All Amateur Advice on an Array of Angles

I'm blogging about this today, one with the rest of the cyber world because a film, 30 minutes long, has spurred me to do so. If you've been following this blog for some time now, you've probably noticed what's written on its sidebar:

The only way to really change society is through culture ... it's not through force, it's not through armies, it's not through politics (but) through freedom.

An Invisible Children volunteer. Photo from their Facebook page.

And this freedom is granted by education, and education starts with pieces of information transformed into idea that inspire virtue and value within every individual. Elsewhere, in one of the dearest digital and community projects I got involved in, we wrote:

Cinema as a tool for change ...

The campaign's Lobby Day event. Photo from their Facebook page.

When the world's eyes are at you, (the harshest) criticisms are inevitable. People picked at the cause's intentions, they investigated on their funds, they assessed their political agenda. They called it all sorts of names from US supremacy to a White Man's Burden type of propaganda. Some Ugandans felt they were treated as "pets" by the campaign. And sure, less discerning Gen-Yers went with it so easily, stopped at watching the video and liked their Facebook page, taking from it a feel-good sentiment for being somehow part of the cause.

At the same time, I think what Jason Russell and the Invisible Children have done is precisely to change the world through culture. Every sort of change, after all, draws in some scoffs and eyebrow-raising. Just observe how angry Facebook users get every time Zuckerburg and company flesh out new layout and features. But without such, Facebook has already ended up like Friendster instead of being the biggest internet entity in the whole wide world (and the world wide web).

But is the anti-Kony cause change for the better? Hard to objectively assess its political or social impact without going through a slew of academic studies. But we can readily give an answer to that by looking at individuals transformed by the sense of purpose, by thinking of others and by going beyond themselves:

The organisers of Invisible Children are young, they are passionate and unlike the millions who have sat at their desks like me and watched the film, they have got off their behinds and done something to change the world. And they have taught other charities a big lesson in awareness, and how to spread it. -- Alex Perrottet

It’s a sign that there are many people in the world who care deeply about the troubles of others, about righting wrongs, and about remedying injustices and improving the lot of others less fortunate than themselves. -- Nicole van Heerden

For me (and I believe many others), this suddenly lifts the restraints I’ve felt in supporting a ‘lost cause’, and suddenly, I feel determined in achieving a unified goal and assurance that success is achievable by my small showcase of support. --Lyndre

If you ask me, that is change through education, through freedom. It's the kind of change each one of us needs.

"The best you can offer a child is by letting them be independent and that (is by) providing education," Invisible Children Uganda director Jolly Okot said. #

Be it for work or quasi-work, traveling remains an uncomfortable task for nook nerds like me. But there's a lot to relish from the chore: the cozy company, the rare and glorious food, the Pinterest-worthy takes and the distinct experience undocumented by even the most brilliant books.

The Pasig City Museum is just across the Pasig Cathedral.

So this is my last travel post for this bunch after having traversed the country back and forth last February, and I'll end with something near. You know what they say when people desire to see places far and wide even when they haven't gone to their own backyard? I lived in Angono, Rizal for 14 years, and it's easily the most artistic town in the country. But it took me to live in Quezon City before I went to see what my hometown has to behold.

Now I dwell in Pasig, and I don't want to make the same mistake. So my friends and I set aside a day to explore, well, our own "backyard."

The Pasig River is perhaps the most popular attribute of the city. Albeit notorious, it played quite a role in history especially in its healthier days. Today, there's more to see in the city that the highly polluted river should be dropped off the list. The Cathedral is the first instinctive stop for many, and for obvious reasons. The church, after all, is that which history revolved around somehow, literally and figuratively.

Inside the Pasig Cathedral dedicated to the Immaculate Conception.

My friends Maycee and Kim paused before the image of St. Josemaria, (pictured on wall) the saint of ordinary life, in the Cathedral.

We went around the Cathedral's grounds to look for the graves of the missionaries who started the faith in the town. Instead, we found a maze of a cemetery, with wall after wall of graves. We stopped at a corner when we realized it was where those who died in their childhood were buried.

Graves of infants and children. Some even passed away a few days after birth.

If Ronald were alive, he'd just be a year older than I am. His fate was to live for just a few days. In many ways, he's fortunate. But the rest of us have to face our earthly mission with a smile and a passionate love for life.

We challenged ourselves to look for the oldest recorded house in the city, and our amateur research brought us to this street where this Spanish-era type residence is located. Supposing it's some sort of a tourist spot or a museum, we knocked on its huge door and asked to be allowed in.

My closest friends know I'm not at all a fan of Patricia Evangelista, much less of her so-called journalism. But since there's no denying she's talented, I'm posting a video she made of an industry stalwart whose seemingly traditional journalistic views and values contribute to maintaining the principles of the profession, even in an age of converging mediums and compromises.

Photo by PhotoSteve101 on Flickr, under Creative Commons.

Philippine Daily Inquirer publisher and veteran journalist Isagani Yambot, who died last March 2, speaks in the video in a way characteristic of many experienced journalists I've met.

They entered the profession with selfless intentions and an allegiance to the truth. Whether his newspaper consistently serves this purpose is open to debate, but many journalists have managed to remain promoters of culture by sticking to verity while honing their craft.

"It's like (the) priesthood. When you enter journalism you take a vow of poverty, because especially in print media, the salaries are not very high. You also have to take a vow of obedience, because you have to obey the laws of journalism," Yambot said.

He also sees the industry like a communion of saints who share the same fleeting but noble ideals, even to the point of death.

"Journalism as a whole--as a profession--will be affected ... by the deaths of these people. Every man's death diminishes us," he said, referring to the killings of practitioners in Maguindanao in 2009. #

Crowded NYC Times Square is the classic example of a boisterous world. Photo by Michael McDononough.

"The vast majority of teachers believe that the ideal student is an extrovert, even though, by the way, introverted students get better grades. Studies tell us the introverts are routinely passed over for leadership positions even though (according to another study), introverted people often deliver better outcomes than extroverts do," said Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, in a talk for Leading@Google talk series.

Hardbound version of Cain's book. TIME Magazine misinterpreted Cain's study. Shyness is NOT the same as introversion. Cropped photo from Lavin Blog.

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled "quiet," it is to introverts that we owe many of the great contributions to society--from van Gogh's sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer.

Because these have been slow blogging days, I'll post two this week just so you know this blogger hasn't been wiped from the face of the earth.

Today, I'm sharing a presentation embedded from my trusty Slideshare account since I've received several inquiries lately from friends on how to create an effective Powerpoint and deliver an engaging talk.

I prepared this deck for teachers in a media literacy seminar in Batangas a couple of weeks ago. It pegs on the visual, gustatory and relatable experience of a feast or a meal in teaching others how to organize content for Powerpoint presentations.

It also touches on how to address students of different learning styles using technology, especially online tools. But, of course, the slides don't communicate this sub-topic to viewers. You'll need a speaker for that. Hah! #

Difficulty viewing the slides? Please proceed to the Slideshare page.