Bakit kaibigan ko ang mga kaibigan ko?
Natutuwa ako sa kinalabasan ng simpleng pag-post ng link sa mga ym ng mga kaibigan ko, pag-kulit sa kanilang multiply account at pag-link sa facebook :)
1. a lot of them support the cause --no to a nuclear program in the philippines-- they excitedly went to our website and sign-up to the petition... whatever their reasons are/were...
some reactions....
"Talaga? Haha, crazy ppl" -- she was pertaining to the congress representatives who are trying to push the bill into law
"Sign up for this guys! I don't want rains during summer na. Help fight climate change!" --she then posted a link to our website
"pro ako eh... too bad (with a grin)" --told her she can just read the link and not sign up, just have an informed choice, at least have that
A friend recently posted her profile as "Can I just die right now?" and i told her "not yet..." and posted the link for our petition... generated reactions from her friends who signed-up afterwards
Their reasons can be outward hilarious... some specifically targets the stupidity of the house bill or the congress representative behind it... others totally believe the cause... a few are avid greenpeace supporters... others working in development organizations, already know how to stupid it is to begin with...
These people, in short, are "the converted". No need to convince because either anything that the congress/politicians will say reaks corruption and ignorance or that they strongly believe that nuclear energy will not solve climate change and the potential energy crisis...
2. some played as devil's advocate... asking me straightforward questions that I may or may not have a straightforward answers to shield my request...
typically arguments would be: baseload capacity of nuclear energy compared to RE, costs of not using BNPP, is the alternatives available competitive in terms of costs, other arguments other than BNPP as mothballed, defective,etc... some even said that nuclear is environment friendly, when asked why and how, he said "google it!"... i find this hilarious because our dear congress representative uses the same resource tool, google-wikipedia... hah!
these are friends who love to argue for the sake of arguments. One in particular just wanted to say something because I wasn't able to answer his calls over the weekend. :p some are law students, prying and arguing like what crazy lawyers do... others want to make sure that I know what the hell i'm talking about... testing my capacity to answer or if I will give them a fool-proof, no bullshit facts and realities...
3. some asked me to convince them since they think nuclear energy will save our asses
stated my facts and they said they will think about it, which i think the best reaction rather than skepticism and non-chalance... i'm not trying to convert them... i will not be a moralist who will convince them to change viewpoints just because... like i said, i would rather have informed individuals who can think, speak and argue for themselves rather than those passive people who accepts everything you say without giving a fight...
it makes my points stronger. my friends can be my worst enemy at times in terms of beliefs and philosophy. but nonetheless, we build our selves the capacity to think outside what we have been taught and been teaching ourselves. sometime we just agree to disagree but at least now they know...
4. some did not react at all, not concerned or probably no time to sign-up
disappointing at some point, but you cannot blame them for not caring, not having enough time, etc. but i just hope that probably, today is not the best time to convert the apathetic... or can you ever convert one? i wonder... but i still have hope... probably within the week, i can still generate some reactions...
Now I know why my friends are my friends. We simply have different views of the world. But still their existence makes me believe that campaigning (biglang seryoso eh) or what I do as a profession still makes sense. My genuine belief that campaigning will create informed individuals acting for change is still possible. It may be a difficult and tedious track to pursue but molding minds and influencing potential decision-makers reaps benefit unimaginable.
I have lots to do, not only for this petition to be an effective tool to communicate our campaign, but a lot to do to in terms of changing "attitudes and behaviours to protect and conserve the environment and promote peace".
www.greenpeace.org.ph/bnpp
1. a lot of them support the cause --no to a nuclear program in the philippines-- they excitedly went to our website and sign-up to the petition... whatever their reasons are/were...
some reactions....
"Talaga? Haha, crazy ppl" -- she was pertaining to the congress representatives who are trying to push the bill into law
"Sign up for this guys! I don't want rains during summer na. Help fight climate change!" --she then posted a link to our website
"pro ako eh... too bad (with a grin)" --told her she can just read the link and not sign up, just have an informed choice, at least have that
A friend recently posted her profile as "Can I just die right now?" and i told her "not yet..." and posted the link for our petition... generated reactions from her friends who signed-up afterwards
Their reasons can be outward hilarious... some specifically targets the stupidity of the house bill or the congress representative behind it... others totally believe the cause... a few are avid greenpeace supporters... others working in development organizations, already know how to stupid it is to begin with...
These people, in short, are "the converted". No need to convince because either anything that the congress/politicians will say reaks corruption and ignorance or that they strongly believe that nuclear energy will not solve climate change and the potential energy crisis...
2. some played as devil's advocate... asking me straightforward questions that I may or may not have a straightforward answers to shield my request...
typically arguments would be: baseload capacity of nuclear energy compared to RE, costs of not using BNPP, is the alternatives available competitive in terms of costs, other arguments other than BNPP as mothballed, defective,etc... some even said that nuclear is environment friendly, when asked why and how, he said "google it!"... i find this hilarious because our dear congress representative uses the same resource tool, google-wikipedia... hah!
these are friends who love to argue for the sake of arguments. One in particular just wanted to say something because I wasn't able to answer his calls over the weekend. :p some are law students, prying and arguing like what crazy lawyers do... others want to make sure that I know what the hell i'm talking about... testing my capacity to answer or if I will give them a fool-proof, no bullshit facts and realities...
3. some asked me to convince them since they think nuclear energy will save our asses
stated my facts and they said they will think about it, which i think the best reaction rather than skepticism and non-chalance... i'm not trying to convert them... i will not be a moralist who will convince them to change viewpoints just because... like i said, i would rather have informed individuals who can think, speak and argue for themselves rather than those passive people who accepts everything you say without giving a fight...
it makes my points stronger. my friends can be my worst enemy at times in terms of beliefs and philosophy. but nonetheless, we build our selves the capacity to think outside what we have been taught and been teaching ourselves. sometime we just agree to disagree but at least now they know...
4. some did not react at all, not concerned or probably no time to sign-up
disappointing at some point, but you cannot blame them for not caring, not having enough time, etc. but i just hope that probably, today is not the best time to convert the apathetic... or can you ever convert one? i wonder... but i still have hope... probably within the week, i can still generate some reactions...
Now I know why my friends are my friends. We simply have different views of the world. But still their existence makes me believe that campaigning (biglang seryoso eh) or what I do as a profession still makes sense. My genuine belief that campaigning will create informed individuals acting for change is still possible. It may be a difficult and tedious track to pursue but molding minds and influencing potential decision-makers reaps benefit unimaginable.
I have lots to do, not only for this petition to be an effective tool to communicate our campaign, but a lot to do to in terms of changing "attitudes and behaviours to protect and conserve the environment and promote peace".
www.greenpeace.org.ph/bnpp