Because actions speak louder than words

Last weeks’ celebration of Greenpeace 40th founding anniversary reminded me that this year I am also celebrating my 6th year as a part of Greenpeace Southeast Asia’s Philippine office, and I am proud to say that it was 6 meaningful years that I will forever treasure as an individual that have chosen the path less-traveled of environmental activism that finds its personality in direct action – in “cutting out the middleman” and becoming an instrument of defense for this precious blue marble that we all call Earth.

Amchitka: the beginning of a movement

Vancouver, Canada 40 years ago: a ragtag band of hippies, Quakers, American draft-dodgers, journalists and ecologists would change the face of environmental activism as we know it...

Lean Alejandro on being a revolutionary

In this day and age of technological overdependence and internet activism I believe there is wisdom in re-visiting what being a revolutionary meant to those who have actually given their all for their vision of a better world.

Lean Alejandro was an activist who was murdered at 27, ironically in the democratic space instituted by the Aquino administration. May his words challenge us to go not gently unto the dark night of complacency and romanticized notions of awakening an upheaval with our mouse clicks of 'likes,' 'RTs' and online petitions...

"A revolutionary must know how to compute the distance of the stars, how to differentiate a fish from a shark.... He must know how to distill wine into liquor, how to arrive at e=mc². He must know how to cook bacon, butcher a pig and roast lamb. He must be capable of leading enemies into battle. He must know how to follow orders and he must know when to disobey them.

He must know how to soothe pain, comfort the sorrowful, maintain his composure in hot water, drown gracefully, sink with his ship with honor together with the mice.... He must be able to debate, he must know how to analyze difficult political situations ... he must know how to sail a ship, dig a latrine, wash clothes, wash dishes, plan an offensive, plan a retreat ... take care of babies, manage a state bureaucracy.

He must know how to discuss Mao and debunk Zinoviev, ridicule Stalin, correctly read Mabini, recruit members to the party, motivate members to struggle, host a party, be critical, be self- critical, be honest...."

The makings of a beautiful mess


A beautiful mess is somewhat of a term that I use to define cathartic moments in life. That's how I would like to describe how clutter when thrown in a mix seems to come out with something beautiful. Just like how chaotic experiences brings out the best in people. Or the experience of being caught the middle of a Sonic Youth song. It is an experience of long lost aural blasts of resonating guitars and the staccato of pounding punk rock drumbeats. It is an experience that can only be found in the middle of PayItForward’s live performance of A Childlike Response To The Nearness Of You.