Ang Panganib ng Katotohanan at Kamangmangan: Pag-unawa sa Dalawang Mahahalagang Kaisipan

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 "The Danger of Truth and Ignorance: Understanding Two Critical Concepts."

Sa gitna ng mga mabilis na pagbabago sa ating lipunan, mayroong dalawang mahalagang kaisipan na nagsisilbing paalala sa atin kung paano nabubuo ang mga ideolohiya ng pasismo at kung bakit ang katotohanan ay nagiging target ng pagkamuhi. 

Ang mga ito ay:

"Habang higit na lumalayo ang isang lipunan sa katotohanan, mas lalo nitong kamumuhian ang mga nagsasabi nito."

"Kapag tinanong kung paano nagsisimula ang Pasismo, una nilang inaakit ang mga mangmang, pagkatapos ay pinapatahimik nila ang mga matatalino."

Katotohanan at Pagkamuhi: Isang Siklo ng Pagpapakasakit

Ang unang kaisipan ay tumutukoy sa ugnayan ng katotohanan at pagkamuhi, isang makapangyarihang siklo na tila bumabalot sa mga lipunan na nagsisimulang lumihis mula sa pagiging makatuwiran. Sa oras na ang isang lipunan ay mas pinipiling tanggapin ang mga kasinungalingan o mga maling paniniwala kaysa sa harapin ang katotohanan, ang mga tao o sektor na nagsusulong ng mga katotohanan ay karaniwang nagiging target ng pag-uusig. Ito ay dahil sa katotohanan—kahit gaano pa kasakit o kahirap tanggapin—ay may kakayahang wasakin ang mga ilusyon na itinataguyod ng mga may kapangyarihan.

Halimbawa, sa maraming bansa, may mga lider na gumagamit ng disimpormasyon upang ilihis ang atensyon ng mamamayan sa mga tunay na problema tulad ng korapsyon, kawalan ng trabaho, o hindi pantay-pantay na karapatan. Sa ganitong kalagayan, kapag may mga indibidwal o grupo na sumusubok ibunyag ang katotohanan, hindi lamang sila binabalewala kundi aktibong sinusupil ng mga nasa kapangyarihan. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit ang mga whistleblower, mamamahayag, at mga aktibista ay madalas na kinakaharap ang banta ng pagkamuhi, pang-uusig, o maging karahasan. Ang galit sa kanila ay hindi simpleng resulta ng kanilang mga ginagawa kundi isang produkto ng takot ng isang lipunang hindi handang tanggapin ang pagbabago na dala ng katotohanan.

Ang Simula ng Pasismo: Kamangmangan at Katahimikan ng Katalinuhan

Samantala, ang ikalawang kaisipan ay nagpapaliwanag kung paano nabubuo ang isang pasistang pamahalaan. Mayroong dalawang mahalagang aspeto sa prosesong ito: una, ang pag-akit sa mga mangmang, at ikalawa, ang pagpapatahimik sa mga matatalino.

Ang pasismo ay isang ideolohiya na kadalasang nakabatay sa pagkokontrol at pagpapatahimik ng oposisyon. Upang magtagumpay, kailangan nitong manipulahin ang kamalayan ng masa—lalo na yaong mga madaling dayain dahil sa kakulangan ng kaalaman. Ang kamangmangan ng masa ay nagiging kasangkapan ng mga pinuno upang makuha ang kanilang suporta. Madaling takutin o aliwin ang mga taong walang malalim na pag-unawa sa mga kumplikadong usapin, kaya't nagiging madali para sa mga pasistang lider na itaguyod ang mga paniniwalang hindi makatwiran o nakakapanlinlang.

Kasunod nito, upang mapanatili ang kapangyarihan, kailangang patahimikin ang mga matatalinong tao—yaong may kakayahang magbigay ng makatwirang oposisyon o magpahayag ng masalimuot na mga ideya laban sa ideolohiya ng pasismo. Ang pagpapatahimik na ito ay maaaring dumaan sa iba't ibang paraan: mula sa direktang pagpatay ng mga kritiko, hanggang sa sapilitang pagkontrol sa edukasyon, media, at komunikasyon. Kapag wala nang mga taong matalino na nagsasalita, mas nagiging madali para sa pasismo na lumago at magpatuloy.

Isang Paalala sa Kasalukuyan

Ang dalawang kaisipang ito ay higit na mahalaga sa kasalukuyang panahon, lalo na't ang mundo ay patuloy na nahaharap sa mga hamon ng disimpormasyon, pag-usbong ng mga authoritarian na rehimen, at pagsupil sa malayang pag-iisip. Kapag tinanggal natin ang kalayaan ng bawat isa na magsalita ng katotohanan, inilalagay natin ang ating sarili sa panganib ng pamamayani ng kasinungalingan. Kapag pinipili nating manahimik habang may mga tao at institusyon na pinapalaganap ang hindi makatwirang kaalaman, unti-unti tayong tumutungo sa isang lipunang pinapamunuan ng kamangmangan at takot—isang pasistang lipunan.

Sa harap ng mga ganitong hamon, mahalagang tandaan na ang ating responsibilidad ay hindi lamang ang magsabi ng katotohanan kundi ang labanan ang pagtatangkang patahimikin ang mga boses na nagsusulong nito.


Paano maiiwasan ang pasismo?

Bakit kinamumuhian ang katotohanan?

8th GBK Awards Honor Environmental Heroes; Call for Filipinos' Next Environmental Defenders

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The Center for Environmental Concerns (CEC) – Philippines, in cooperation with IBON Foundation, Inc., recently held this year’s 8th Gawad Bayani ng Kalikasan awarding ceremony this afternoon, at the Ignacio B. Gimenez Theater, Kolehiyo ng Artes at Literatura, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, to honor citizens and grassroots organizations who have taken extraordinary steps to safeguard our natural resources and uphold justice.

Among the recipients for this year’s Gawad Bayani ng Kalikasan for the Individual Category are: Atty. Grizelda ‘Gerthie’ Mayo – Anda, lawyer recognized for her ‘People’s Monitoring Team’ initiative to bring to the government’s attention the effects large-scale projects have to the environment and the public; Tatay Nestor Rotaquio, indigenous chieftain, farmer, and fisherman from Gen. Nakar, Quezon who bravely faced off against invasive projects that threatened their ancestral lands and their rights to cultivate where they reside; and Dr. Charito ‘Chito’ Medina, agricultural scientist who rallied with others to attain the writ of kalikasan against the genetically modified ‘golden rice.’

Among the recipients for this year’s Gawad Bayani ng Kalikasan for the Group Category are: Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, an organization dedicated to raise awareness on nurturing and protecting the avian biodiversity in the Philippines; Pangasinan People’s Strike for the Environment (PPSE), an alliance of Pangasinan locals who actively campaigned against offshore mining and nuclear power plants in their province, which led to the abduction by state forces of their conveners Eco Dangla and Jak Tiong earlier this year; and Katipunan ng mga Samahang Magbubukid – Lupang Ramos (KASAMA – LR), composed of courageous and steadfast farmers and organizers who have been fighting for their right to till their lands and stay in their community since 2010, practicing communal farming and agroecology.

In a turn of events, this year saw two recipients instead of traditionally just one for the Most Distinguished Award. First is Atty. Antonio Gabriel ‘Tony’ La Viña, lawyer for the environment and its defenders, climate expert, and academician, was lauded for his legal aid to Lumad victims when the Save Our Schools Network faced attacks from state forces. This made him collectively part of the efforts in restoring and preserving not only the remaining forestlands in Mindanao, but the culture of its local people as well.

GBK also hailed Alyansa ng Mamamayan para sa Pagtatanggol ng Kabuhayan, Panirahan, at Kalikasan sa Manila Bay (AKAP KA – Manila Bay) as recipient of the  Most Distinguished Award, in recognition of their undeniable efforts in protecting the environment and people of Manila Bay despite being continuously targeted by attacking state and private forces. The awarding body reiterated their long-standing fight against power giants such as the notorious San Miguel Corporation and their destructive reclamation plans; as well as the enduring spirit that two of their organizers, youth activists Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro, have shown even during the time they were forcibly disappeared by state forces, and now that they continue to face vilification and trumped up charges.

As the 8th Gawad Bayani ng Kalikasan awarding ceremony ends, let the nominees and awardees be our inspiration in continuing the struggle for environmental and social justice. See you on the streets this Indigenous People’s Month and Peasant Month!

Baguio, Dipolog, Makati, and Tagum cities join global We Love Cities campaign to promote sustainable cities

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The cities of Baguio, Dipolog, Makati, and Tagum are joining the global We Love Cities (WLC) Campaign organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The campaign aims to raise awareness and inspire citizens to support their cities’ sustainable urban development initiatives.

Coming from the One Planet City Challenge (OPCC) 2023-2024, a biennial global competition that helps cities meet their climate mitigation and adaptation goals, Baguio, Makati, and Tagum were named National Finalists for OPCC 2023-2024, granting them the opportunity to participate in the WLC Campaign. Dipolog City, the former OPCC 2021-2022 National Winner, is categorized among the "All-Star" cities, allowing them to rejoin the public engagement campaign.

“Filipinos across the country are very eager to support initiatives towards sustainability, and these four cities participating in this global engagement are role models for other local governments to follow,” Imee Bellen, project manager of the OPCC, said.

The We Love Cities campaign will run for the whole month of October 2024 and will encourage the citizens of each city to post on social media channels about the sustainable initiatives of their city that they love and support.

Baguio City has been focusing its efforts on roads and vehicles to cut emissions and create a cleaner environment. They also implemented vehicle-free Sundays on the Session Road, allowing residents and tourists to stroll and enjoy the shops, restaurants, and cafés.

As a signatory to the Cities Race to Resilience initiative, Dipolog City is part of a global movement that is driving ambitious climate adaptation actions and ensuring that the voices of cities like Dipolog are heard at the highest international level of climate change negotiations.

Makati City strengthened its commitment to addressing climate change with the declaration of a climate emergency in 2022. Since then, the city has aligned itself with the 1.5°C target for both 2030 and 2050 and has been implementing comprehensive and diverse climate actions.

Meanwhile, Tagum City envisions a sustainable and resilient future. Thus, to align its citizens with its sustainability goals, the city organizes community forums to raise awareness about climate change, emphasizing the significant impact each individual can make in mitigation and adaptation efforts.

“Cities are on the frontlines of climate mitigation and adaptation with their innovative solutions and strong public engagement. Their success in implementing policies and programs hinges on the support of the people they serve. That’s why the WLC Campaign promotes and recognizes the efforts of the city to make a positive impact on the environment while also providing an opportunity for their local citizens to be heard and give suggestions,” Bellen said.

The WLC Campaign will run from October 1 to 31, 2024. The city that receives the most number of website votes, social media posts, and suggestion submissions by the end of the campaign period will be declared the We Love Cities 2024 global campaign winner.

Campaign for your favorite Philippine city on your social media platforms by using the hashtags #WeLoveBaguio, #WeLoveDipolog, #WeLoveMakati, or #WeLoveTagum. For more information and updates about the We Love Cities 2024 campaign, visit welovecities.org