What is Awareness?

What is awareness in terms of promoting causes? Is it basically about knowing the issues? What makes awareness effective in promoting causes like heritage conservation or disaster preparedness?

Awareness is an important or even the first step in promoting any cause. It's a challenge to preserve built heritage if people do not know the story and relevance of a heritage structure. In another sense, it is hard to promote disaster preparedness if people do not know the dangers of hazards and calamities that can happen to them. Most of the time, awareness provides information to address such concern. But is knowing already being aware?

It was a unique experience to for me today to have met Jaymee Leonen, a psychologist by profession and an advocate in the cause of parenting. Talking to her about heritage conservation in Calle Escolta in Manila, the topic of awareness was brought out. I realized that awareness is more than just knowing. Knowing is not enough. Invoking emotions is as important as giving facts and other information to a cause.

Is fear a good motivator for awareness? Fear can immobilize and make one surrender. But Ms. Leonen shared that, if fear is present, one can rise above it and act. Overcoming fear by knowing and acknowledging it and doing what is necessary. In other words, it is being empowered.

In the end, I realized that involving emotions is necessary in promoting awareness. Make the audience feel. It is the role of the advocate to connect the cause emotionally to the audience. Make them relate through stories. And in the end, make them realize that they can do something to help, that they can make a difference. To make others know, concerned and empowered, that is the goal of awareness.

Ang Tunay na Historian

Kamakailan, naging usapan ang pagiging isang historian. Tila ba basta-basta na lang nagagamit ang titulong historian. Kung nakabasa ka ng history book, historian ka na ba? Kung nag-share ka ng something about history sa Facebook, historian ka na? Ang historian daw ay nagpapalaganap ng "katotohanan" at ang mga tumataliwas sa "katotohanan" ito ay kaaway na bayan.

Sino nga ba ang tunay na historian o historyador? Sa aking pananaw, ito ay ilang mga katangian ng isang historian.

1. Ang tunay na historyador ay may disiplinang akademiko sa pananaliksik, pagsusulat at pagbabahagi ng nalalaman.
2. Ang tunay na historyador ay hindi alam ang lahat tungkol sa kasaysayan at alam niya ito.
3. Ang tunay na historyador ay hindi laging tama at alam niya ito.
4. Ang tunay na historyador ay hindi ipinipilit ang kanyang pananaw sa pamamagitan ng pagtrash-talk sa ibang historyador.
5. Ang tunay na historyador ay marunong irespeto ang opinyon ng kapwa historyador at mga hindi historyador.
6. Ang tunay na historyador ay marunong baguhin ang pananaw batay sa mga bagong batis at pag-aaral.
7. Ang tunay na historyador ay marunong gumamit ng tuldok sa kanyang mga pangungusap.
8. Ang tunay na historyador ay hindi troll sa internet.
9. Ang tunay na historyador ay hindi makitid o sarado ang isip sa opinyon at pagaaral ng iba.
10. Ang tunay na historyador ay hindi pinagpipilitan ang sarili bilang isang historyador. 

Hindi basta-basta nakukuha ang titulong historyador o historian. Bunga ito ng mahabang panahon ng pag-aaral, pananaliksik, pagbabahagi ng kaalaman sa "propesyonal" na pamantayan at pamamaraan.

P.S.: Hindi ako historian.

My Good Guy Affirmation

In the movie "Wreck It Ralph", the video game bad guys have a support group because being bad can be really depressing. How about us good guys who try to be good despite all the world still choose to be good? Bad guys seem to have the money and the bad boys seem to always get the girls.

We often see the merits of bad deeds and we are tempted to be envious and even do bad things ourselves. But let's remember that being bad costs us our conscience, our relationships and reputation. We should not be envious to the fruits of bad deeds which are all fleeting.

Being good has its own merits and surely, such merits are the ones that truly last.

Here is an affirmation I made for being a good person.

I am good and that is good.
I may finish last but my relationships will last.
Some may not like me but that's OK.
God loves me so does the friends I made.
Goodness nourishes my heart.
Being good is my best part.
I try to always choose to be good.
There is no person I'd want be but good.