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Monday, December 27, 2004
Editorial: Rounding off the citizen
OF WHAT does a public good consist? Tradition has stressed the enjoyment of benefits by a majority of the people.
Supplementing this thinking is the current view that this same majority should take part in acquiring those benefits.
“Participatory democracy” may seem like another catchword, politically correct but just a little repetitive. After all, as set down by the Athenian ideal of a citizen-ruled state and the Roman concept of imperium, the authority of citizens has always been upheld as sovereign, their participation taken as a given in any democracy.
But political realities have so jaded the public, which sees the public good as being hostaged by public servants, reviled as part of society’s problems. Many a citizen has long sunk into the mindset that the only participation expected of them is submission to authorities and conformity with the law, with the occasional outbreak of wrongdoing justified when it passes beneath the radar of public censure.
Civic thrives
Providing a counterpoint to this cynicism are individuals and institutions that ensure that, despite the ills besetting it, the hallmark of democratic society prevails: citizens relying on their own resources and availing themselves of alternative means when public interests are not met or violated.
Last Dec. 23, Sun.Star Cebu singled out local personalities and groups for the Citizens of 2004 Annual Award.
If the assemblage is diverse, it only reinforces the editors’ view that, more than the individual track records, the awards extol the spirit of stakeholdership: good citizens share the responsibility, not just rest on their rights and privileges.
As a collective, Sun.Star Cebu’s Citizens of 2004 show the limitless range of participation available not just to an outstanding few but to the multitudes that can critically turn isolated instances to a groundswell.
Participation can be as fundamental as staying informed about public concerns. The next naturally ascending response is to share information.
From these “gentle” forms of involvement, citizens can develop and later acquire the maturity, assertiveness and skill to venture into more proactive commitments: discussion, debate, mobilization, advocacy and civic action.
But whatever the level of commitment, the Citizens of 2004 awardees prove that their commitment to individual causes encompasses also a tolerance for different views, respect of the law and commitment to peaceful, consensual resolution.
Extra mile
While the contributions of civic-minded individuals and interest groups are acknowledged, areas can still be improved to make citizens more effective.
Broaden grassroots support. Smaller and more cohesive, nongovernment organizations (NGOs) have long considered this as their edge to government or corporate bureaucracies. But if one is committed to lasting social change, institutions must learn how to balance their organizational concerns with the imperative to involve more members of the community. It is not just for information sharing; membership affects the group’s clout in influencing debates and policies.
Be savvy in communicating. Citizens should acquire the media literacy necessary for getting the attention of the press, playing up their agenda, and educating the public and government or private decision-makers. NGOs and civic groups can also look on media as part of the check-and-balance mechanism to monitor their own promises and performance, especially as many accredited NGOs already handle public funds.
The last elections showed that civil society has taken advantage of the New Technology to carry out their developmental objectives. E-mailing, texting and surfing have enabled groups to inform, educate, campaign and lobby. Despite the digital gap, the New Technology has demonstrated its excellent potentials for bottoms-up interaction.
The next challenge then is for citizens to harness the technology for greater civic participation. It is to use the Internet for airing the needs of the voiceless, as articulated by the voiceless. To follow up commitments, monitor performance, and generally command the transparency and accountability of public servants, as demanded by the disenfranchised.
It is to harness personal resources and tap alternative means when the public’s needs are not met or violated.
In short, the challenge is to resurrect the responsibility of citizenship.
(December 27, 2004 issue)
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