Filipiniana News - Rhyme or Reason
14 January 2009
While thinking of a topic to write about
for this month’s column, I cannot help but consider that this is the first
month of the year. Thus, I find it quite
appropriate to reflect on the exciting possibilities that the new year can
bring. Please pardon the rather trite
theme, but what follows are just some of my personal thoughts for the new year.
This month, the United States will
inaugurate its first ever black president, Barack Obama. One cannot help but be electrified by the
overwhelming international interest in American politics arising from this and
the tremendous hope that this historic event brings to the entire world. Since the most powerful nation in the world has
elected as President someone who embodies “change” in every sense of the word,
then there is indeed reason to hope that the rest of the world will follow
suit.
This month, the Canadian Parliament will
reopen with the Conservative government’s promised new and improved economic
stimulus package. If the opposition
parties accept that this will be good for the economy, then they will proceed
with parliamentary business and hopefully work together to deal not only with
the economic issues but also with the myriad of other social and political
issues that beset this nation. However,
if the opposition parties are still unconvinced, then we could be faced with:
another federal election, a coalition government, more intense political
bickering from all sides, who knows. The
possibilities can be quite promising, but they can also be rather scary, or
frustrating, at the very least.
In the Middle East, there is a terrible war
going on, a war that has had a long and bitter history, and which has only
intensified post-911. In other parts of
the world, there are likewise smaller (or possibly even bigger) wars, people
dying of hunger and poverty, scandalous corruption and extremely skewed
distribution of wealth, illiteracy and
brainwashing, child abuse, environmental degradation, crime and
impunity, racism, discrimination and various other forms of human rights
violations.
Even as we seem like passive observers of
these terrible tragedies happening outside Canadian borders, we need to be
reminded that these problems do affect us and likewise occur in our midst,
albeit in varying degrees and in more subtle forms. So we need to educate ourselves and be aware
of the ways by which we might be perpetuating systemic injustices or worse, be
equally guilty of human rights violations by our mere act of silence and
inaction.
For instance, as Filipino-Canadians, we
have the wonderful opportunity of reaching out to our kababayans, to immigrants
from other ethnic groups, and find ways of working towards or advocating for
issues that affect this sector, e.g. immigration law reforms, accreditation of
foreign credentials, racism and discrimination, settlement program funding,
healthcare reforms, etc.. There are so
many possibilities of getting involved in ways that will suit our capacity,
availability, temperament and personal preferences. What is important is that we do get involved
in one way or another.
It is perfectly understandable that our
priorities tend to be that of improving our personal and family situations. However, even as we struggle and evolve
within our narrow personal confines, hopefully, we will also remain open to the
endless possibilities of helping in any little way we can.
We need not do an Obama or wait for a
tragic war of Gaza proportions before we act.
Every little effort counts. Small
acts of kindness here and there.
Respect, honesty and good faith in dealing with everyone we meet. Hopefully, our smallest individual
contributions will eventually create a tidal wave of collective action that
will truly change the world for the better.
A peaceful, happy and prosperous new year
to all!
The author is an immigration lawyer in
Toronto and may be reached at mdsantos@osgoode.yorku.ca.
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