm and living in a cold and harsh backdrop.

6. Explain the meaning of paragraph 19, what is the purpose of the ending?

The ending gives a sort of imagery or a backdrop that provides the context where the object is at present. This gives it a feeling sensation which makes art alive. The imagery given in the last part shows us a contrast between what is real and what can be immortalized from that harsh reality. What is real is the freezing temperature that no birds could live. Having the sculpture of a bird, having the imagery of warmth and life is in high contrast to what is real. This is how I see it. The carved bird is image of a transcended possibility which can never be present in a harsh cold winter. I believe that the purpose of the ending gives as a sense of transformation, a picture of immortalized beauty in a cold harsh context. That is what art do. It transforms a harsh reality into one that is living and beautiful, one that has a sense of feeling thus giving it tremendous value.

WELCOME

SY

2008-2009

A few hours from now, school will start. With this new beginning comes another array of possibilities, another set of challenges, another structured span of time pressured, bombarded from all direction. Junior year seems to be a make or break moment but focusing to much on its criticality induces much burden and anxiety. It is always a tradition of mine to allocate an hour or two the night before the beginning of the school year just thinking, just reflecting, just feeling the movement inside, just flashing in my mind all the good possibilities of the uncharted path ahead. By doing so, I could prepare myself to embrace what is possible. My only rule when I will enter the day tomorrow is to embrace the richest possible potential of every moment, as what I always say. Being in the University has its fair share of great possible moments (seeing old friends, meeting new ones, being tasked, being mentored, learning etc.) and by just embracing when it comes, the richness of it will simply fill you up with the overwhelming feeling of gratitude, feeling of rejuvenation and an immense feeling of hopefulness. The only way to do this is to cultivate a closer affinity to the self whose center is God.

God loves you!

YES WE CAN!

I thought this day would never come and I never thought that it would happen in my generation that an African-American could be the next leader of the free world. I’ve been tuning in to US Politics since it all started last year. It’s quite interesting for me to see how a mature political system works contrasting the immature politics of ours. One candidate in particular caught my interest, Barack Obama. His massage of change and his creed of hope have so appealed to the senses of the people that he broke the racial walls of a nation and inspired millions to participate in the democratic process. His charisma and youth also made him rise above the usual. A man like this, whose message of hope moved a nation, should also move us to look for leaders who can inspire. The country seems to be in short supply of this.

Speech

I spent time viewing a couple of great speeches in our history and one in particular happening in our time that of Barack Obama. Seeing these men speak before a multitude of people whose words uttered give a sense of deep emotion, and whose actions create a clear image we all can see and follow is all what it needs to move a nation and change the world. The power of speech, if used wisely will move, through the inspired spirits of the people towards a direction greater than any one of their dreams. If corrupted, if manipulated, it can only bring forth ignorance, hatred, and ultimately destruction. Let us then be very careful to what we say, even we if we are not orators, what we say to others may spell the difference between light and dark.