Some Thoughts on Achieving National Freedom

By Shyam Tony Reyes

(e-mailed by one of my four brothers based in California)

The unity of a nation is a constant, as much as it is so for the Human Family. But its expression changes, from seed to tree, from weak to strong, from chaotic to coherent. Coherence is the key to the strength of a nation and its capacity to achieve national freedom: the capacity of Sambayanan to protect and nurture ALL of its citizens.

The greater the coherence, the stronger and more productive a nation becomes. And national coherence can come only from self-empowered citizens. So I postulate that the key strategic move to achieving real national coherence is through the establishment and nurturing of a mass "self-empowerment movement." This is the inner, personal-anchor aspect of the environmental movement.

This is why I believe that a kabutihang-loob movement can be very effective. It is indigenous, simple, inclusive, nonpartisan and non-threatening since its purpose is to bring out the good from ALL citizens and participants.
And it's very Filipino, yet can be an powerful international model for shifting to coherence for nations and the human family at large: People Power "Level 2." It can go a long way because it makes people feel good, so repeat activity is more likely and the personal effect is socially contagious.