BECAUSE February is National Arts Month, I have dedicated all my columns this month to writing about the many ways culture and arts are vital to our lives.
Last week I talked about why culture and arts must be viewed as public goods that should be taken seriously by the government. Today, with all the ridiculous things happening in governments all over the world, I want to explore the ways culture and arts can mobilize people to fight corruption and abuse of power.
First, let me just say that a lot of Filipinos are feeling hopeless and overwhelmed right now. I imagine this is what an offensive military operation must feel like in an armed conflict. We are just aggressively bombarded with so many lies at the same time that we do not have time to react before another one hits us.
As journalist Sean Illing wrote in 2020 after the US Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump of charges of abuse of power and obstruction of justice: “We live in a media ecosystem that overwhelms people with information. Some of that information is accurate, some of it is bogus, and much of it is intentionally misleading.”
The result is an entire constituency that has increasingly given up on finding out the truth. They have created an environment that made people numb and disoriented and unable to discern what is fake or fact.
Following politics is exhausting. So most people’s coping mechanism is to walk away and tune everything out. Or to retreat into tribal allegiances — Team Marcos or Team Duterte — and stick to platforms that feed them the information they want to hear and confirm what they already believe.
“What we are facing is a new form of propaganda that was not really possible until the digital age. And it works not by creating a consensus around any particular narrative but by muddying the waters so that consensus isn’t achievable,” Illing explained in his article.
The goal is to create “widespread cynicism about the truth and the institutions charged with unearthing it” and erode the foundations of democracy. And it seems to be working now. That is why we are feeling hopeless and overwhelmed.
However, we can still reclaim the space and tell our real stories. Through culture and arts.
Culture and arts are powerful tools to foster civic engagement, encourage critical thinking, preserve societal values, and bridge divides between communities. They also inspire awareness, foster collective identity, and provide creative means of resistance.
Arts can serve as a mirror. Visual arts, music, literature, and theater can depict and highlight injustices that might otherwise be ignored. Photography, film, and journalism can document oppression and expose abuses of power, making them harder to deny. Public installations such as street art, murals, and exhibitions can bring activism into public spaces.
Art has the unique ability to provoke thought and challenge established norms because it provides a safe space for dissent. Through storytelling, complex social and political issues can be presented in ways that resonate with diverse audiences. By promoting a culture of questioning and reflection, the arts contribute to a more informed and vigilant citizenry,
Artists and cultural workers often act as watchdogs, using their work to critique those in power and highlight injustices. Satire, caricature, political cartoons, and performance art have long been used to expose abuses of power and challenge authoritarianism.
The creative process inherent in the arts can also inspire innovative approaches to governance as well as resistance. Just as artists experiment with new techniques and perspectives, political leaders and activists can draw on the principles of creativity and adaptability to address complex challenges.
Cultural initiatives, such as participatory theater or community-based art projects, can also serve as models for inclusive decision-making and collaborative problem-solving.
With advances in technology, digital activism has now risen with whistleblower platforms like WikiLeaks and crowdsourced reporting through apps and websites like “I Paid a Bribe” (used in India and other countries). Of course, social media campaigns through hashtags, viral videos, and online petitions can mobilize public opinion and pressure governments to act.
Creative protests like using humor to shame corrupt officials and symbolic acts like “empty chair” protests to symbolize the absence of accountable leadership as well as flash mobs that use music and dance and theater in public spaces to draw attention to corruption.
Collaborative initiatives with the private sector through Integrity Pacts and corporate social responsibility (CSR) can also be a creative way to mobilize collective action.
Culture is the repository of a society’s values, traditions, and shared history. Preserving and promoting societal values help remind people of the principles important in a democracy like justice, equality, and respect for human dignity.
Traditional art forms, folklore, and cultural practices often embody these values, passing them down to generations. Preserving and promoting them can reinforce the ethical foundations necessary for democracy to thrive. For example, Indigenous storytelling traditions often emphasize communal responsibility and stewardship of resources, principles that are essential for sustainable development.
To keep the struggle alive, we need to preserve our individual and collective memory. Through museums, archives, and books, we ensure that past abuses aren’t forgotten. We also need to reclaim narratives to counter official propaganda by providing space for marginalized voices and their art.
History has shown that culture and arts have been vital to movements like the Civil Rights Movement, the Arab Spring, and anti-colonial struggles. By making resistance visible, audible, and emotionally compelling, they move citizens to demand change. After all, the more senses are engaged, the more people are likely to act.
Creative, nonviolent approaches to fight corruption and abuse of power are not only effective but also inclusive, engaging citizens from all walks of life. While systemic change requires sustained effort, these innovative strategies demonstrate that even in the face of entrenched corruption, creativity, and nonviolence can be powerful tools for justice and truth.
