Back in 2008, a young Swedish minister talked to international scholars at Linkoping University in Sweden. I was an Erasmus Mundus graduate student at the time, taking an applied ethics program at the Center for Applied Ethics. I was under the tutelage of the global scholar and Swedish philosopher, Goran Collste. I was asked by the minister if I wanted to work in Sweden and my reply was, no, I wanted to go home and serve our people.
It was expected from us, being graduates of European schools, to take positions in the academe and society. I had a different plan, however, and that is to bring democracy into the grassroots. It is a difficult thing to do, knowing that politics can easily gobble up any idealistic young mind. But I was unperturbed and thought that the pragmatic approach can be combined with the zeal and idealism of youth.
In a meeting with Mayor Sebastian Duterte, I told him that the city has a big chance to leapfrog into the future and one of the means to be able to do so is to take advantage of the advances brought by globalization. One way forward is by offering engineering and IT courses in the soon to be opened City College of Davao. While I understand that a city college is meant to provide education to the least advantaged, it can also be a vehicle for wealth creation by developing young talents in science and technology.
Many of the graduate students I know have chosen a life of comfort. They have secured jobs in their host countries and those who have produced outstanding research outputs have landed university teaching posts. You must understand that it is more expensive to educate an intelligent man or woman. Society cannot blame them, by the way, if they choose a life of privilege. We are free human beings after all. Sometimes, it is not an economic question. Most probably, there is a lack of inspiration to rise above self somewhere.
But while such is arguable, we have a bigger obligation to society. I told Mayor Baste that it is important to begin in the grassroots. I believe that the barangay caravans that the city initiates, which deliver government services to far-flung communities, have been a step in the right direction. This program brings the government closer to the people and gives importance to the mantra that real democracy is about people empowerment. Words can influence how people act, but good deeds matter more. This is the essence of one’s political commitment.
The young mayor epitomizes a leader who is aware of his generation’s role in making social and political change possible. The battle is no longer just about good and evil. We are actually in that period where we have to transition from old to new leadership. The educational scholarship program that was started by Mayor and now Vice President Sara Duterte has opened tremendous opportunities to young individuals who have the potential to contribute in making social change possible.
One of the vital skills necessary in the 21st century is innovation. But we cannot actually innovate if we lack some basic principles. In this way, courage is an important quality that matters to a leader. This is something that young leaders must possess. As a matter of fact, we have to be aware of the many challenges that this generation is facing and we must not be oblivious to the important role of government is bringing the good to the people. The good mayor has embraced the responsibilities that the mandate of public office dictates.
The point of the matter is that young people are in that period where change will be a huge challenge but at the same time, given the right principles and that faith in the capacity of our people, new possibilities will be available to many. Mayor Baste has shown that he can collaborate with various sectors, including the academe, IP communities, and business groups. With the right talent and competent technocrats behind him, the future is bright for the new generation in the midst of the great upheavals of our time.
