As if we didn’t have enough bad news at home—starting with the brazen way the fourth impeachment effort against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was swatted away—the news from our neighbors is even worse.
Horrifying indeed are reports of the deaths of more than a hundred people in a planned, well-coordinated late-evening attack on different locations in Mumbai, India.
Most cable TV news stations made much of eyewitness reports that the attackers, who were armed with heavy weapons and explosives, were seeking out foreigners, particularly Americans and British. Thus, their targets included two luxury hotels, a restaurant popular among the expatriate crowd, a train station, a Jewish learning center, and even a hospital.
Though commentators said the deliberate targeting of foreigners bore the hallmarks of al-Qaeda, so far Indian authorities have remained silent on the possible motives for the attacks. A group that came forward to claim responsibility for the carnage is little known and not identified with al- Qaeda.
What is obvious is that terrorism is still very much a threat to every government, every innocent civilian. World leaders roundly condemned the action, but offered little by way of explanation why terrorists were able to pull off such simultaneous attacks without attracting undue attention.
While sectarian conflict has punctuated India’s history, this seems to be the first time an international terrorist plot was hatched in India. Were the events in Mumbai linked to events in Pakistan, where American air attacks on suspected Taliban enclaves in the border have raised the hackles of officials? Are they just the harbinger of wider, bloodier action?
A frightening thought is whether the Mumbai disaster will spill over into our own shores, feeding on the hostilities and fear of our own Muslim population.
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Just as puzzling and alarming are events in Thailand, where anti-government protesters have taken over two airports, stranding thousands of tourists and travelers, and destroying the country’s reputation as a tourist haven.
Some months back, the protests seemed to raise echoes of our own People Power revolts, although it had appeared to lose steam as the days went by. But it seems the anti-government coalition gained new life when the police were sent to break up their camp in front of the government center. Now the stakes have been raised even higher, with the strategic move to bring the political turmoil to the airports, instantly winning international attention.
Only one person, the revered King Bhumibol, it seems, can bring an end to the crisis. I have my suspicions where his sympathies lie, but nothing about the protests has ever run true to expectations, so one can never tell!
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On a more positive note, Volvo launched on Thursday the “Voice of Leadership,” a program that seeks to identify future leaders of the nation through a leadership skills seminar and a public speaking competition. Chosen as spokesperson for the “Voice of Leadership” is Chris Tiu, certainly a role-model for Filipino youth, with his accomplishments in the sports arena, as captain of the Ateneo de Manila University’s champion basketball team, his solid credentials in the academe, and his promise as a budding entrepreneur and media personality.
The “Voice of Leadership” was organized by Viking Cars Inc. and Scandinavian Motors Corp. to mark the 15th year of Volvo in the Philippines. “Through the Voice of Leadership, we reaffirm our commitment to this ideal by cultivating leadership among the youth, especially among students who are poised to become the future leaders of our country,” said Viking Cars president Alberto Arcilla.
Both Arcilla and Selene Yu of Scandinavian Motors Corp. harked back to the “Voice of Democracy” which in past decades had served as the main venue for training and recognizing public speakers at the high school level, many of whom turned out to be leaders in their own fields.
The Volvo project thus follows much the same template as the “Voice of Democracy,” requiring high schools to select among their students contestants who meet the criteria for academic achievement, community involvement and personal integrity. Students who make it through the initial screening will take part in a “Voice of Leadership” Camp, where they will receive training in leadership, speech writing and delivery. After the camp, each participant is expected to write an eight-minute talk and deliver it during the national finals. Three winners will be selected, with the champion receiving P50,000 and an equivalent amount going to his or her school.
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Some questions were raised on why only 11 high schools in the country were selected to participate, with only one public, non-sectarian school, the University of the Philippines Integrated School, invited.
To this, Arcilla said the first competition, which takes place just before graduation season next year, is a “pilot” stage and they plan to involve more schools, especially those in other regions, in the future.
Providing inspiration to students not just in the 11 schools but in other institutions hoping to take part is Tiu, who burnishes his reputation as a well-rounded young person with a dose of humility. While being effusively introduced, he shook his head and gestured to the emcee to please get it over with. He agreed to be the “Voice of Leadership” spokesperson, he said, because he could sense that “young people today are hungry for leaders, of the type that Barack Obama exemplifies” and that sadly, no such leader is emergent in this country.
Well, perhaps Chris Tiu could serve as a vanguard in the search for just such a type of leader, and we wouldn’t be surprised if we hear more about this young man in the future.
