|
A Piece on Peace
Vol. 1, No. 5 * November 18, 2008  By JCI Mem. ANGELO DANIEL R. PARCON
2007 President "From within the walls of the soul of this organization wherein the foundation of character and good citizenship are laid, I hope a message will come in the sometime of tomorrow that will stir the people toward the establishment of a permanent and everlasting world peace." And with this, Henry Giessenbier laid down the Vision that JCI would carry throughout the years. To establish a permanent and everlasting world peace. It may seem far-fetched in these modern times. It is even being branded as the butt of jokes as a standard Ms. Universe answer. But as JCI members and leaders, it is something we all should take into heart and practice rather than simply memorizing the lines.
Are we all living up to our vision? Two World Wars have passed and the doomsayers of our time are already predicting that with the onset of the worldwide financial crisis, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the games of oneupmanship that our world leaders play; a Third World War is right around the corner. Perish the thought. We all need to practice our vision and live our mission as JCI members to contribute in our own unique ways to prevent the such. But again, I ask, are we living up to what we have sworn to do every time we recite our Creed? Not all of us are perfect and there are moments that we become ourselves living antitheses to our vision of world peace. We may not admit it, but a lot of us consider our relationships with other local organizations within this movement as a competition of sorts for the Temyong Awards that are handed out during our Annual National Conventions. A little friendly competition is acceptable, but playing way above the rules is another thing. It is also in this lifetime where I have seen a lot of people resort to underhanded tactics to discredit “rivals” whom they consider a threat to their persons to the point of eliminating the integrity of those who have no idea what goes on behind their backs. Wake up people, we are supposed to be Ambassadors of Peace. Every time I see and witness these incidents happen, I have a good bet that Mr. Giessenbier cringes and turns in his grave.
Consider the BIG PICTURE of your actions We may not be aware that these actions eventually result into bigger problems that not only affect those who have been disparaged but these would even grow to affect a larger portion of the population itself. Think of this scenario: A and B belong to one organization. Both are passionate and capable individuals themselves. Eventually A & B come into a situation where both of them are aiming for the same goal but have varying methods. In a devious plan to discredit A, B spreads malicious talk about A; A hears about it from another source but decides against making a counter-offensive against the said verbal abuse being done behind him; choosing to do everything in a legal manner. Warring factions are soon created because of differing views and opinions. In the end, what is supposed to be one body is soon split down the middle, all because B decided to resort to underhanded tactics. Call it gossip, babble, back-fence talk, blather, etc. These may be small talks for individuals and some would even say them in jest behind those who are the subject of the discussions. Small talks that would eventually balloon into something that is more than surely, soon unmanageable. Even by those who started it all. I heard this somewhere and I try to practice this as hard as I can: If you don't have something good to say about a person, it is better to say nothing at all. Be diplomatic at all times. Be an Ambassador of Peace. Unless this person asks for a personal critique against them, spreading “tall tales” about them would amount to nothing. There are also those who hide behind the veil of “I am a truthful and honest person, what I see and feel about something or somebody, I say it”. Kung binisay-on pa, dili ko plastic. I agree to such a notion that there are people who are like that. What I am against is the fact that these so-called truthful and honest persons; when it comes to very unsavory details, decide to say what they have to say about an individual when the subject of discussion isn't there! That's not being truthful or honest at all, that's being a gossip-monger! Are you merely pretending? As members of JCI and as an organization that strives to bring forth better leaders to create a better society, we must also strive to be cordial in everything that we do. We must learn the “art” of diplomacy and create stronger ties and relationships rather than spread discord and deceit that would only unravel our unity. If this is one thing that we can't do, if we can't keep our mouths shut against making people the butts of our jokes or talking behind their backs, we don't have a right to call ourselves as members of JCI or even as responsible members of society. Apparently, those who tend to do these things have a high level of insecurity and barely trusts anyone, let alone be mature enough to accept responsibility for such actions. I admit, I am not innocent against such practices. In fact, it isn't a secret that I used to rant and wrote vicious blogs on some occasions against those who i have butted heads with. That's how I used to let out some steam. Not all of us are perfect. I am still trying to learn how to learn the practice of perfect diplomacy. Over time, one can learn to let go and forgive those who have done them wrong. And this is the best way how we can contribute to being Ambassadors of Peace. Be true catalysts of POSITIVE CHANGE As we continue to practice becoming better leaders, we must learn not to let our positions get to our heads. That's the problem with some of our leaders today; when they get to a certain level in the hierarchy, they already deem it as a license to 'diss their enemies and those who did them wrong. In fact, what they should be doing is the exact opposite. Create bridges and rebuild those that have been destroyed in their relationships with other people. Theirs is the perfect avenue to make trust and unity prosper which is a prerequisite to achieving peace and harmony. This isn't a perfect world. One way or another, down the line we have found ourselves to be hypocrites to our JCI Vision. Let us all learn to practice our vision in our own ways, even if its just in a small manner. Remember, everything starts small. It is but human nature to consider harboring grudges as easy as a pie. But it takes a divine effort to reach out and be the first to initiate peace. Disclaimer: I do not claim to have found the formula for GENUINE and EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP nor do I claim to be a genuine and effective leader though I sincerely seek to be one. This column is my quest towards being a genuine and effective leader and my insights from my JCI experiences that would hopefully lead me there. Let me hear your thoughts too by leaving a comment here.
|
just to inquire if there's also a pho...
Good day, do you have ready press rel...
Hello! Favor... Kindly delete pics n...
sounds good!
GForce, Live the 7 habits! Maayon...