Orchestrating National Transformation

Editorial
N. Perlas, 08 January 2005

Last night, as part of its 2004-2005 concert season, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra played an amazing number of complicated pieces. Eugene Castillo, PPO’s young, dynamic, globally renowned conductor, ably led the veteran members of the orchestra into the labyrinth and cascade of harmonies that deeply stimulated the audience.

This exciting event triggered insights on some key elements needed to achieve national transformation. It also helped developed a deeper appreciation of what Karangalan has been trying to do in its attempt to sow hope and harvest a nation, the subject of last week’s editorial.

Diversity

The first thing one notices on stage, are the members of the orchestra and their instruments. One can see the violinist, the flutists, the drummers, the cellist, the trumpeters, the harpist, the pianist, and others. When they begin to tune and practice their instruments, the different sound qualities and mode of activation immediately become obvious. One begins to wonder how all of these different talents and instruments will harmonize with each other.

Philippine society, like any society, is complex. It has many aspects and characteristics.

There is the economy and all its institutions, the political structure and all the different

agencies of government, and culture with its schools, non-profit organizations, free

media, professional, and other collectivities. Society depends upon the integrity of the ecosystem and the quality of human beings who are in the different institutions of society.

Given this complexity, one suffers a destructive illusion if one believes that government, alone, will be able to do everything for the country. This illusion is painfully clear in societies with weak states like the Philippines, with its inept and corrupt bureaucracies. The situation is like an orchestra that requires the sound of the drum, the trumpet, the flute, and other instruments but instead totally relies on the violin to do everything. The absurdity of this expectation is clear even to a small child. Yet a significant number of Filipinos have the attitude that only government can solve their problems for them.

One’s place in society gives rise to the different identities in society. These identities can clash or they can harmonize. They can produce discordant notes or can produce ecstatic harmonies. They can even produce temporary tension on the way to ultimate resolution, just like an authentic solution arising out of conflict. As with the orchestra, one wonders how all the different talents and contributions latent in each identity can come and create together.

The Vision as Musical Score

When the orchestra begins to play together, then something amazing happens. The cymbals, when they sound alone, produce a harsh sound. Yet, all of a sudden, their clashing sounds become sweet music to the ear when taken into the whole movement of the musical score.

Similarly the banging of a drum, instead of being a discordant “boom!”, emphasizes a tone or a nuance within the larger context of the musical score. Even the sweet tone of the violin becomes even more enticing if surrounded by the melodies of the flute, the cello and the other instruments.

A unifying frame, the musical score, enables the different artists, with their diverse musical instrument, to come in and out at the proper time and rhythm. The musical score brings together the different musical instruments into an ecstatic expression of climax and harmony!

Society at large needs a vision to unify the different identities which constitute it. In his book, “Image of the Future”, Fred Polak does a study of 1500 years of European history. He arrives at a profound and stirring conclusion. His studies clearly showed that a positive image of the future was a key factor in the advancement of those countries.

Society’s vision cannot be unconscious. A significant segment of country’s citizens must be aware of and share the vision. Just like the different musicians, they are conscious that their own special area of work contributes to the whole. They see the broad roadmap of society and its future and they build this future by doing one’s part in the best possible way. Their unique identity contributes to the health and well-being of society.

Within this understanding, the different identities see themselves as essential in building up the whole. Activists alone cannot constitute a whole society; nor can businesspeople or government workers alone. Its unique task is an entry point and has a unique role to play in the “musical score” or vision of the country.

Humility and Selflessness

In the coming together of the different instruments to produce the harmonies of the musical score, and of the different identities in pursuit of a common vision, a healthy respect for one’s potential contribution to an orchestra, to society, is not enough. One should also respect the potential contribution that others of a different talent and occupation can make in pursuing a similar vision of society.

What happens if a flutist plays a beautiful melody but is not in synchrony with the rest? The answer is obviously lousy music. It is not enough that one is a virtuoso; he or she must also be conscious of the whole and allow others to shine at the right moment, at the right time. As each identity is essential to the whole, one should rejoice in the expression of other identities when the appropriate moment and time calls for it.

Humility and selflessness, thus, are essential in pursuing and actualizing a vision for society. How often have we seen a potential exciting group break up because of a clash of egos or because of “crab mentality”, the pulling down of those who are achieving something for society. How different and more powerful it would be if the different identities mutually respected each other and came together to shape a new nation.

Conductor, Communication, and a New Concept of the Center

In an orchestra, the conductor is essential. The conductor senses the movement of the whole and gives impetus to the direction of the whole, both within the context of the musical score. In doing so, the conductor becomes a key harmonizing agent in the embodiment of the movements of the musical score.

However important the conductor is, the quality of the whole is also embodied in each musician. They look at the conductor for direction but, at the same time, they listen carefully as to how their contribution connects with those of the other. In both instances, communication is essential for producing the tremendous harmony in a gifted orchestra.

Similarly, in the pursuit of societal transformation, the different initiatives have to come together and truly listen to each other and find a way to harmonize the different possibilities that they bring. But there is an essential difference.

In an orchestra, the conductor plays a key role. In societal transformation, that role can no longer be played by one or a few persons. In the past the king or the president of a state played the role of the conductor. But societal evolution has produced different centers of power in society.

At one level, there are three centers of societal power – one in the economy, with its power coming from wealth, another in politics, with its power of legal coercion, and one in culture, the ultimate power residing in those that give vision, meaning, values, and norms to society.

At another level, these different forms of power are not absolute within themselves. This is especially the case in civil society, the bearer of cultural power. Civil society, as in the case of social movements in the past, can no longer be organized on the basis of the centralization of power. Rather civil society is now being organized on the basis of harmonizing the different identities that have become both center and periphery at the same time, depending on issues and circumstances.

The use of information technologies has also become essential if the different identities of society are to communication with each other. For the orchestra, this is easy to achieve. The musicians and the conductor can all see each other. This is not the case for the country as a whole. Those who want to advance societal transformation have to use and invent different modes of communication so that they can hold a common vision together and determine in a totally free way how the different unique contributions can be brought forward to heal, strengthen, and transform Philippine society.

Karangalan

Karangalan has set for itself the task of joining others in attempting to transform Philippine society. How does it rate in terms of the key elements of nation-building just discussed?

Karangalan rates high in terms of the requirement of “diversity”. It has extended invitations to a diverse range of groups in Philippine society. Karangalan has sent out thousands of invitations to business, government, and civil society. The key speakers and artists in the Karangalan event cover a diverse range of topics encompassing ecology, business and the economy, governance and government, education and culture, human development and spirituality, and societal transformation. Karangalan has taken also careful heed not to be creating an event for the “converted”. Its appeal is to any individual or group who truly wants to be part of a process of creating a better Philippines.

In terms of vision, Karangalan has offered a way to approach the question of identity and meaning in Philippine society. Karangalan encourages Filipinos to focus on what we are naturally good in doing, while at the same time recognizing that we can learn from the best that other cultures of the world can offer.

Karangalan has no illusions that it can offer THE “musical score”, THE vision for the country. Instead it is inaugurating a process where the different identities in Philippine society can come together in mutual recognition and celebrating to gradually develop, in a reiterative process, an increasingly realistic and attractive vision for Philippine society.

In terms of humility and selflessness, Karangalan is clear and conscious that it will be up for others to ultimate decide this issue. However, Karangalan has been very open to welcoming all initiatives that truly want to build a better country. The resulting creativity and dynamism that it is experiencing may be one small indication that it is on the right track.

Finally, in terms of leadership, Karangalan is acutely aware that it is not THE center of efforts to transform Philippine society. Karangalan knows that there are thousands of initiatives all over the country that are in place because many Filipinos are trying to do the best they can given the challenges facing the country. Karangalan is creating a venue, a forum, where many of these initiatives by individuals and institutions can come together and learn from each other. In this way, it becomes possible for synergy to freely develop, not controlled by a single agenda.

The multi-leader, decentralized networks which share the broad vision of a sustainable Philippine society, can only be self-activated by those who freely choose to come together. And the basis of these true, mutually respectful meetings, can an authentic collective intelligence as a people arise, an intelligence that will creatively and effectively point to the thousands of ways and means to move the country forward.

It is not a coincidence that the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra will perform at Karangalan when it convenes from 21-23 January 2005, less than two weeks, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. For both the PPO and Karangalan are holons of the same collective field striving for a better Philippines. As holons, they are parts, which contain the story of the whole, in their own unique strivings to create a better country and a better world.

Editorials also appear on TruthForce!