Rekindled by the Basics

(November 9 - 21, 2003)
by Atty. Myrfi S. Gonzalez

Atty. Taikee Calleja

“ ---Known more its fractiousness than its coherence, more for its mutability than its doctrinal consistency, liberalism is best defined as a state of mind: an attitude toward the possibilities of politics and culture that is both defiantly hopeful and deeply skeptical.” -- Dorothy Wickenden

Resolutely waiting for the Academy staff at the Cologne airport after flying for almost 13 hours from Manila-London-Cologne, a dab of panic crept onto me when a full hour have elapsed and still no sign of anyone picking me up. The worst part of which is the fact that in haste and the hustle of having to attend a speaking engagement some few hours before departure, I left all the contact information in my car thousands of miles away, back in Manila. Technology saved the day for me. International roaming, a few SMS messages to FNF-Manila and I had the necessary information to go to Gummersbach by cab. That is how I started my 2 week sojourn at the Theodor-Heuss Academy, an academy for the liberal-democratic thinkers. Perched atop the hill of the picturesque town of Gummersbach, Theodor-Heuss Academy is the oldest centre of the Friedrich-Naumann Foundation which is a venue of Liberal International Political Dialogue.

The seminar entitled “Liberalism-an Examination of the Basics”, contrary to my somewhat preconceived notion that it was going to be too fundamental and basic, thus uninteresting, turned out to be one of my most fruitful seminars ever attended. For that matter, I am convinced that even for the old Liberals, a good revisit of the fundamentals of liberalism will be good for them. Liberalism as an ideology I further realize was never really seriously propagated amongst the members of the Liberal Party here in the Philippines. It is fortunate that Kabataang Liberal ng Pilipinas (KALIPI), the youth-wing of the Liberal Party has one of its requirements to become a member, the attendance to a basic orientation seminar on Liberal Democracy (BOSLD) although I would interject as early as now that this is not enough. All throughout the years of existence of the party and very much practiced to date, was the focus on the personalities within the party leaving much on ‘ideology’ department much to be desired. This further led me to conclude that for an authentic Liberal Party to exist in this country, a continuing education and re-education of the party members should be institutionalized and vigorously pursued.

The Universality of Liberalism

One reason perhaps on the tepid treatment of Liberal party members on the ideologies and tenets of liberal-democracy may be cultural. With twenty-four participants coming from twenty-four different parts of the world (South-East Asians, Middle East, Eastern Europe and Latin America) in the seminar, we tackled this similar issue of cultural relativism and the adaptability of liberal-democracy in our respective cultures. Can liberal-democracy be applicable in all the parts of the world and to all the different cultures? Is there such a thing as Asian Democracy? Western Democracy?

To be candid about it, at one point in time, by reason perchance of this country’s proximity to and to have witnessed and ogled at the success of Singapore economically, I was led to believe that there is such a thing as Asian Democracy. For a brief period of time I happened to entertain the idea that a benevolent dictator is key to the Philippine’s woes. The wonders that Lee Kuan Yew has conjured towards Singapore’s success has made fans out of many. The more interesting fact is, a lot of Asians and Filipinos still do.

As a participant in the seminar, however, I came not needing to be convinced that Asian Democracy and cultural relativism is but a convenient excuse by the those who want to cling to power regardless. Singapore may have liberalized its economy but its politics is wanting of genuine democracy. It is inevitable that sooner or later, for Singapore to fully harness its strength as a nation, it has to unshackle the chains and give to the people real freedom where human rights & the freedom of speech exists. Because after all, man ‘does not live by bread alone’. There is no argument that economical prosperity, is an element of liberalism, but the fact is, that is not all.

True prosperity will only come to fruition when all the essential elements of freedom, not just economic is present. I am of the opinion that with the advancement of telecommunications and thus availability of knowledge to the masses, the people of the world will all be enlightened and hence embrace the truth of democracy, whatever race, color, creed or religion they may have.

A Lesson Learned

From the modest opinions of the participants whose country are not as democratic yet as my Philippines, I have learned so much. Not because they are original ideas nor new concepts I have encountered. No. I have encountered these many times already. To hear it from them who have the least as compared to the freedoms I have, made me cherish more the individual liberties and the state of democracy my country is enjoying.

The participants in the seminar, me included may have come from different cultures and may have the different states and/or stages of democracy in our own places but we are all in agreement that we MUST protect and pursue genuine democracy because it will not just come naturally and once attained, it will always be under attack. The horrors brought about by the Nazi death camps, the abuses and the seeming unconcern, apathy, stoicism of the people supporting Hitler, is a grim reminder that we must always be critical and vigilant. We must not be complacent.

I left the academy with a strong resolve. As liberals, here and there, the task to propagate liberalism and democracy may be a Herculean task yet we must be undaunted. This task most likely will not be attained in my lifetime but I must continue so that my children and my children’s children will get to live in a world where everyone is FREE.

To have been a part of the seminar, I express my sincerest appreciation to the Friedrich-Naumann Stiftung for the opportunity. A special thanks to the staff of the academy for the very professional handling of the course is very much I order (should I mention that the food and accommodation was also great). Lastly, but not least, many, many thanks to our interpreters, who were so good that our discussions, no matter how unruly sometimes it gets, becomes intelligible.

Of course, I am also much grateful and somehow indebted to the participants. We promised ourselves however that we will continue to talk each other, probably not in person anymore but through the wonders of the internet.

A lively inter-cultural (but liberal) discussion is already happening at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gummersbach_basics_nov_2003/