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The timeless JMS:
Appreciating Joma’s Contributions
to the Youth and Student Movement in the 90’s
February 19, 2009
by Renato Reyes, Jr.
Jose Maria Sison, former youth leader and founder of Kabataang Makabayan
celebrated his 70th birthday last February 8. As an activist and
revolutionary for 50 years, his ideas remain very relevant for the youth
of today. On February 19, Joma will be launching two books, forming a part
of his selected writings from 1991-2008. I have no doubt it would be a
sure hit among activists.
Joma’s ideas on the youth movement, first put forward during the 60’s and
70’s, were crucial in shaping and developing the youth and student
movement in the 90’s. More than just historical references, Sison’s ideas
on the YS movement had an immediate practical impact on the activist
movement of our time.
During the 90’s, Joma’s ideas took on special relevance as the YS movement
was reeling from errors and problems after the tumultuous 80’s. As a new
activist then, I had the opportunity to take part in the rebuilding,
expansion and strengthening of the movement. We consider it important that
we had the chance to study Joma’s writings and apply these to our
particular circumstances, while taking stock of the historical lessons and
experiences gained by the movement.
Basic analysis of Philippine Society
Joma’s books such as the Philippine Society and Revolution and the
Struggle (PSR)for National Democracy (SND)were the basic “textbooks” for
the 90’s activists. The first provided the fundamental analysis of
Philippine history and society, the three basic ills and the national
democratic alternative. My first copy of the book, I borrowed from my Math
17 teacher Fidel Nemenzo, who encouraged me to read it and other JMS
works. My second copy I got from my Mom who said a friend gave it to her
for safekeeping during Martial Law.
The book SND became valuable in defining the role and orientation of the
youth movement, and in expounding on a broad range of topics from Rizal,
neo-colonialism, fascism, and even the standard issues of the day. Our
favorite articles then were “Student power?” and “Youth on the March”.
The “grasslands” on the side of UP’s Palma Hall (AS) would be turned into
a study area as activists huddled to discuss their basic “ED’s”. The UP
tambayans would have afternoon lectures on the PSR and SND. We would have
similar sessions in the communities in Village A and B and even in the
picket lines of Shoe Mart in North Edsa and Cubao. ( I remember losing my
PSR book at the SM North Edsa picket line in 1994).
Since it was a time of an intense two-line struggle, the PSR and SND
became important in clarifying the nature of Philippine society and the
role of the Filipino youth in changing society. In UP, like many other
places, these basic concepts were being attacked by those who had taken
the reformist route.
Through the PSR, activists studied how Philippine society, through its
historical development, became semi-feudal and semi-colonial. They
vigorously defended this analysis in various fora and debates. Essential
readings also included Joma’s Diliman Review 1984 article on
semi-feudalism in the Philippines and his articles in Philippine Crisis
and Revolution.
Youth activists also stressed the need to link up with the basic sectors
of society as the only potent means for the youth to bringing about
change. There can be no autonomous “student power” that is detached from
the workers and peasants. In practice, this was translated through
integration campaigns in urban poor communities, picket lines, and in the
countryside. There was systematic integration and eventual deployment of
activists to the basic sectors.
In 1993, the LFS solicited a message cum lecture from Joma called “On the
Question of Revolutionary Violence”, which I think is an important
reference material on understanding the revolutionary struggle in the
Philippines. Since there was no high speed internet then, we had to rely
on a video-taped lecture. When we came out with the flyer invites, some
people actually thought that Joma would be delivering the lecture in
person in UP. The video didn’t work though, since it was in the European
PAL format (and not NTSC). We ended up having the message read by someone
and copies later distributed to the audience. (That historic video would
later be converted to its proper format and publicly viewed, though I
don’t know if a copy still exists now).
Drawing the line
Joma’s 1993 and 1995 messages to the National Congress of the League of
Filipino Students were particularly important in drawing a sharp line
verses the factionalists in the ND movement. The message correctly exposed
the class basis and role of the special agents and
counter-revolutionaries. It helped arm student activists to expose those
who were desperately trying to undermine the ND movement through
ultra-Left or reformist ideas.
The critique of the ideology and politics of what Joma then described as
“special agents” helped the LFS understand its own history and development
during the 80’s. The lessons derived from those experiences were crucial
in strengthening the organization.
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Whether they were the “Left”
insurrectionist types or the reformist types, Joma provided a clear
critique of their class basis and role as counterfoil to the ND movement.
Almost two decades have passed and these groups who viciously maligned
Joma have splintered again and again for various reasons.
Mass movement
Joma’s wealth of experience was not confined to theoretical issues. His
long and intimate involvement with the youth and student movement from the
founding of SCAUP and Kabataang Makabayan proved to be a well-spring of
valuable ideas and lessons for a new generation of youth and student
organizers. Joma’s writings provided sound tactics for organizing,
building chapters, expansion and consolidation, waging mass campaigns and
in contributing to the overall ND movement. Joma always thought big when
it came to the mass movement. He wasn’t really a fan of the adage “Small
is beautiful”, not when you’re referring to the mass movement.
Many of Joma’s solidarity messages for the anniversaries or congresses of
the LFS and Anakbayan dealt with the necessity of developing a truly
mass-based organization along the ND line. He would subtly criticized
elitism among mass organizations, warning against raising too high the
standards for membership and stressing the need for aggressive expansion.
He clarified the relationship between expansion and consolidation. He gave
us an idea of how expansion through chapter-building is done in colleges,
departments, and even classrooms. He stressed the need for waging mass
struggles along the anti-imperialist, anti-feudal and anti-fascist line,
along sectoral and multi-sectoral issues and on local and national
concerns.
In 1997, the LFS National Executive Committee released what is now a rare
publication called “JMS to LFS”. It was a compilation Joma’s solidarity
messages and keynote addresses to various LFS activities, including
several national congresses from the 80’s to the 90’s. There was also a
failed attempt to publish an SND part 2 containing Joma writings and
messages during the 90’s.
In the publication JMS to LFS, one could read that as early as 1984, when
the League of Filipino Students was at its peak, Joma already suggested
the possibility of a comprehensive youth organization that would go beyond
student organizing. By comprehensive, he meant youth from all walks of
life, not just the students. The proposal went largely unnoticed for more
than a decade.
In June 1998, in a message to the Congress of the Bagong Alyansang
Makabayan, Joma again mentioned the need for the formation of a
comprehensive youth organization in the tradition of the Kabataang
Makabayan. This time the call resonated and was given the careful study
and urgent response that it deserved.
Anakbayan was formed in November 30, 1998. The new comprehensive youth
organization spread like wildfire throughout the country. In three years,
it became a formidable mass formation with thousands of members in
schools, communities and workplaces.
Joma clarified that having
more than one mass organization should not be a problem since there were
thousands of youth and students that need to be organized. There should be
some friendly competition between mass organizations, perhaps in the
tradition of the KM and SDK.
Anakbayan drew on the lessons and experiences of Kabataang Makabayan, from
the KM founding documents, constitution, as well as the historic First
Quarter Storm of 1970. Incidentally, January 2010 will mark the 40th
anniversary of the Storm.
Sharp perspective
Joma’s statements and commentaries on various issues were always eagerly
awaited. For me, the memorable topics ranged from the 1996 APEC meet in
the Philippines and imperialist globalization, the 1997 financial crisis,
the united front against the Ramos charter change of 1997, the Visiting
Forces Agreement and the future of the Estrada regime. These were
important writings because they clarified many theoretical as well as
practical issues.
For example, Joma gave us our first comprehensive understanding of
neo-liberal globalization at a time when Manila was going to host the APEC
summit. Globalization then was a fashionable catch-phrase for academics
and the media and carried with it the promise of progress.
It has been more than a decade since the APEC summit in Manila and look
where the world is at now, thanks to “globalization”. The neo-liberal
ideology is being thoroughly discredited by the global financial meltdown
and recession. Joma’s views on globalization, taken from the basic
teachings of Marx, Engels and Lenin, are vindicated.
When it came to observations on political developments, Joma has a keen
eye for opportunities for the mass movement. Even before anyone talked
about the possible ouster of former president Joseph Estrada, Joma was
already raising the possibility that Erap might go the way of ousted
Ecuadorean president Abdalá Jaime Bucaram Ortiz, popularly known as “El
Loco”. He said it two years before US-based think-tank Stratfor predicted
an Estrada ouster. Psychic? Not really. He was just being a dialectical
materialist.
Joma inspired our generation to study society, history, political economy,
philosophy and to merge theory with practice. He was a patient teacher for
many generations of activist youth. Sometimes I wonder if he ever gets
tired of reiterating the same points that we seemed to have failed to
understand in his earlier messages and writings. Reading his recent
messages to the youth, it doesn’t seem that he does get tired of teaching
the basics.
With advancements in internet technology, Joma is no longer just read. You
can now chat with him via Facebook, or hear him speak in a forum through
live streaming on the web. He now reaches a wider audience and a much
younger generation of activists. ### |
