Listening to the Voice of Humanity

Straight from the Heart

Feature- world crisis

Listening to the Voice of Humanity

Steven Kull

Part-5

Some have argued that long as there is a level  playing and all people have the option to join or form an interest group, when-

Asked by WorldPublicOpinion.org whether their nation is run “ for the benefit of all people’ or “by few big interests looking out for themselves” in nearly every nation polled majorities…said it was the latter.

Interest groups compete the net outcome is something that approximates the will of the people. Some have argued that this market of competing interests has an innate intelligence that is most likely to produce outcomes serving the common good.

But most people around the world do not think that is what is occurring in their country. Asked by WorldPublicOpinion.org whether their nation is run “for the benefit of all people’ or “by a few big interests looking out for themselves” in nearly every nation polled majorities- on average 63% - said it was latter.

Publics also tend to be less polarized than elected officials. Plotting the position of elected officials on a left-right spectrum, one tends to find a bimodal or u-shaped curve with clusters on the left and right and few in the middle. Thus, it is often difficult to find common ground.

However, the public lends to follow more a normal curve with a bulge in the middle and few at the extremes. Among the public, most do not strongly position themselves on one or the other end of the spectrum, but rather to try to find ways to balance, and hopefully integrate, the values at the ends of the spectrum.

Increasing the influence of the Whole

So what do people think should happen? All around the world people seem to think that the will of the people- i.e., the voice of the society as a whole- should play a larger role in government decision-making.

In a poll of 19 nations from around the world, majorities in every nation agreed with the principle enunciated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that “the will of the people should be the basis for the authority og government.” On average, 85% agreed.

This does not mean that they think that other more specific elements in society should not also play a role. Asked how much influence the will of the people should have on their government on a 0-10 scale the mean response across 21 nations was 8.0- not the highest possible number, through still quite high.

To be continued…

For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com

Listening to the Voice of Humanity

Straight from the Heart

Feature – world crisis

Listening to the Voice of Humanity

Steven Kull

Part-4

WorldPublicOpinion.org conducted a poll of eight developed countries in which respondents were presented the annual per capita contribution that would be necessary for meeting this goal, based on the World Bank estimates. In every case, and in most cases by a large margin, majorities of respondents- on average three out of four- said they were willing to any the amount necessary to meet the goal, provided that people in other countries did so as well.

Publics as more receptive to Evolutionary change

All this is not to say, as some have proclaimed, “vox populi, vox Dei” (the will of the people is the voice of God). However, it does appear that in many cases publics tend to be at least one step ahead of their government when it comes to addressing important issues. It does appear that the citizenry as a whole is more receptive to emergent ideas promting key changes.

Institutions…tend to pursue a narrowly defined concept of institutional self-interest. Individuals… are more likely to think in terms of the common good.

This dynamic is especially true when it comes to dealing with problems of a global nature that require international cooperation. Nation states as institutions have proven reluctant to cooperate in ways that compromise their sovereignty or their freedom to pursue their maximal national interest. Cnflicts are often viewed in terms of narratives of winners and losers in a zero-sum game.

But it appears that individuals as a whole are more ready to cooperate in a global framework and are not as constrained by competitive national narratives. While for most people national identity is strong, most also think of themselves as global citizen. A World values survey found that majorities in 43 of the 46 countries polled said thay saw themselves as global citizens- on average 72%.

This differences between individuals and institutions is evident within the nation state as well. Institutions- corporations, interest groups, and political parties- tend to pursue a narrowly defined concept of institutional self-interest. Individuals have a more complex and holistic to think terms of the common good.

Though individuals have the capacity for a holistic and inclusive perspective this does not mean that all or even most of them do. But taken as an aggregate, the collective often does show these features. Why is that? When all the voices of society are considered on an issue, the self-interested voices, because they differ, tend to cancel each other out, creating a kind of background noise. Those who look at issues with at issues with a more a neutral and inclusive consciousness than become the swing vote that creates a dominant perspective.

To be continued….

For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com

Listening to the Voice of Humanity

Feature – world crisis

Listening to the Voice of Humanity

Steven Kull

Part-3

In a 2009 WorldPublicOpinion.org, in fifteen out of nineteen nations majorities indicated that their government should give higher priority to climate change than it does now. In no nation did more than one in three want their nation to give it a lower priority. On average, 60% of respondents across all nations polled wanted their government to give climate changes a higher priority.

One of the biggest obstacles to the resolution of many international issues in the resistance of nation states to subordinate themselves to international law and to give international institutions the necessary power to resolve international problems. Some leaders have even explained that this resistance arises from nationalistic feelings in their populace.

However, international polls again show quite a different picture. Most people around the world support an international order based on international law. Majorities in most countries believe that international laws create normative obligations like domestic law and reject the view that nation should not feel obliged to abide by international law when doing so it at odds with their national interest.

Most significant, publics show a far greater readiness than their national governments to enter into cooperative international efforts to address global issues, majorities in most countries favor having a much stronger United Nations and favor giving it new powers, such as the power to regulate the international arms trade or to have a standing UN peacekeeping force.

Large majorities in publics around the world, including countries with nuclear arms, favor an international agreement for the elimination of all nuclear weapons that includes intrusive international inspections. Publics worldwide would favor an international regime under the United Nations that would stop new countries from beginning production of nuclear fuel and instead would supply them with the fuel they need for energy production.

Robust majorities approve of the United Nations intervening in the internal affairs of states to investigate human rights abuses. Very large majorities in nearly every nation say that the United Nations should try to further women’s rights even when presented the argument that this would conflict with national sovereignty. Perhaps most dramatic, equally large majorities say that the UN has a responsibility to protect people, by force if necessary, from serve human rights abuses by their own government.

Another key area is in regard to poverty and economic development. The UN member states have established a series of key goals for economic and social development called the Millennium Development Goals. A key goal to cut hunger and severe poverty in half by the year 2015. While there has been some progress on this front, developed countries have not made the increases in aid that the World Bank has deemed necessary to meet this goal.

To be continued….

For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com

Hacienda Luisita case falls on Corona’s lap - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Hacienda Luisita case falls on Corona’s lap - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Listening to the Voice of Humanity

Feature – world crisis

Listening to the Voice of Humanity

Steven Kull

Part-2

Giving Voice to World Public Opinion

While in recent years there has been increasing talk about global society, it is not an entirely new idea. For quite some time people have spoken about world public opinion as a kind of moral force. Even though there was no clear way to define it, there was still a shared sense that it existed and, on some issues, an idea of what it said. However, it was still quite amorphous.

In just the last decade, though, this has changed. For the first time, there have been a substantial number of surveys that have been conducted in parallel in numerous countries –enough to constitute the majority of humanity. These include the surveys conducted by the WorldPublicOpinion project, World Values Survey consortium, the Pew Global Attitudes Project, and the BBC World Services polls conducted by GlobeScan and the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland.

…the question of what is emergent in society has increasingly become the question of what is emergent in the world as a whole.

Recently, WorldPublicOpinions.org in partnership with the program on Global Governance at the Council on Foreign Relations developed a comprehensive digest that drew together all of these international polls.  What we found was quite striking. It revealed a remarkable level of consensus on a wide range of issues facing the planet. [See www.cfr.org/thinktank/iigg/pop for more details including questions and country-by-country findings.]

A key example is the issue of climate change. One might think of climate change as a problem that publics would have trouble relating to. People can barely see it effects and they continue to hear debate within the scientific community. Nonetheless, clear majorities in most nations say that it is necessary to take significant action to address that will require real costs – even when it is put in very specific terms – and to make change in their lifestyles.

Given the some of these changes will be uncomfortable, you might expect that the dynamic would be one where the government would be pulling on its citizenry to make the necessary changes, like a parent tugging on a reluctant child. However, the opposite appears to be the case.

To be continued….

For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com

Listening to the Voice of Humanity

Straight from the Heart

Feature- world crisis

Listening to the Voice of Humanity

Steven Kull

When we look at world conditions and project current trends into the future we see much that is disturbing-environmental degradation, the proliferation of nuclear weapons, persisting poverty and injustices, violent conflict, the fiscal collapse of democratic governments. The institutions that have the greatest power-nation states, corporations, and organized interest groups –seem locked in patterns of self-interest behavior such that the necessary changes are hard to imagine.

Yet when we look to the past we see that three have been remarkable evolutionary changes – the emergence of democracy, the abolition of slavery, universally recognized principles of the rights of women and minorities, concern for the environment, international laws against aggressive wars and significant efforts by those in wealthy nations to address global poverty. During the run-up to these changes they too surely seemed unimaginable.

So what is it that brings about such shifts? At every point there are self-interested forces that cling to a status quo, which few like, but still seems impossible to change. And yet somehow, at key points, a new consciousness emerges in society that is less rigid and polarized and more inclusive and flexible, which gradually prompts changes in the way society is structured.

In formulating retrospective narratives of how such changes occurred, it is common to portray the process as driven by heroic and visionary leaders. No doubt they play a critical role. But the people where they do not really want to go. Leaders can only articulate what is already trying to emerge in society and in that way facilitate its realization.

To be continued….

Straight from the Heart

Abs Damahan

Rieth Lightning Rescue

Rieth back to freedom after, he suffered a long ordeal of captivity. He described how the combine PNP and Philippine Navy rescue him. Rieth said, “It was a lightning rescue operation the reason why he can’t describe how troops snatched him from 3 captors, but could explicitly described degrees sloppy terrain when captors transferred him from one Camp to another”.

Mr. Rieth was snatched on April 4 somewhere in Talon-Talon Barangay and rescued allegedly by the team of Philippine National Police and Philippine Navy. The question- How he was rescued and released from the captors? This question still on hang remains unanswered by the Local Officials and the authorities.

Rieth said, it was very quick rescued and he did not recall how it happened when asked by the local media. He cannot directly explain to the press and public. This rescue issue still unconvincing us and other fellow local media practitioners of Western Mindanao based who covered the daily news bit.

City’s Crisis Management Committee (CMC) Chaired by Mayor Celso L. Lobregat still in silence mode up to the press time.  As residence of Zamboanga City the so-called “Latin City of Asia” we are alarmed and in doubt for not fully disclosures and detailed how Mr. Rieth was rescued? Kaya yung rescue issue parang di kapanipaniwala kadudaduda Mayor.

The safety of family is a paramount value of decency in a pluralistic society of diverse cultures. The degree of noble person is how to tell the truth to its people when the demand is required for full details of serious kidnapping issue of Mr. Rieth. It needs transparent accounts to convince public opinion.

In the case Mr. Rieth victim of kidnapping and other victims of the same fate still unresolved criminal activities in the Area of Western Mindanao and the ARMM-Provinces. Big fish if they are involved have not been touched and prosecuted by the authorities only the small fish who are either been killed and languishing in jails by the government authority.

For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com

We Want World Peace (Created by Trevor Dougherty)

Noynoy: Let's reclaim our nation's greatness | The Philippine Star News Headlines

Noynoy: Let's reclaim our nation's greatness | The Philippine Star News Headlines

Say ni Chiz Book Launch-Dec 3 '09.mp4

Straight from the Heart

Abs Damahan

Decent Office for Vice-President

It’s only now I knew the Office of Vice-President has no permanent office in the set-up of our government organization. How the Vice-President can function well without providing permanent office Seal and address?

President-elect Benigno ‘Noynoy’ S. Aquino-III must look into his VP functional office. Vice-President-elect Jejomar ‘Jojo’ Binay long experienced as Local Executive, he can be a partner for the best interest of the country. Proven in his long stint as Mayor of Makati since 1986, the premier city of the Philippines and financial district of the republic, as an active performer and implementor of public service to the people of Makati, It might also transform for all of us. He should not become a flower base VP under the Aquino administration explore the capability of public management what he has and shares to all Local Government Units (LGU’s) all over the Philippines. He knew the in and out of Local Government Units (LGUs) operations no doubt for him.

Campaign Ads “Kung walang Korap and walang mahirap” and “Kay Binay Gaganda and buhay” I think, this is a perfect combination of NoyBi politics for change and translate into a new kinds of politics for performance. If the change is coming from NoyBi brand of politics the policy of good of governance and transparency, the down line bureaucracy from the Cabinet Secretaries, Local agencies and the Local Officials I have no doubt, this will become an efficiency and an effective public officer. Make it sure; they should avoid a shadow deals like: NBN-ZTE transaction and Fertilizer scams of Mr. Joc-joc Bolante it should have opened and transparent biddings and clean contract of agreements enter into by the republic and by both local and foreign partners who are interested to do business contracts with our government.

The prospect of NoyBi tandem is good for the nation, but, lets watch how they lead us for the next six years begin from July 1, 2010 until June 30,2016, I am positive expecting for the best of its kind of leadership not for the worst brand of politics. As citizen of republic we support NoyBI leadership all the way, if their programs are for general welfare of the people’s interest and publicly oppose and condemn, if their works is good for their personal interest and personal gains.

I do hope their leaderships for the interest of all, as the President-elect outlines his programs of government for the next six years in office during his press conference yesterday. And wishing them they can achieve what they promised to Pinoy electorates during campaign sorties.

For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com

Straight from the Heart

Abs Damahan

Is Pontiff Comments a hint of an idea for religious tolerance?

Nicosia, Cyprus comments by the Pope Benedict XVI a hint of religious tolerance for the up-coming crisis summit of Middle East Bishops in Rome scheduled in October focus of “Current Extremism” and the rise of “political Islam” as a threat to Christians.

The Pontiff comments further to the international community, he concerned of ignoring the plight of Christians in Middle East and that Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the war in Iraq and political instability in Lebanon have forced  thousands to flee the  region.

For balancing the comments in global perspective a kind of clash of civilizations between west and the Muslims community, started from the translation of the Qur-an by the Indian born writer Salman Rushdie British national entitled his Novel published Book-The SATANIC VERSES almost all of Muslims faith in silence protest, but Imam Khomeini Islamic of Iran publicly condemned the Author and issued rule order (Fatwa) is direct blasphemy against Islam and at the same time (Iman) even offered reward bounty to kill and get Mr. Rushdie dead or alive.

Recently European Parliaments Belgium and France proposed a State Law to ban Muslim Women attire “Burqa” used in public, not minding by the European community this suit which are obligatory requirements for Muslim Women to cover the whole-body from head to foot not practical but religious obligation is sacred in the Islamic cultures.  The other contentious issue which, demand attention from religious leaders of interfaith group, the ban of construction of Minaret (Mosque) in Switzerland it’s violate religious freedom that create the animosity of discontentment from Muslim side. Another caused for uproar by the Muslim community all over the World is controversial Cartoon’s printout released in print Newspaper in Denmark- portray the offensive image of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that hurt Muslim tolerance. The rest a minor issue like branding of many names to Muslims that really downgrading the followers of Islam the real and true Muslims- Is this religious tolerance?

Islamic phobia and political Islam I think is ramification of mistrust from the west a creation from purely imaginative concern that destructs a truly meaningful cooperation of the west and Muslim World. This is not valid issue is perhaps a pigment of imagination of the west could create barriers and divisive dictum of our civilization. There are no solid evidences and facts of these accusations a pure hearsay creation by the western thinkers.

The west is more aggressive to dominate the poor and the weakest Muslim Community with the unperturbed of the advance of technology in their possessions.

With the powerful medium from both broadcast, in print and e-media unmatched the weakest one.  But, because of strong spirit and strong faith of Muslim Community, they are one society of solid foundation bonding together against all odds. The west might miscalculate the strength and the unity of the Muslims faith as we shown in many instances when controversies’ comes across if the traditions and practices is touch by the anti-Islam propagandist by either deliberate or un-deliberate intent.

Still the power of the Pulpit can change “the intolerance to tolerance community” that brings back awareness to society of the different faiths whether Muslims, Christians and other religious sect practices in the World. By the power of message of religious leaders of the World the Islamic scholars (Imam), the Pope, the Rabbis and other religious sects remains the true guardians of their flocks for a true meaning of religious tolerance from among great civilization of the World. Delve for deep understanding of religious obligation of the Mosques, the Churches, Temples and other place of worship, religious rituals and practices that need of peaceful co-existence in the community of nations all over the World. Who will start cudgel of renewal towards religious responsibility for tolerance from among world civilizations.

For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com

Straight from the Heart

Abs Damahan

 Is the Community has it rights for peaceful co-existence?

Continuing interfaith dialogue of Priest-Ulama-Pastor Forum in Zamboanga City is a laudable prospect for the mutual respect of religious tolerance among the followers of faith of every religion: Islam, Christianity and other sects. Mixed society of different faiths can come-up together for the common visions to achieve strength and unity of purpose in a democratic society. A republican nation like ours with different traits and cultures delve for an open minded for public debate can stirs public opinion has it role to the society itself. I categorically say it; we are diverse society in the Southeast Asia with different belief in practice.

Should the Church and Mosque have direct participation for our nation’s building? My answer is “Yes”, but it should limit the role of our religion focus of what Gods commands to its own flocks and what our Constitution prescribed in its written articles: The separation of the State and the Church. I suggest, the Church and the Mosque should not have direct mingled with the leaders of the state meaning our political leaders. It allows sharing his /her public opinion purely on check and balancing role to society.

 Undeniably, the influence of the Church and the Mosque will change moral values, strengthen family values, religious tolerance, and degeneration of educating every family in the community towards understanding each other what is Pinoy society role and contributions to the state. As a whole live together in One Republic. Instead of polarizing, it’s better as one community of the Republic. We might be different in our religious affiliation, but as Filipino we are cannot be separated the identity as Pinoy who cares, loves, helps, supports and trusted one another.

Religious responsible leader’s member of the interfaith group whether local and international affiliation has it critical obligation to the followers of faith in the introspect for the Global Peaceful Alliances that have started in many nations around the world. In my view, “There is no different of Muslims in the Makkah and the Muslims in the Philippines. And there is also no different Catholics of Vatican and the Catholics in the Philippines. They are of the same flock and the same belief.”  To follow what are verses written in the Qur-an and scriptures written in the Holy Bible with the same meaning and interpretations delivered in Pulpit.

I just want to react the recent attached by the Elite Navy Commandos of the Israeli Arm Forces to the Organized group of the Pro-Palestinians activists massacred inside aid flotilla Ship at the international waters bound for Gaza Strip for a relief mission to Gazan’s civilians are trapped and in an extremes difficulties of food shortages because of blockage imposed by the Israelis government for almost four years now.

 We are all watching, on how Muslims community all over the World was reacted for that incident. As you can witness in the Television screen how massive reaction it was, is consider much tensed condemnation from all over International Community? If only leaders of that state is responsible can prevent what transpired in that pre-dawn raids. This should not happen of heartbreaking animosity of ill filling of the Muslim brothers and sisters in the community of modern time of the 21^st Century.

 Finally, this is a wake-up call for all religious leaders of the global community. Interfaith dialogue must continue to explore in all community of nations elsewhere in the World to stop the atrocities that almost parted global citizens in every nook corners of global community.

For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com

Straight from the Heart

Abs Damahan

Losing Candidates must accept the decision of the voters

Post election is over Senators, member of House of Representatives and including local officials have been proclaimed by the COMELEC except the new president and vice-president to be proclaimed soon upon the completion of canvassing by the joint of the National Board of Canvassers still ongoing in the House of Congress.

The losing candidates must accept the reality, they are really the losers not by fraud, but it comes from votes cast by the electorates in that recent 1st poll automated election. By mere observation of the election conduct and by facts, that the alleged massive of election frauds is not convince me. The truth, when Makati Representative Teodoro ‘Tedy Boy’ Locsin, House Committee on Electoral Reforms and Suffrage conduct an investigation, it proof of no substantial evidences presented in that said hearing. I recall when Congresswomen Susano of Quezon City stands in the Aisles of Congress with her compact Flash Card; she alleged that somebody gave this Flash disc to her without mentioning names. Smartmatic official replied and answered the allegations of the Congresswoman.  Where did you get that Flash Card suppose you are not authorized to have that card its illegal under the Omnibus election laws?  It’s only the COMELEC and Smartmatic-TIM who are authorized to keep those Flash Cards.

In the next hearing Information Technology (IT) from the Smartmatic-TIM presented to the Committee insert the Flash Card into PCOS Machines, but it comes out is unreadable card highly protected and encrypted card could not easily manipulated by unauthorized persons.

In the pursuing of conduct of an investigation, the Committee together with Congressmen Susano went to Cabuyao Laguna were the Warehouse of PCOS machines stockpiles and retests the 100 percents accuracy of PCOS Machines it found out perfect results and fully functions. But, however Congresswomen Susano the complainant refused to join the hearing and return back home without any valid explanation or reasons.

As I have said in my previous column that any kinds of data machines used whether PC or PCOS or whatever electronic gadgets still on the process of “garbage in and garbage out” in Tagalog kung ano isubo mo yon din ang lumalabas. But I still presumed, if ever, there will be massive frauds it comes from the Precinct level not in counting processes. Maybe, these are controlled by election operators of the respective candidates by delaying tactics and votes buying. But, it hard to prove for election protest,  whatever Official Ballots inserted to PCOS Machines are 100 percents counted of no doubt.

By experienced in casting my sacred vote upon marking the Official Ballot handed out to me by the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) then, return back and inserted to PCOS Machines with the output screen notice words “CONGRATULATION” it means my vote is successfully counted by the PCOS Machine. Therefore, it’s improbable my vote was not counted by the Machine. So in my final assumption all secured Official Ballots entered into the Machines are 100 percents counted except the spoiled Ballots which are not legibly marked by the voters.

For the losing candidates’ better lucks next time, anyway is only six years to wait for the positions of president, vice-president and senators. The positions of House Representative and local officials are only good enough for three years. Let’s make sacrifice for the meantime and waiting until such time election fever comes in the next season again.

For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com