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[ESSAY] The Missing Colors in the Rainbow of Change

 The Missing Colors in the Rainbow of Change
By Rohaina Dansal


Photo by Zeyn Afuang on Unsplash

Desiring change for society is trivial and less meaningful if some will be left behind in the process of achieving it. It’s like a flock of birds migrating to another destination but as soon as they arrived, some were left behind without even noticing. Promoting inclusive governance and civic engagement in Mindanao is crucial because it will give hope to the vulnerable stakeholders of the community, specifically, the youth and indigenous people in Mindanao.

Inclusive governance takes place when governance successfully serves and engages all people in society. It’s like that flock of migrating birds. The birds portray the members of society and they want to migrate to a new destination called change. But as soon as they arrived, they failed to realize that some were left behind, and those are the marginalized and vulnerable stakeholders of our community. Some of those who were left behind may be against the change that others wanted. They feel unimportant in the group leaving their voices unheard. That is the importance of having dialogue and consultation in governing people.

Photo by Zeke Tucker on Unsplash

Inclusive governance doesn’t go far with the thought of civic engagement. Civic engagement is the active participation of people in improving the state of their communities. This is one way of valuing the essence of democracy. Both inclusive governance and civic engagement include empowering the stakeholders of the community and improving the quality of life. Mindanao is diverse and unique as it is composed of diverse people and rich cultures. The youth and indigenous people in Mindanao are the common stakeholders that I believe need to be bolstered and involved in inclusive governance and civic engagement.

The Indigenous people are vulnerable and historically less given attention. Their voices should be heard, especially in decision-making and community enhancement. Indigenous youths should also be exposed to opportunities and access to education to give them the chance to be part of the productive sector of society. Indigenous people may face threats in terms of issues like cultural preservation, land protection, livelihood opportunities, discrimination, and access to civil rights. They are also citizens of our country and thus, entitled to enjoy their rights and freedom. But have they enjoyed their rights and freedom as citizens of the country? They should be provided with knowledge through dialogue and civic engagements on different issues and laws. Through continuous dialogue and empowerment, it is only then that we may realize the lacking puzzles in our country. When we make them feel important, they will think that their voices are finally being heard by the majority.

On the other hand, the youth are also vulnerable stakeholders which are always deemed as the future hope of our country. To prepare them for that, they should be empowered and given a variety of opportunities that will provide them with experiences. Youths can have so much to offer if we invest in them. They also have unheard voices and initiatives that may contribute to the major issues in our community. Some youths are suffering in poverty, some are involved in crimes, and some are deprived of their rights. Empowering and including them in community dialogues will give them an awareness of the current status quo of their communities. The existence of many organizations that are managed by youths is an example product of youth empowerment. They are proof that there is progress present in local communities. They have different platforms and objectives that are beneficial to changing the lives of their communities. And this makes them the potential leaders and innovators of the future.


Photo by Beth Macdonald on Unsplash

Those we failed to include in governance and civic engagements are like the missing colors of the rainbow. A rainbow is beautiful with its seven colors, but we may not notice when one or more of its colors are missing. The missing colors are the vulnerable members of the community, including the youth and indigenous people of Mindanao which we failed to consider and include in our plans.

There is inclusive governance if there is good governance along with maximizing civic engagements in communities. When all the stakeholders of the society are included in governance and civic engagements, we are providing them with a great gift. And this gift is the gift of hope. They will have hopes for themselves and their community to prosper and be catalysts of change towards being better citizens. It is then that desiring change for society would become more meaningful because no one is compromised or left behind in achieving it.


-End-

 

P.S. This is my entry during the Mindawide Convention by MFJPIA. I consider this a flawed and beginner-level essay. The sky is the limit in learning.😅

 

 


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