Filipinos Dared to Ask: Why Not?

I explored- inspired by some Links of ~C4 - the very fascinating Filipino whynotforum.com. Its insoired by the TED Talks in USA, but has its very own flavor. No better introduction to it I could find than in this article of:

Nina Terol

And as Nina adressed it to open minded, creative and innovative individuals I want it to present here, at Gaia. The WhyNot Forum shows that Challenges, Opportunities, Irritants, Beauty, Passion and Innovation is most vibrantly communicated when breathed, communicasted and lived in the culture where it hapens, itself. And the stream of immigrants, expats, locals, changing life conditions, habitats and diversity in global culture is simply flowing and naturally evolving. And open.minded people always will find each across all borders.

I like the question. Wasnt it Robert Kennedy -quting George Bernard Shaw - who asked it first? its wonderful to see this mindset at work thousands of miles away across the Pacific...

 Filipinos Dared to Ask: Why Not? Oct 6, '07 12:06 AM

I attended a mind-opening event two Thursdays ago, and was so inspired by it that I decided to write an article about it. (I pitched it to a leading daily, but so far have not gotten a response yet.) I hope you wouldn't mind spreading the word to other open-minded, creative, and innovative individuals so that we can all begin to ask The Question that will drive Filipino ingenuity. 

FILIPINOS DARED TO ASK: WHY NOT?


By Niña Terol


It was an ordinary Thursday night, and yet Warehouse 135, the hip warehouse-turned-club on Yakal Street in Makati, was filled to capacity. Only it wasn't filled with clubgoers and party scenesters-it was filled with young professionals, creative minds, thinkers, and dreamers who all dared to ask a question that would set the tone for the entire evening's talks: Why not?


The WhyNot? Forum, according to founders Mark Ruiz and Bam Aquino, is a "smorgasbord of great, brave ideas-an open-source innovation soup that will hopefully inspire other Filipinos all over to connect adjunct thoughts, take impactful action, and weave together new breakthrough ideas." Inspired by the TEDTalks of the United States (http://www.ted.com/), it is based on the simple idea of gathering some of the best minds in the country to share their respective ideas for 15 minutes each. By asking The Question and challenging outmoded assumptions, it is hoped that WhyNot? Forum will spark a thought revolution that will encourage people to "think new thoughts, share big dreams, do brave things."


Seven Great Minds, One Big Question 

 
The first WhyNot? Forum, held on September 27, gathered a group of leaders, achievers, doers, and dreamers from diverse fields. There was Dondi Gomez, the "Marketing Maverick," who is the youngest-ever Managing Director of Unilever Philippines at age 35; Gang Badoy, the irrepressible and bubbly lady behind RockEd Philippines, tagged the "Alternative Educator"; Professor Jay Bernardo of the Asian Institute of Management, the "Rainmaker" and "Entrepreneurship Guru" who owns the distinction of being the first-ever Filipino to have been named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World (TOYP) by the Junior Chamber International; "Technologist" Greg Tangonan, who teaches Innovation and Technology at the Ateneo de Manila University and has garnered 49 patents and numerous awards for his inventive work; Brian Tenorio, the creative genius behind the designer shoe label Tenorio Manila; QuarkHenares, the "Filmmaker-on-the-Edge" who directed his first feature film at age 21; and Fr. Ted Gonzales, SJ of the Center for Family Ministries (CEFAM), labeled the "Dreamer Priest."

 

Even the creative forces running the event are achievers themselves: Ruiz and Aquino are part of the visionary group behind Hapinoy, an aggregated value network built around sari-sari stores, microfinancing institutions, and key partners in industry and civil society; event documenter Ditsi Carolino is an internationally acclaimed filmmaker ( Minsan Lang Sila Bata, Bunso, Riles); and guest performer Radioactivesago Project is a groundbreaking musical act that fuses jazz, funk, and spoken-word poetry in discussing a variety of social issues. Supporting the project from behind the scenes are industry giant Smart Communications, Web and multimedia company Softrigger Interactive, and Young Public Servants (YPS), a group of young, dynamic individuals focused on promoting "Good Governance and Democratic Citizenship among the youth."


In opening the forum, Ruiz asked the audience, "What does the world think of when they think of the Philippines? ... Maybe the WhyNot? Forum can be our megaphone to the rest of the world [to showcase the ingenuity and the innovative spirit driving us Filipinos]... Why not?"

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