Ang Kalatas November 2015 Issue | Page 10

10 THE MESSAGE. BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA www.kalatas.com.au | Volume 6 Number 2 | NOVEMBER 2015 OPINION P’s of peace: How to Edd make our communities safer Remembering Tributes flowed for Edd Aragon who died in his sleep last month. Ang Kalatas remembers this great artist who was one of the contributors to AK for many years. We are forever grateful to his art, his cartoons, his quips and for his simply being a good friend, a good man to the community and to many of us in the media circle. Edd was a caricaturist and had worked for many publications in the Philippines and in Australia such as the Sydney Morning Herald. Edd, isa kang dakilang Pinoy. Maraming, maraming salamat sa iyo. A Shrine to Edd. A portrait of Edd hangs at the ‘Bahay Kubo’ created by artist Alwin Reamillo. This Bahay Kubo was on display at the Sculpture by the Sea art festival at the Bondi Beach. Photo: Facebook HUMMING IN MY UNIVERSE A primal urge W e have art in order not to die of the truth.— Friedrich Nietzsche If you are an artist, you may have wondered often what the meaning or purpose of your life and craft are all about. I still often wonder this, even if I have been an artist for almost all of my life. When I look at engineers or architects, I can see tangible structures that validate their usefulness in the world. I see doctors and nurses healing people, and I know their work comes to good. I have the same view of plumbers, carpenters, chefs, bakers, street cleaners, garbage collectors and law-enforcement personnel. They all work and deal with physically tangible things, and we see their effects on people’s lives. It can be empirically proven that they make life bet ter for ADOBO others. But what about poets, musicians, painters, sculptors and other artists? What is it that we contribute? Do we make life better for people and society? I always felt that being an artist was an urge, a compulsion to create. In the early years, I had no concerns about helping people or even thinking of my work in any larger context except pure selfexpression. I merely wanted to sing and write songs, nothing more. There was no great desire to change the world or anything of the sort. It was during martial law when I suddenly had a change of paradigm. It was a time when the very reason for being an artist — that is, to express oneself — was threatened with illegal detention and the suspension of human rights. Something in me found this revolting. As a free spirit, I was being forced to limit the way I could express myself. Imagination and expression were fettered. It was like we were living in a no-fly zone. To me, Imelda’s mantra of “the true, the good and the beautiful” was about limiting directions and horizons where artists can go. It was all pretty words to hide the suppression and repression that was martial law. We could only create pretty things that did not upset anyone or raise any important issues in society. During that time, I also saw some of my great teachers, people who opened my mind, locked up in jail. I read about Pablo Picasso and other artists who stood up against the dictatorships in their own nations. Charlie Chaplin used his persona to make a film called The Great Dictator in which he ridiculed and railed against Adolf Hitler. Those times of repression were a defining moment for me. I felt turmoil inside. It was a clash between being an artist and avoiding trouble or expressing feely what I wanted to say. I could not continue being oblivious to the society I lived in. I had to be honest and choose whether I was a free artist, or I was not. I chose to be a free one. That was when I learned to pay attention not just to the style of music I created, but also to the content of my songs. It was both scary and exhilarating to freely speak one’s mind against the dictatorship that was a threatening presence to everyone. But I had already awakened to the larger meaning of what expressing art was all about. There was no turning back. To this day, when I find myself swimming against the tide as I express my opinions, I still feel scared. But an urge is an urge, and an itch must be scratched. An artist must express. It is a primal urge. The world speaks to everyone. Others may not notice it, or simply opt to keep the dialogue to themselves. But an artist must, on some level, talk about his conversation with the universe. He must talk about what he finds meaningful in the world so that he may share this with others. “When your mind is simply trapped by the image out there so that you never make the reference to yourself, you have misread the image,” wrote my idol, Joseph Campbell. A shared common experience for all of us at times: we miss out or fail to interpret the meaning of events and things. This is where visionaries, artists can come in with their insights on life and the world. With artistic messaging and style, the truth out there becomes clear enough to understand. An artist can inspire and enlighten if he chooses to. When art moves people to action, it leads to something tangible. JIM PAREDES is a multifaceted creative. He sings, composes, writes articles and books, teaches at the Ateneo De Manila University, designs and facilitates workshops. He is a writer of books, a widely read columnist for the Sunday Life section of Philippine Star, and a well-known photographer. (A Dose of Brown Opinion) P’s of peace: How to make our communities safer A Opinion pieces are all welcome. Ang Kalatas does not necessarily share the views of the writers. ustralia is a peaceful nation. Its citizens are among the friendliest and most peaceful people in the world. Australians are generally embracive of multiculturalism. However, certain events elsewhere in the world and closer to our neighbourhood have recently reverberated in the heart of our peaceloving society, prompting the government to warn us to be more vigilant. Be alert, not alarmed, it warns. The spectre of terrorism and violence has made its presence felt. Our communities now feel that there may be real and present danger lurking. The shooting in Martin’s Place a few months back, and in Parramatta more recently, have become wakeup calls. These tragedies galvanised the population in expressing a sentiment of disgust over the shootings. The messages in social media, the commentaries in broadcast and print media, and the spontaneous floral offerings in those places tinged with innocent blood were testaments to how Australians were incensed by these dastardly acts. As members of the community, we could take a lesson or two from these sad chapters in our modern history that changed our realities and perceptions forever. From these lessons, we Ang Kalatas is published every first Saturday of the month circulated in various parts of NSW. News articles, opinions, syndication and columnists do not necessarily reflect the views and opinion of the publisher and editors of Ang Kalatas and are solely theirs. All editorial and advertising materials submitted by the advertisers are subject to the paper’s advertising and editorial standards and discretion. All rights reserved. could strengthen our community’s defences with measures and strategies that can help safeguard the members’ safety. I have a few suggestions. I call these the P’s of peace. Pitagan. Respect begets respect. As we give respect to other cultures and personages, it is hoped that so shall they return that favour, and our co-existence will be more peaceful. Pakikipagkapuwa at pakikisama. Cooperation and a positive community spirit validate the tenet calling for love of neighbour. These can be strengthened through cultural exchanges, multicultural fairs, interfaith dialogues. Pakikiisa. Unity creates oneness of purpose and therefore enhances harmony acros s cultures. This oneness can be harnessed to advocate peace. Pang-unawa. Understanding others and respecting our differences lead to a climate of tolerance thereby avoiding or minimising situations that could create conflicts. Pagbabantay at pagmamatyag. Vigilance is an important key to MILLIE MARCIAL-PHILLIPS Publisher/Managing Editor TITUS FILIO Editor physical safety. Let us be watchful and alert, and any suspicious activity must be reported to authorities so they can take appropriate action. Pamamahayag. Expressions of freedoms and rights are encouraged as we live in a democratic society. However, such expressions must be within the ambit of what is allowed under the Constitution and other laws of the land. Some of these measures are easier said than done. But every bit of genuine effort could go a long way in calming and reassuring our community. It is important that we reclaim the high ground where proper sense and sensibilities reign. It is important for the government to always exercise its duty of care to every citizen. Let us pray that our communities and institutions are safeguarded and continue to exist in a climate peace. DANNY DINGLE holds a degree in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, where he became the The Sebastinian’s first editor-in-chief during martial law. He was a Philippine government scholar to the UP School of Economics and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. He worked at the Department of Budget and Management before migrating to Australia. Editorial: [email protected] Advertising: [email protected] PO Box 18, Quakers Hill 2763 Phone: (02) 8211 0243 Mobile: 0450 073 591 Printed by: New Age Printing Pty Ltd 25 Clyde Street Rydalmere 2116