Describe yourself briefly. Please include strengths, weaknesses, joys, frustrations, and future plan
This is the most frustrating task anyone can ask me. Describe yourself. What does "yourself" really means? And to describe it! Whew!
Anyway, I tried answering it. It's crucial that I do. So here is my answer:
I am twenty-four years old feminist environmental activist. I have several “bad” habits such as drinking (socially, I am not an alcoholic) and smoking. I am currently working for an environmental campaigning organization. I just finished reading Rant by Chuck Palahnuik, and I have a Murakami collection. These almost sum up my present condition.
As I write this essay, I am due to a speaking engagement in St. Scholastica to speak about the dangers of runaway climate change and how energy efficiency is one of the solutions that each individual can pursue to contribute to the plight. Public engagement is a platform to put in the table the campaign for public scrutiny and/or appreciation. I have little experience with this form of engagement as I am more use into having informal and personal approach in campaigning. And as part of the public campaign department of the organization, I became exposed to a more critical audience.
I find it difficult to convince everyone that my cause should be their cause. And that the urgency in finding solutions, should be their top priority. In an environment where consumerism becomes the avenue for social responsibility (buy such and such products and 1 peso goes to some charity), public engagements should be the platform to ignite activism. But it is not as easy.
Frustrated? Sometimes. Just imagine talking to hundreds of young people whose main concept of climate change is close to zilch; where your venue for a speaking engagement is an auditorium where the air-conditioner has been turned on for the whole day while your talk is only an hour short; organizers, just to make you feel special custom-made a PVC tarpaulin with your name on it for advertisement; then after they will serve you with food placed inside a Styrofoam container. Talk about frustration.
I cannot blame most of them as everything mentioned above make their life easier. Technology makes it easier, no matter what the cost might be. This frustration is actually an opportunity to communicate how technology should be toxics-free, speaking engagements does not have to be grandeur to be effective, and eating should be less GHG-intensive. Answering all these frustrations with an alternative solution while educating them of the effects of global warming and how Philippines is the most vulnerable and least prepared with climate-related disasters, is indeed, the most fulfilling job anyone can have.
But the job does not end there. Talking is one thing but imprinting the advocacy to blossom into actions is another. Activism is walking the talk. This is the crucial part of public engagements, making your constituents and audience to act either through change of lifestyles, blogging, signing up to petitions and participating in direct actions. Your public is your critical mass, change their attitude and behavior, and you are close to winning the battle. The next challenge is to demand and push policy makers (either in the national level and/or international field) into making the right policies to exact the change we need.
So what’s the point of all my blabbering? With the challenge posed, “describe yourself”; I simply shared my current realities. I am a feminist environmental advocate who do public speaking as a living, trying to influence young minds regarding issues confronting their present. My application for MA Environmental Management is paving the way, hopefully, to a more intensive dissection on environmental issues to increase knowledge and credibility on the subject. And in return be able to proactively contribute to the solutions. (deleted for your own safety, laugh at your own risk)
Not exactly Pulitzer perfect. And not a Nobel Peace prize quality. Most would say bullshit. But I can't answer the question directly. I tried. I swear. :p
Anyway, I tried answering it. It's crucial that I do. So here is my answer:
I am twenty-four years old feminist environmental activist. I have several “bad” habits such as drinking (socially, I am not an alcoholic) and smoking. I am currently working for an environmental campaigning organization. I just finished reading Rant by Chuck Palahnuik, and I have a Murakami collection. These almost sum up my present condition.
As I write this essay, I am due to a speaking engagement in St. Scholastica to speak about the dangers of runaway climate change and how energy efficiency is one of the solutions that each individual can pursue to contribute to the plight. Public engagement is a platform to put in the table the campaign for public scrutiny and/or appreciation. I have little experience with this form of engagement as I am more use into having informal and personal approach in campaigning. And as part of the public campaign department of the organization, I became exposed to a more critical audience.
I find it difficult to convince everyone that my cause should be their cause. And that the urgency in finding solutions, should be their top priority. In an environment where consumerism becomes the avenue for social responsibility (buy such and such products and 1 peso goes to some charity), public engagements should be the platform to ignite activism. But it is not as easy.
Frustrated? Sometimes. Just imagine talking to hundreds of young people whose main concept of climate change is close to zilch; where your venue for a speaking engagement is an auditorium where the air-conditioner has been turned on for the whole day while your talk is only an hour short; organizers, just to make you feel special custom-made a PVC tarpaulin with your name on it for advertisement; then after they will serve you with food placed inside a Styrofoam container. Talk about frustration.
I cannot blame most of them as everything mentioned above make their life easier. Technology makes it easier, no matter what the cost might be. This frustration is actually an opportunity to communicate how technology should be toxics-free, speaking engagements does not have to be grandeur to be effective, and eating should be less GHG-intensive. Answering all these frustrations with an alternative solution while educating them of the effects of global warming and how Philippines is the most vulnerable and least prepared with climate-related disasters, is indeed, the most fulfilling job anyone can have.
But the job does not end there. Talking is one thing but imprinting the advocacy to blossom into actions is another. Activism is walking the talk. This is the crucial part of public engagements, making your constituents and audience to act either through change of lifestyles, blogging, signing up to petitions and participating in direct actions. Your public is your critical mass, change their attitude and behavior, and you are close to winning the battle. The next challenge is to demand and push policy makers (either in the national level and/or international field) into making the right policies to exact the change we need.
So what’s the point of all my blabbering? With the challenge posed, “describe yourself”; I simply shared my current realities. I am a feminist environmental advocate who do public speaking as a living, trying to influence young minds regarding issues confronting their present. My application for MA Environmental Management is paving the way, hopefully, to a more intensive dissection on environmental issues to increase knowledge and credibility on the subject. And in return be able to proactively contribute to the solutions. (deleted for your own safety, laugh at your own risk)
Not exactly Pulitzer perfect. And not a Nobel Peace prize quality. Most would say bullshit. But I can't answer the question directly. I tried. I swear. :p