N.B. – This is an expanded version of my email interview with three Journalism students from the University of the Philippines (UP).

Should the youth take part in initiatives like Ako Mismo (loose translation: I myself)?

The youth should actively participate in the movement for social change, but at the same time be very careful in joining formal and informal organizations. They should look not only at the reform agenda but also at the people behind such organizations. There are campaigns that look good in the eyes of the public because of catchy slogans and popular endorsers, but these are organized by profit-seeking companies and publicity-hungry politicians trying to capitalize on advocacies for their own benefit.

The agenda of initiatives like Ako Mismo must be carefully analyzed. For example, Ako Mismo claims that it is an “apolitical effort,” so it is not supposed to help launch the candidacy of any politician. (Then again, wouldn’t online users get a different impression when they see the “Add a yellow ribbon on my commitment” link on the website’s index page? It’s easy to argue that it is meant for a deceased President, but we all know that the yellow ribbon is being appropriated by a presidential aspirant.)

Its pluralism attracts many supporters, but shouldn’t there be a clear statement on how change could actually be done? Why is it silent on important issues like extra-judicial killings, U.S. intervention and the failure of agrarian reform? Letting the youth choose their initiatives could be dangerous and could also end up trivializing the effort, as in the case of nebulous commitments by a few participants posted in Ako Mismo‘s Wall of Commitments: “Ako mismo kikilos (I myself will act)” and “Ako mismo ako mismo (I myself, I myself).” What do these commitments mean? There is nothing clear about their promises, so the direction of the Ako Mismo movement becomes undefined.

At this critical juncture of our country’s history, there is no room for being neutral or apolitical. Those who want to lead must be clear as to which way they want their supporters to go.

What do you think are the effects of campaigns like Ako Mismo on the youth?

On the one hand, awareness campaigns like Ako Mismo help raise the social consciousness of the youth. They provide a clear message that there is a need to be involved. But the question of HOW should be deeply analyzed.

Individual initiative is laudable, but the necessity for collective action should be kept in mind. I think this is also a problem with some online campaigns where cyber-activism is being claimed to be the plausible replacement for the activism practiced in the “real world.”

Despite advances in technology, I still believe that rallies, pickets and other creative forms of physically gathering people to symbolically express grievances serve as the best culminating activities for political campaigns. Such activities are not just propaganda tools to gain media mileage. They actually help symbolize collective unrest, making the public aware of the social reality. For as long as such awareness campaigns do not discourage collective protesting (even to the extent of taking the issue to the streets), they can work in the conscienticization process.

Do you think they have an effect on the 2010 elections especially on the participation of the youth?

Awareness campaigns could have an impact on the elections if the call is not just confined to voting wisely. Given the national situation, the youth must also be called upon to help campaign for social change. The nature of involvement is endless — they could actually join in the campaign of the candidates they believe in; youth bloggers could help fact-check media coverage of elections; and social media users (e.g., Facebookers and Twitterers) could help post important information. Again, their activities should be multi-pronged in such a way that they are encouraged to take part in mass actions like rallies whenever necessary.

Will these movements bring about change in the country?

Movements could bring about change only when there is active participation among different sectors of society.

Much as the youth comprise a substantial number of the country’s population and they cut across different social classes, it is still necessary to work hand-in-hand with the basic sectors of society like the peasants and workers. It behooves upon the youth to be conscious of the role of marginalized sectors in social change, and why any kind of reform in society should be geared towards uplifting their plight.

The youth should keep in mind that even if their age group (15-35 years old) cuts across different sectors of society, they should still have an inherent bias for the disenfranchised and the disempowered.