Expanded Initiative

I am suggesting to expand the target activities of Lead Philippines to include the following...

1. Produce radio programs (Public Affairs and News Programs, like BBC's "Hard Talk, Fox's "Oreilly Factor", and NBC's "Meet the Press", but on radio) that will provide equal and fair venue for all potential leaders of all political colors wherein they can voice their views and opinion.
2. Produce a series of advertisements in the tri-media and other venues that will stir the people to positive and patriotic action.
3. Publish a newspaper that chronicles the country's search for its leaders
4. Produce a pop and rock concert and produce a corressponding music CD which main theme is nationalism and call to action.
5. Produce and popularize a televised song-writing competition with positive nationalistic themes that would touch the heart of the people and stir them to positive action
6. Produce a multi-artist recording of a song with nationalistic theme (similar to what is done in "Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo" recorded right after the 1986 People Power revolution.
7. Produce and popularize a televised search for national leaders, much like the American or Philippines Idol, but for leaders rather than singers, wherein the people can participate via SMS.
8. Produce and popularize a series of televised/radio debates and leadership forums in universities and other venues nationwide.

Of course, not all of the above can be done, but there is no harm in trying. Earlier, the only activity targeted is the 7th activity suggested above which is to be patterned after the Lead India movement. However, the country needs more than one event each of which could set the stage for the other. In a war, and we are in a war against our culture of corruption, there should always be mass media component. This is what happened in 1986, when the ongoing People Power activities in EDSA and elsewhere was in part galvanized by the voice of June Keithley, first at the Radio Veritas and then at the so called Radio Bandido station. At this time, there are many different movements but none really target the mass media.

Indeed, to get this going, we will need all the help we can get.

Another Lead India Video

Last month, I attended a meeting by the Convergence_Team who is hoping to produce video clips to increase the awareness of the people on national concerns. In the meeting, they showed this short video which is one of those produced by the Lead India initiative...

Although the video is in Indian language (it seems), the story behind it is easily discernible. In the video, there is a tree fallen on the middle of the road. Everyone starts to fret about it without doing anything. Then a child started lifting the tree in spite of the rain. One by one, the on lookers started to help until everyone helped and the obstructing tree is successfully removed....

At the time everyone is helping, the rain stopped and the sun started to show itself. Surely, no task is big enough if everyone do their share.

In a nutshell, that is what I am trying to do here. I have not done anything before in my life that helped the country... As far as "helping" is concerned, I am still a child. The tree that lay on the road are the problems that faces us... Corruption and Poor governance among them... I have started pushing the tree by myself. I know I cannot do it alone. But still, so few are helping... the tree is not budging. The rain has started and it is getting stronger... I wonder, when will the sun shine on me?