One small deed by Juan, one giant leap for RP
by Kris Danielle Suarez, abs-cbnNEWS.com | 04/28/2009 11:04 PM
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What does it take to help change the Philippines for the better?
If you'd ask the people behind "One Tama," small things do count.
One Tama (literally meaning "One Right", a play on the name of the proverbial Juan Tamad), launched just last February 25, is a campaign and website which aims to let people share little but meaningful actions with other people, with the aim of spreading them to as many people possible.
The concept behind it is really simple: If all of us Filipinos say we want a better country anyway, why don't we try it out for one day?
"The main idea behind the [web] site is that if you will ask the question 'Do you want a better country?' to any Filipino, of course, the answer will be yes. So if we all want a better country anyway, why don't we try living in that better country, even for just one day, by doing what is right - together - within our own contexts," Boyet Dy, one of the people behind the site, said.
The site is a cooperative effort between Duyan ng Giting (Cradle of Valor), a group that advocates youth empowerment by developing values through service and providing venues for sharing stories that will continue to inspire them, and Ideals Creatives, a social enterprise run by young professionals who provide multimedia communications solutions.
"All of us can do something and can perform an action within our immediate contexts to make the country better and to realize change. And if we all do it together, then the impact that we create in making the country better and realizing change even becomes multiplied," he said.
Online sharing
At the One Tama site (www.onetama.com), users could select "Actions," listed under several categories, which they would try doing in their everyday lives, or they could suggest other actions.
The "Actions" listed in the site are simple, seemingly small deeds that are "simple, unique, inspiring, and can make a difference," such as registering for the 2010 elections (action number 26).
The user then keeps track of the action/s he or she has selected in their personal trackboard. Once done, they can click "Done". Users can also share actions with other people via email.
Each action is enclosed in an orange box, which contains details on how many people are doing it, the number of people who have already completed it, and the number of times it has been shared.
"If done together, and with more onboard your task --- the impact is multiplied. A great experience like this must be shared to inspire the rest in leaning towards positive change," the site states.
"One Tama breaks the mold of the proverbial Juan Tamad, lying on the grass while waiting for the fruit to fall from the tree, by finally getting him on his feet. We no longer need to wait for good things to happen in our country. We can begin today by inspiring one another for positive action," the site states.
Since the February launch, the site, as of April 28, has 112 actions listed, ranging from picking up the trash to praying for our local and national leaders, and more than a thousand people doing the various actions. Its presence in Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=53482968180), meanwhile, now has over 2,200 members.
Offline too
The campaign, however, is not limited to the web. Aside from the website, Dy said the group is planning to organize "offline" initiatives, ranging from regular "One Tama Action Days," where supporters of the campaign perform a featured action together and make a statement with it, to partnering with organizations and corporations.
"We have also received several invitations already from other groups for various things such as to partner with them, to join their events, or simply to speak about One Tama," Dy said.
The "offline" component of the campaign kicked off last April 16, when the first One Tama Assembly was held at Starbucks 6750 in Makati, in partnership with Dialogues@Starbucks.
The assembly was an informal get-together of One Tama supporters, as well as a forum where they could share their personal stories in connection with the campaign.
Among the stories shared were those of Mang Rey, a rose vendor in Makati (whose story was shared through a video), and Ate Girlie, the founder of Kythe, an organization which helps stricken kids with cancer. Both shared their experiences of doing simple actions that went a long way.
Bigger circles of change
Eventually, One Tama envisions that their supporters would eventually organize themselves to create bigger ripples in their respective communities.
"Down the line, our greatest hope is for people who have responded to the campaign to organize themselves, based on possible affinity that come naturally such as geographical proximity, so that they can continue supporting and inspiring one another toward doing right actions," Dy said.
"Can you imagine having a One Tama Makati Chapter, for instance, which will include Makati-based young professionals that are committed to doing what is right individually and as a group?," Dy said.
"Usually, when we talk about 'changing the country,' we expect a Barack Obama-type leader to point the way or a grand, ground-shaking event like the EDSA People Power Revolution to make it possible," Dy said.
"But what we're saying is that we can all contribute to changing the country for real, by performing real, right actions within our own contexts. And the more more of us perform these right actions, the broader the circle of change we are able to create," he added.
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