Good education is good business.
Showing posts with label ateneo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ateneo. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Nothing Follows
NOTHING FOLLOWS
These are the last words you will ever see as a bar examinee... and though you don't think much of it then, you do now... and you can only pray that this is a statement of no consequence -- a non-prophetic lexical blunder that was never intended to articulate your fate.
How do you reconcile a duty with a dream? I'm just figuring this out right now... and it's no fun at all. As much as I hated the academic part of being in law school, sudden post-bar freedom [abandonment] is no fun. Is this life? Pay the bills, then die? Maybe. For some of us, maybe. But I'm still figuring this out.
No vacation for this one. There's just too much to do.
Thank you to everyone who gave their time, mind and muscle to support us during one of our darkest times. The bar exam is no joke. No freakin' way. But we were standing on the top of a giant's head... and this was probably enough to pass those eight tests.
Thank you to the Ateneo Law School BarOps. To my dearest friends in the AHRC, to my fellow bar examinees who served as my primary mutual support group, to my AHRC Batchmates who made their appearances and gestures of support. To my immediate family who was there throughout the whole ordeal, and my extended family who believed in what fortitude I had left to spare. To my bandmates and friends in the music business who gave me their own brand of sick but vital support. For all your prayers, financial and moral support, smiles, text messages, emails, hugs, kisses, taps on the shoulder, jokes, insights, wake-up calls, sleepless nights and all your generous sacrifices, thank you, everybody.
The bar exam is a spiritual and humbling experience. I thank God for it and for everyone who was part of my experience.
I love you all. Forget the damn lawyer's oath... I personally swear to every one of you that I will never abuse this power should I be deemed worthy of it.
See you all in the real world soon.
Friday, July 7, 2006
A Humanized World
This is a short reflection essay I wrote after the Human Rights and Liberalism Seminar I attended in Gummersbach, Germany from June 25 to July 7, 2006. Thank you to the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung for the wonderful opportunity.
This was originally published in the FNS website, here:
http://www.fnf.org.ph/seminars/reports/a-humanized-world.htm
Coming home was not a difficult thing to do after having experienced a two-week seminar on human rights and liberalism in Gummersbach.
Not only was I able to amplify my knowledge on human rights, but I also formed meaningful bonds with human rights advocates from all over the globe. It felt good to know that, difficult as it is, this was not a struggle we were fighting alone.
Human rights are put into their proper context when all artificial differences are set aside. Race, religion, creed, nationality, gender, age, profession – all these social constructs are rendered meaningless when we talk about human rights. In theory, I understood this. But it took a 6,000-mile trip to Germany for me to appreciate it in its truest sense.
In the seminar, I learned that my country was not unique in its problems. The co-participants and the facilitators I met shared their experiences boundlessly. They continue to suffer as we suffer, be it in similar or totally different ways. With these shared accounts, I discovered that the Philippines does not boast of the worst conditions possible, but at the same time, it was disheartening to know that we still have a very long way to go.
We have always been one of the first and most eager to enter into international agreements protecting human rights. But disgracefully, we are one of the last ones to properly implement them and make them real. Our domestic laws are second to none, but the proper enforcement of these laws is dismally missing. These are problems that have been present ever since the creation of our republic but we have little to show as evidence of our commitment to change. One thing is undeniable: we have failed. And in accepting failure, we have to recognize that we might have to find solutions elsewhere. This is the purpose of international dialogue.
In the International Academy of Leadership, we were asked to return to the basics of human rights theory and transform these theories into solutions. In the past, reading about the problems of other countries like Bosnia, Afghanistan or Israel always seemed too academic for me. They were abstractions that offered no empirical help in understanding the problems and coming up with an effective solution. Gummersbach changed all that. By giving me a chance take part in this dialogue, I was able to give human faces to all these different countries and remove them from the abstract realm forever. Their problems became real to me and the solutions they offered became more feasible. By understanding the different histories of European, Asian and Latin American countries, the underlying interconnections became apparent, and it made me understand how the Philippines fit in the vast fabric of the world. I was part of the human community, and the world became my home.
One important thing I remembered about the seminar room where we had our sessions is that it had this large map of the world displayed on the far wall. Before the seminar, I looked at the map. It was the same as any other map I had seen before. It was just a geographic representation of the different territories of the world. But after all the stories shared, jokes exchanged and friendships formed, I never looked at the world the same way again. Costa Rica was no longer some obscure country in Latin America but it was home to a friend who I sang with in a Karaoke bar in Magdeburg. Malaysia was no longer just a wealthy neighboring Southeast Asian country, but it is where a very funny and poetic Chinese lawyer lives with his wife and child. Jordan ceased to be just another Middle Eastern country and, in my consciousness, has become the birthplace of a brilliant political scientist who has lived in London, New York and France, and hates football. These once abstract places, that I might never even have a chance to visit in this lifetime, are homes to people who I have come to know as friends. All these countries have become real because they have been given human faces.
Today when I read the newspaper, I see, understand and empathize more because it has become clear that in all these talks of war, disaster and human rights abuses, every victim is somebody’s parent, child or friend. Understanding this makes me more aware that I am part of a larger human family. Each time a single member of that family suffers, the entire family is harmed. This is how I understand human rights.
Like I said in the beginning, coming home was not difficult to do. Because of this new connectedness I felt with the whole of humanity, the world had become home. The 6000 miles no longer mattered.
This was originally published in the FNS website, here:
http://www.fnf.org.ph/seminars/reports/a-humanized-world.htm
Coming home was not a difficult thing to do after having experienced a two-week seminar on human rights and liberalism in Gummersbach.
Not only was I able to amplify my knowledge on human rights, but I also formed meaningful bonds with human rights advocates from all over the globe. It felt good to know that, difficult as it is, this was not a struggle we were fighting alone.
Human rights are put into their proper context when all artificial differences are set aside. Race, religion, creed, nationality, gender, age, profession – all these social constructs are rendered meaningless when we talk about human rights. In theory, I understood this. But it took a 6,000-mile trip to Germany for me to appreciate it in its truest sense.
In the seminar, I learned that my country was not unique in its problems. The co-participants and the facilitators I met shared their experiences boundlessly. They continue to suffer as we suffer, be it in similar or totally different ways. With these shared accounts, I discovered that the Philippines does not boast of the worst conditions possible, but at the same time, it was disheartening to know that we still have a very long way to go.
We have always been one of the first and most eager to enter into international agreements protecting human rights. But disgracefully, we are one of the last ones to properly implement them and make them real. Our domestic laws are second to none, but the proper enforcement of these laws is dismally missing. These are problems that have been present ever since the creation of our republic but we have little to show as evidence of our commitment to change. One thing is undeniable: we have failed. And in accepting failure, we have to recognize that we might have to find solutions elsewhere. This is the purpose of international dialogue.
In the International Academy of Leadership, we were asked to return to the basics of human rights theory and transform these theories into solutions. In the past, reading about the problems of other countries like Bosnia, Afghanistan or Israel always seemed too academic for me. They were abstractions that offered no empirical help in understanding the problems and coming up with an effective solution. Gummersbach changed all that. By giving me a chance take part in this dialogue, I was able to give human faces to all these different countries and remove them from the abstract realm forever. Their problems became real to me and the solutions they offered became more feasible. By understanding the different histories of European, Asian and Latin American countries, the underlying interconnections became apparent, and it made me understand how the Philippines fit in the vast fabric of the world. I was part of the human community, and the world became my home.
One important thing I remembered about the seminar room where we had our sessions is that it had this large map of the world displayed on the far wall. Before the seminar, I looked at the map. It was the same as any other map I had seen before. It was just a geographic representation of the different territories of the world. But after all the stories shared, jokes exchanged and friendships formed, I never looked at the world the same way again. Costa Rica was no longer some obscure country in Latin America but it was home to a friend who I sang with in a Karaoke bar in Magdeburg. Malaysia was no longer just a wealthy neighboring Southeast Asian country, but it is where a very funny and poetic Chinese lawyer lives with his wife and child. Jordan ceased to be just another Middle Eastern country and, in my consciousness, has become the birthplace of a brilliant political scientist who has lived in London, New York and France, and hates football. These once abstract places, that I might never even have a chance to visit in this lifetime, are homes to people who I have come to know as friends. All these countries have become real because they have been given human faces.
Today when I read the newspaper, I see, understand and empathize more because it has become clear that in all these talks of war, disaster and human rights abuses, every victim is somebody’s parent, child or friend. Understanding this makes me more aware that I am part of a larger human family. Each time a single member of that family suffers, the entire family is harmed. This is how I understand human rights.
Like I said in the beginning, coming home was not difficult to do. Because of this new connectedness I felt with the whole of humanity, the world had become home. The 6000 miles no longer mattered.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
A Speech I delivered at the 70th Anniversary of the Ateneo Law School
Good evening friends.
A colleague of mine who has family in Lebanon emailed me last night about what happened. Five days ago, Israeli Jet fighters indiscriminately bombed Lebanon in response to the kidnapping of two of their soldiers. 60 Lebanese are dead and 150 are wounded (and my friends, the next time you read the papers and find the word wounded, this does not mean people with chicken scratches… these include people who have had their legs amputated or their eyes gouged out). Men, women, and children. No exceptions.
For those of you who are familiar with the principle of proportionality, this is definitely not it. Israel receives $3 billion in military aid from the United States every year. Their military technology is second to none. Nukes, warplanes, satellite capabilities… believe me, if you see it in the movies, the Israelis have it. Lebanon has old guns, old rockets and a few helicopters that were used during the Vietnam War. Go figure.
Many Lebanese are fleeing to neighboring countries as refugees. This happened five days ago and the fires in Lebanon have not yet been extinguished completely.
Why am I talking about a country hundreds of miles away? On the night of the 70th Anniversary of the Ateneo Law School why on Earth am I talking about war? Because, my friends, I want to clarify what we are celebrating tonight. It does not matter if we call ourselves Ateneans. It does not matter if we are Christian by name. It does not matter if we are Filipinos by birth. These things will not matter if we do not choose to be human first – if we do not feel the plight of our fellow human beings, empathize with their suffering and choose to respond accordingly. Was this not the same desire of San Ignacio and San Francisco Xavier?
I have been working with the Ateneo Human Rights Center for almost three years now and I can strongly say that these years have been the most difficult and the most precious moments of my life. My work has brought me to the mountains of Mindoro and Tarlac, to the jails of Metro Manila, to the remotest barrios of Northern Mindanao and, most recently, to the former border between East and West Germany. There are many places that need us – many voices that call upon us. There is human suffering in so many places and we have a choice on whether to respond to them or to ignore them completely.
Human rights is about facelessness. It is about extinguishing the borders and differences that make us unequal in our rights. It is about recognizing that we are all human beings complete in dignity. If you had noticed, at the start of this speech I did not greet anyone by the titles that we have grown so accustomed to: Attorney, Doctor, Professor. These are not titles of respect. These are mere titles of classification – formalities. People who address us as such do not necessarily respect us; chances are they do it out of habit or because they are expected to. These titles tell people what studies you finished not who you are. The only title that gives genuine respect is what I used to address all of you tonight: friends.
So my friends, on this 70th Anniversary, we honor our school because it has given us the opportunity to be great people. The key word here is opportunity. To say that every Atenean is great is just plain ignorance. Not every Atenean is a Bobby Gana or an Ed Nolasco. We have Ateneans who cheat on their taxes, bribe government officials, or manipulate election returns. There are Ateneans who lie, murder and rape as if they were uneducated and uncivilized. The word Atenean is, likewise, just a title that describes where you studied. Never be fooled by titles.
Our school is great because it offers us a shot at greatness. For those who choose not to take this chance, they have only themselves to blame. For those people who have taken this opportunity to become greater than mere titles, this night is for you.
How does one become great? Do what you do best no matter what it may be. We can be good at so many things but we can only be excellent in a few. Find those talents, skills or dreams you are superior in and lose yourself in them. Strive to outdo yourself every single day.
Not all of us can be Justices of the Supreme Court. Not all of us can be working for the United Nations or Amnesty International. Not all of us can be priests, pastors, imams or religious leaders. And I am very sure not all of us will turn out to be practicing lawyers.
Find your place. You may be an excellent debater… go, compete and argue your heart out. If you love books, you might want to start writing one of your own. If you excel in sports then try going pro. Every single day, we are tempted to forego the excellent for the good. So much time is wasted in doing good. Like I said, there are many people and places that need us. In this short lifetime, we just have to find where we are needed the most and stay there. We each can find our own ways of inspiring people and changing the world. Pray through the work that you do and do it with magnificent passion. That, my friends, is heroism. That is what the Atenean ought to be.
If ten or twenty years from now, you become role-models in your respective fields and someone asks you if being an Atenean had anything to do with your success. By all means say yes. But don’t forget to tell them that: Ateneo gave me the shot and I took it.
Have a good evening.
A colleague of mine who has family in Lebanon emailed me last night about what happened. Five days ago, Israeli Jet fighters indiscriminately bombed Lebanon in response to the kidnapping of two of their soldiers. 60 Lebanese are dead and 150 are wounded (and my friends, the next time you read the papers and find the word wounded, this does not mean people with chicken scratches… these include people who have had their legs amputated or their eyes gouged out). Men, women, and children. No exceptions.
For those of you who are familiar with the principle of proportionality, this is definitely not it. Israel receives $3 billion in military aid from the United States every year. Their military technology is second to none. Nukes, warplanes, satellite capabilities… believe me, if you see it in the movies, the Israelis have it. Lebanon has old guns, old rockets and a few helicopters that were used during the Vietnam War. Go figure.
Many Lebanese are fleeing to neighboring countries as refugees. This happened five days ago and the fires in Lebanon have not yet been extinguished completely.
Why am I talking about a country hundreds of miles away? On the night of the 70th Anniversary of the Ateneo Law School why on Earth am I talking about war? Because, my friends, I want to clarify what we are celebrating tonight. It does not matter if we call ourselves Ateneans. It does not matter if we are Christian by name. It does not matter if we are Filipinos by birth. These things will not matter if we do not choose to be human first – if we do not feel the plight of our fellow human beings, empathize with their suffering and choose to respond accordingly. Was this not the same desire of San Ignacio and San Francisco Xavier?
I have been working with the Ateneo Human Rights Center for almost three years now and I can strongly say that these years have been the most difficult and the most precious moments of my life. My work has brought me to the mountains of Mindoro and Tarlac, to the jails of Metro Manila, to the remotest barrios of Northern Mindanao and, most recently, to the former border between East and West Germany. There are many places that need us – many voices that call upon us. There is human suffering in so many places and we have a choice on whether to respond to them or to ignore them completely.
Human rights is about facelessness. It is about extinguishing the borders and differences that make us unequal in our rights. It is about recognizing that we are all human beings complete in dignity. If you had noticed, at the start of this speech I did not greet anyone by the titles that we have grown so accustomed to: Attorney, Doctor, Professor. These are not titles of respect. These are mere titles of classification – formalities. People who address us as such do not necessarily respect us; chances are they do it out of habit or because they are expected to. These titles tell people what studies you finished not who you are. The only title that gives genuine respect is what I used to address all of you tonight: friends.
So my friends, on this 70th Anniversary, we honor our school because it has given us the opportunity to be great people. The key word here is opportunity. To say that every Atenean is great is just plain ignorance. Not every Atenean is a Bobby Gana or an Ed Nolasco. We have Ateneans who cheat on their taxes, bribe government officials, or manipulate election returns. There are Ateneans who lie, murder and rape as if they were uneducated and uncivilized. The word Atenean is, likewise, just a title that describes where you studied. Never be fooled by titles.
Our school is great because it offers us a shot at greatness. For those who choose not to take this chance, they have only themselves to blame. For those people who have taken this opportunity to become greater than mere titles, this night is for you.
How does one become great? Do what you do best no matter what it may be. We can be good at so many things but we can only be excellent in a few. Find those talents, skills or dreams you are superior in and lose yourself in them. Strive to outdo yourself every single day.
Not all of us can be Justices of the Supreme Court. Not all of us can be working for the United Nations or Amnesty International. Not all of us can be priests, pastors, imams or religious leaders. And I am very sure not all of us will turn out to be practicing lawyers.
Find your place. You may be an excellent debater… go, compete and argue your heart out. If you love books, you might want to start writing one of your own. If you excel in sports then try going pro. Every single day, we are tempted to forego the excellent for the good. So much time is wasted in doing good. Like I said, there are many people and places that need us. In this short lifetime, we just have to find where we are needed the most and stay there. We each can find our own ways of inspiring people and changing the world. Pray through the work that you do and do it with magnificent passion. That, my friends, is heroism. That is what the Atenean ought to be.
If ten or twenty years from now, you become role-models in your respective fields and someone asks you if being an Atenean had anything to do with your success. By all means say yes. But don’t forget to tell them that: Ateneo gave me the shot and I took it.
Have a good evening.
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