Strengthening Friendship and Unity through Social Activities

Strengthening Friendship and Unity through Social Activities
by: Ronel L. Alijado

          What is friendship? What is unity? How and why do we strengthen friendship and unity? These are the very big questions that need explanations and discussions to comprehend the theme of this occasion and of the celebration of the month of love. The theme this year is “Strengthening Friendship and Unity through Social Activities.”

            Friendship has different connotations to different people. But the diversity of perspectives of the concept can discover the same ground where good values grow.  Tensions, conflicts, and divisions like “bugs” that kill plants cannot thrive there, for their roots cling to values, and these fertilize them to become tall and sturdy trees that their branches bear fruits of love, responsibility, and respect.

             

            We hope that our homes, schools, neighborhoods, and nations are built on the same good grounds where we love, respect, and work. However, in many places and situations, there are people who sow seeds of hate, discrimination, selfishness, and discord that result to human sufferings.

            Unity is one of the world’s scarcities. There are people in protests.   There are nations at war. These events are caused by lack of privileges and by violation of rights of millions of people all over the world because only the rich and the powerful enjoy those by unjust, unfair, corrupt, and evil means.

           

            These malpractices destroy friendship and unity. Unless we kill the “bugs” of societies, the world will remain in great trouble. We will continue to see hungry, bare, homeless, unemployed, abused individuals. The struggle for emancipation from these painful realities continues.

           

            Every person must have a house. Every person must receive education.  Every person must have a job. Every person must enjoy those rights.

                        We can stop human miseries through social activities that provide opportunities to families. Housing, educational, livelihood, and other civic programs of government and nongovernment organizations can change lives. These projects will need the assistance of people who will share their resources: money, knowledge, talent, skill, time, energy, and love.

                        A house for a family becomes the beginning for realizing dreams. Education gives intelligence that turns to powers to improve people’s living. Livelihood supports the needs of a family.

                        But these are the numerical facts: 22.8 million Filipinos live in slums according to Homeless International; 27% of world population or 1, 890, 000, 000 are illiterate based on the report of World Statistics Institute; more than 57 million children do not have access to primary education; Nigeria first in the list has 10.5 million out-of-school children, and Philippines fifth in the rank has 1.5 million by a recent report of UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics; 7.3% is the Philippine jobless rate in 2013, up from 7% of 2012 despite economic expansion by National Statistics Office; 6.1% is the forecast of world unemployment in 2014 from 6% in 2013, and will stay well above 5.5% for several years.  

                       

                        If people continue to experience the effects of misguided governance and insensitive society, doubt and hatred remain in the hearts of men. These are barriers to friendship and unity. The world stays divided. People will not end the fight for equality, fairness, justice, and happiness. They will continue to demand better living conditions. Friendship and unity will remain dreams of every people and every nation. With that, strengthening friendship and unity through social activities is necessary.