Neda Agha Soltan Iranian girl shot dead on Tehran street

I am looking more closely at the election fall out in Iran not because it is politically interesting but because of what I’ve seen in YouTube of the last moments of Neda. For the information of those who don’t know, this video captures the last moment of a 26 year old Iranian woman who shot in the chest during a street fight and it has already reach global prominence . The crappy cell phone video captured her last moments before a stream of blood oozed out from her nose and mouth. Enough with the brutal image, the core of this event is it gave a face, a real human face to a complex political crisis far away from home. Even though I can say that fundamentally Iran and the Philippines are world apart in terms of culture and worldviews, but seeing the video of a horrific and tragic death of an innocent woman, that cultural hard line vanished and a common humanity surfaced. By just seeing the video, any person of reason can see that there are “fundamentally unjust” actions that are being perpetrated in Iran. And through the power of the global network, that abstract idea of “fundamentally unjust” actions is given clarity, intimacy, and a singular human story that makes it so raw and real. Another aspect of it is the tender age of Neda. She rose to prominence after her death because she clearly symbolizes the new generation that is asserting their say in the destiny of their nation but was cut short by violence.

So let this struggle abroad also translate into something in our context here. The National Election is fast approaching and it is that time where we can peacefully assert our say in the destiny of our nation without the bullet and the gun.

Justice for NEDA and may her soul rest in peace!

Happy 59th Charter Day Cagayan de Oro City!

This day, our humble city celebrates its 59th year as a Chartered City. In this light, I will share a bit about this place I call home – Cagayan de Oro City. For the record, I am somehow blessed at the same time cursed to live near the very heart of the city (Divisoria). I have lived in the Neri ancestral house since I was born and this gave me a unique view of the city in its finest and darkest moments. But in all of the sights and sounds and the soar and noise of my city, I can share 3 good things about my city!

This is city has a great balanced mix of urban and rural living. Cagayan de Oro boasts as one of the fastest growing cities in the country. The province it is in, Misamis Oriental also possesses a running economic dynamo – growing more than the national GNP in 2008. With this economic statistics comes rapid urban development centered in the city proper. I am now seeing hotels and commercial buildings sprouting around which is redefining the city skyline, particular in the Limketkai area where it is now becoming the high-end commercial hot bed of the city. Aside from the standing malls of blue and white, the city is also covered with lush green trees, hills, and mountain ranges which surround it. I can attest with our family’s farm just south of Camamanan. It offers the freshness of the mountain interior yet the city can be seen from afar. Even in the feeling in the air, I can still sense an intimate baryohanon spirit especially in the Divisoira park where young and old alike sit on the benches and talk about anything under the sun.

One of the things I noticed about CdeO is the small streets that we have. I guess this was born out from the Kalesa days. I believe that these small streets and small blocks attributed to an intimate sense of community among the people living in Publacion. This fact maybe one good reason why Kagayanons are said to be “friendly” people. We grew up literally close to each other.

Lastly, the river is one iconic symbol of my city. The river that comes from creeks, streams, small water ways up the mountains collide and collate into one growing flowing body of water. This I believe gave the city its life. (I can’t imagine CdeO not having the river. It could be a very dead place.) Just like the river, the city is a unique combination of north and south, east and west, rural and urban meeting in one point, withstanding the test of time and formed a community where I now call my home.

With this simple sharing, let us do our part in making Cagayan de Oro a shining city at the mouth of a might river ready to step forward and move towards its future.

Social Online Strategy Game

For the strategy minded enthusiasts around, there is a new social network strategy that is hitting the net. The concept is pretty much similar with “Mafia Wars” in facebook but in a grander, global scale. It combines the social networking concept with real time strategy where you start of as a simple citizen and work your way up the social ladder. You get to choose your virtual online country and start of as a simple resident. From a worker you could become business tycoons, war generals, politicians, media moguls and many more. Just have the right connections, focused dedication and long term thinking, you can climb your way to the top. This interesting website can really bolster your long term thinking skills and strategy skills. For the record, I find their political module really interesting. If you reach a certain level of “experience” which is quantified through points, you can join or create a political party and run for office. Once you are in office, you can propose vital legislation that affect the entire population of a virtual Philippines. The down side is it really requires time for one to progress, but I see this a great way to feel what real time progress is all about so our complacent instant gaming compulsion will be neutralized.

For those who are interested in such a game, register now for free. For a clearer picture about this, I quoted wikipedia’s own description of this cool social and strategy online game. eRepublik is a massively multiple player online, social networking and strategy web browser game developed by eRepublik Labs which launched on October 21, 2008 and is accessible via the Internet for free. The game is set in a mirror world (called the New World) where players, referred to as citizens, join in local and national politics, set economic policy, start businesses and wage wars with other countries.[1] It was developed by Alexis Bonte and George Lemnaru. There are currently 23 members of staff for the website besides the founders.

http://www.erepublik.com/

Ka Rene's message

During the night of our enneagram workshop on Independence Day, the senior KKP volunteers and I had the privilege to visit the wake of agrarian reform activist “Ka Rene” in the Immaculate Concepcion Chapel of Xavier University. Over a span of an hour, I listened to a series of speeches given by several people close to him. There was also a video tribute for him chronicling the highlights of his march and victory for the 144 hectares Sumilao lands. Aside from the feeling of dread and loss over this heroic man, the one thing I wish to share is the simplicity of leadership embodied in his story. He proves to me that great leadership is something polished not just from books, lectures, seminars, workshops, project management and the like. It is safe to assume that this man never attended an enneagram workshop, never got to know his number and appropriate it to himself, never got to know what examination of consciousness is, never got to know what the “theories of development” is. What he had is a vision, born out from his lifetime experience of tilling the land which he marched for more than a thousand kilometers just to own. And from this, it changed everything in his life. This is I believe, how leadership is formed. It is born out of vision from experience – skills and following will just naturally follow. His story validated my personal belief that leadership is trully a way of life. It is not just something for the educated and the people in position; it is a gift and a call for all.

Even though i never got to know him personally, the life he lived is enough for me to know who he trully is. His body may be gone, but as what the Sumilao farmers always cry, the spirit of the struggle for genuine land reform which he embodied will live on! Mabuhay ka “Ka Rene”!

Paghuna-huna bahin sa "Community Organizing"

The new frontier for me to discover is community organizing and will have more of this when we change politics movement. The most interesting part of this job for me is the challenge of convincing ordinary people to come together to work out a common vision. Organizing communities brings out a different sort of power. It is a power that is real and grounded, a power that insists that ordinary people can take charge of the direction of their reality. As what I heard before, ordinary people can create extra-ordinary things. Just give them the correct tools and the right reason to believe.

Rest in Peace Ka Rene

I saw this man on that momentous day when the victorious farmers marched towards their reclaimed land. He scooped down a handful of earth and raised it up chanting the seemingly timeless cry of the Sumilao farmers.

Profile of Renato “Ka Rene” Penas

We will always remember the Walk for Sumilao Land, Walk for Justice
Campaign where 55 farmers from Barangay San Vicente, Sumilao, Bukidnon
walked from Bukidnon to Manila for 2 months with a distance of 1700
kilometers. 10 years before this walk, the Sumilao Farmers likewise staged a
28-day hunger strike in front of DAR Central Office in Quezon City and Cagayan
de Oro City. Ka Rene Penas was one of those farmers who boldly registered
their disgust to the government for inefficient implementation of the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
The enactment of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law was thought to
benefit the small farmers as the law intends to respect their dignity. Though
sad to note, this law is sometimes used for the benefit of the few land owners
and to infringe the rights of the small farmers. Ka Rene Penas shares this
situation. He was, and still is, expose to various injustices happening to small
farmers. This is the very reason why Ka Rene never loses hope that someday
he will have his own farmland and personally till it, so that his family could
have a better life.
Ka Rene is a farmer since birth. As such, he is devoted to uplift the lives of his
fellows. He is known for his land reform advocacy not only in Sumilao,
Bukidnon but across the country. He has been an active member and a leader
to various farmers’ organizations and federations both in the local and national
level. At present, he is one of the Board Members of Mapadayunong
Panaghiusa sa mga Lumad Alang sa Damlag (MAPALAD), Chairperson of
Panaghiusa sa Lalawigang Mag-uuma sa Bukidnon (PALAMBU) and of
Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Magsasaka (PAKISAMA). Likewise, he is serving
for his 2nd term as Barangay Kagawad (Councilor) of Barangay San Vicente,
Sumilao, Bukidnon. He uses these venues and opportunities as a tool
advocating for the respect, protection and fulfillment of the rights of the small
farmers.
The farmers’ organizations and federations mentioned where Ka Rene is a
member, are pushing for the extension and reform of the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program.

Ka Rene is married to Evangeline Penas and a father of 4 children.