[Music]
happy birthday to me now this was taken
when I was celebrating my 21st birthday
right so that’s my parents and they’re
welcoming their newborn in the injured
species I was fresh in my environmental
journalism class when I said to myself
this is how I’m gonna remember my 24
what 21 year old self so it was 15 years
ago when we when I felt this very very
radical emergence of my self-directed
pathway to being an environmental
activist and so on the day of my
birthday I decided to take risk as they
say the greatest risk is not taking one
together with my small group of friends
we decided to start the first widely
public art performance activism in the
university town of doomageddon imagine
for a moment Negros Island lush forests
healthy clean air and water not until
the late 1800s so slowly ever slowly at
first and then rapidly poof only three
to four percent primary forest cover
left on the island of Negros that’s me
walking around the city and that’s the
lake beautiful serene rush home to
endemic fauna and flora also a very very
critical watershed ecosystem for the
surrounding towns that’s getting their
water from it and then unfortunately the
former congressman decided to
sure explore and exploit the more than
5,000 hectares of the 8,000 hectares
land area of the Berlin Society in lakes
Natural Park and so interestingly the
imminent danger of the bill was left
unnoticed by the public to begin with
yet somehow our circle of friends
decided to do something about it the
moment we learned about that we thought
okay what can we do about it
so my instantaneous idea was to decide
and organize a non-violent direct action
protest performance art originally to
paint myself white and naked but when I
shared this too much to all my
professors she was appalled and yet very
supportive and said okay do it as long
as you wear your briefs just like the
Superman you know so I did and then I
asked my friends to join me I said hey
would you like to join me and obviously
the look of their faces was like no I’m
not joining and yet it’s the same
friends who supported me walked along
with me and obviously became my security
force so that’s around Dumaguete City
it’s the first time they saw this white
long-haired guy and along the way my
friends also started asking people to
sign an our petition paper which was
backed by a scientific research and also
support from dr. unhealthy Alcala now
the national scientist of the
Philippines and this is prior to face
book clicktivism this is very important
picture for myself it’s the daughter of
my friend who is like probably a month
old and I placed it on my wrist because
it’s a
it’s it’s her presence is very important
for this campaign it’s it shown us that
intergenerational is at hand in terms of
putting together what we can offer in
terms of really supporting this campaign
so I know that some of you are in the
audience right now and I truly honor
your commitment and support of bringing
light to the issue back in the pack in
2004 so I believe that our
responsibility as human beings is again
intergenerational because we are simply
interconnected defined by the amount of
respect that we receive and we give with
our fellow human beings
and the great nature of creation as I
walked around the city people were start
to see white a white painted long haired
guy in briefs for me I represented a
blank future sort of like a metaphor of
a blank canvas and so I ask people to
sign in my and you know as a sign of a
pledge that they are supporting the
campaign the news trailed along you know
newspaper picked it up and eventually
the information rippled across the city
and the weeks later it became a talk
among groups in different parts of the
country I said as the force of supports
noble in palpable strength so being
labeled at eco-activists I use
creativity as a channel to activate
concepts and Cha and and and strategies
to respond and address the particular
environmental or social concerns and
this by way through the act of artivism
artivism according to playwright
activist and author of The Vagina
Monologues Eve Ensler artivism is where
hedges are pushed imagination is freed
and a new language emerges altogether
for me
artivism is
their convergence of art and social
responsibility where transformation
happens with a unification unifying
actions when people get together in the
purpose of alleviating the dysfunction
of human consciousness in relation to
the ideals of a harmonious existence of
humanity in the realm of the natural
creation artivism has a playful approach
to it at times entertaining yet somehow
it brings about curiosity and wonderment
both very important to facilitate spark
of possibilities and enhances their
verse public discussions its nonviolent
direct actions in the forms of public
art mural song poetry theater films
among many other ways of conveying the
transport of transformative message of
peace truth and justice artivism can
happen through our inner contemplative
works as well through the practice of
mindfulness and meditation and
creativity as a healing therapy from the
wise words of my mentor for
environmental policy dr. ben s Millian
the third he stated that environmental
problems are emotional environmental
solutions are technical but
environmental decisions are political
environmental problems are emotional
because in my in my experience walking
around the city painted in white it
actually came from frustration
frustration because I was in an
environmental journalism class that time
and we were not talking about this very
important local concern so emotion
triggered this sense of rage and
bewilderment which eventually found a
channel an energy to bring about change
when they allow the movement of art to
search through me the art spirit was
whispering let’s get naked let’s take
the truth out environmental solutions
are technical and this is where my
biology friends came researchers
researchers scientists all put in their
data and reasoned and and you know like
knowledge about this this issue
especially to save the twin lakes of
princes is why it pays to listen to
visionaries who care about our planet
and to remember that making sound an
effective solution is very
intergenerational environmental
decisions are political in the course of
the campaign the former congressman met
with me and our group once he came to my
place and asked me to stop protesting
and ironically we live across each other
second he came to us when we were
camping by the lake you know by the lake
in the mountain and again asked to stop
doing this protest and I said you know
we are not running here we were just
being at peace in nature my friend no I
didn’t say that initiative but it didn’t
stop us it didn’t stop us to bring light
to the issue as the mud passed and
progress the campaign took a life of its
own we found that the bill died a
natural death because it became a living
consciousness in the hearts of the
that’s scientists and local leaders and
even congressmen and a tie and sometime
later I found out that the congressman
himself was enlightened he shifted
awareness and committed to help protect
the late it’s the most challenging when
nature becomes a argument in politics
and it takes a conscious heart-centered
compassionate leader to carry on the
vision of a healthy ecology and
sustainable living practice sorry
our young positive deviant spirit moved
us to do what we need to do we continued
pursuing momentum of guerrilla art type
campaigns of performance and performance
art in City and then my engagement moved
further out of the island when I was 22
years old I got accepted to be part of
the international youth delegation for
the 11th Conference of parties of the
United Nations Framework for climate
change in one she’ll Canada and when I
was there I asked myself as a young 22
year old climate activists I asked
myself what can I do in this huge
meeting well as part of our daily
activities we were lobbying and you know
attending plenary sessions but then one
day I was at coffee shop and I was
reading this newspaper I saw the photo
of Yoko Ono and it was December 7 and it
stated there that December 8th is the
death anniversary of John Lennon and
they happen to be in Montreal in 1969
doing this bed-in for peace protest in
one of the hotels so I asked my friends
ok maybe we can do this in the hall of
the UN session so we plan to we
eventually had this singing inside the
hall you know singing keep climate a
chance and imagine and eventually it it
caught the lenses of the media and it
was in the international news New York
Times
BBC CNN again the power of non-violent
direct action through creative ingenuity
has propelled the intention of the
campaign to great visibility and in 2007
I attended another UN conference in Bali
and this time I was part of the
Greenpeace solar generation delegation
and one of the great and what the
creative stunts we did was of me dressed
as the polar bear costume under the heat
of the police on at the opening of the
conference it was also when I was asked
to hand in the petition to former US
President Al Gore and climate reality
leader as well so that was me inside
that costume of the polar bear many
types of activism campaigns have adopted
creating forms of non-violent direct
action protests because it magnifies the
boldness of the message and in the
present day in the end of the present
day clicktivism it has become a playing
field for cyber crazy campaigns it was
also in this trip that I met my artistic
collaborator and my partner el divine we
met in the plane the way to Bali
if journey since then and eventually we
continued on with our work and together
I continued become to become an
environmental artist and educator and
yet I rediscover a restaurant
understanding of sacred ecology and I’d
like to play these three words with you
oops that’s me and no you start the word
scared how do you feel about it I
realized that the word scared has the
same letters with the words with the
word sacred and this is where I feel
that when we get scared yet we come into
the space of sacred field of experience
something happens that enlightened our
beingness and one of the activity or one
of the activities that I had experienced
with was when I was in Tacloban City I
was with an organization called spark
Philippi
and you know like part of that part of
the the the activity was to hold space
for health workers and teachers and one
of one of the things that that I did was
creating a breathing meditation and
south–and and movement workshop which
eventually became an activation in
themselves to feel that there is a steel
support for them in terms in you know in
the space of being scared after a
typhoon it was something to see how they
surrendered in deep vulnerability and
yet expressing so much delight in
participating crying together laughing
together as a community I also did
another workshop with the high school
students or hundreds of them and I
called it from junk the funk – I
requested students to gather debris and
turn them into sculptural of cycled
objects and one of the one of the
students you know made this chandelier
and for her it’s like a symbol of hope
you know because you place a chandelier
chandelier on the ceiling and there’s
light and then another kid made this
boat because his father lost his boat
for livelihood so again it’s a sense of
connecting with them that I feel my
activism has become more and more you
know heart centered and people engaging
so this is when we did you know hard to
heart Insight Meditation where all of
them you know just shared energies
together and eventually really felt
support from each other next word is
this words have you ever thought that
the words heart and earth share the same
letters and I’m curious if you would
agree that the heart of the earth is
love we encounter love in many levels
and in the work that we do love is
important indicator that moves us to do
what we need to do together with my
friends we have started a nonprofit
called good macaé
simply translate translated as love for
the earth still at its infancy and yet
with the work that we do focusing on
environmental education and utilizing
creative holistic learning approaches we
highlight local initiatives and
celebrating local champions in nature
conservation and such as the work of
data et vignola he’s a hunter turned
conservationist and a forest wisdom
keeper who has championed the
reintroduction of planting endemic trees
for reference station on the island of
Negros and the neighboring regions of
the country he is an awardee for forest
conservation and owns a sanctuary called
Lipton woodland a living laboratory that
the foothills of Mount Ellen is so these
are you know things that we do for good
micaiah and we do mural paintings and
workshop for students as well and lastly
I’d like to share the word
silent and listen again they share the
same characters and yet I know that when
there’s the willingness to hear there’s
also the willingness to share and it’s
when we are in our deepest silence that
we feel fully aligned and centered with
our own
true-self one thing that I realize is
that a lot of insights happen when we
come into the silence and I really
believe that instead it’s in that kind
of spaciousness that conscious
communication happens which illuminates
the desire to extend the good the sacred
and the beautiful I lived in ubud bali
for some time and I do performance art
and it’s also because it’s influenced by
the island it’s very spiritual and you
know at times that go by the river and
literally listen to rock music so that’s
me
with the headphones plug onto the rock
you may also you know start you know
practicing all of these things because
at the end of the day it’s really that
sense of inner peace that can bring
about change in what we do and
especially our great connection for the
environment we live in a fast-paced
world in a moment where possibilities
seem to be more endless as ever
technological advancements are picking
up and unfortunately who are is still a
big business and that the earth seems to
suffer as what it’s being portrayed but
no the earth itself is a living
consciousness it is shifting it is
giving warning signs it is unforgiving
yet it remains a life-giving force for
all so I continue to pledge to be part
of the counter force that contributes to
the awakening of humanity and I take
courage and renew the sense my sense of
perspective passion and purpose through
the spirit of compassion we can support
each other in cultivating contemplative
and environmental practices by going for
walks to the forest go with your friends
you know bathe in the river swim talk to
the elderly as well you’re Lola you’re
Lola thank your parents as well and
eventually be mindful of our daily
choices and up for minimal
carbon footprint I actually tried
working in a cubicle but my mind chief
was drifting to the ocean and so I
followed the wave and volunteered for a
halfback whale research in the northern
ireland’s of the Philippines where our
experienced swimming and hearing the
sound that hearing the songs of the
humpback whales as the current of the
sound vibration passed through my body
as you see I’m here for the long haul
not just for the short ride and I can
almost hear the train of the rhyming
words Wow that I’m doing my best
it was never easy still never easy it’s
challenging and there are moments when I
almost had to exit and cut my hair and
don’t care but there’s a real that’s
fishing me back to this life’s mission I
have committed to the mission of
creating a an intentional community
where it’s a safe space for
truth-telling and hub to support the
activation of awakened consciousness for
peace and ecological sustainability l
and I together we’re the heart friends
have taken the leap to create this
century a space where it will integrate
three pillars creative awakening sacred
ecology and spiritual vitality with
intention to help heightened awareness
of one’s compassion for humanity and the
planet Dalai Lama put said compassion is
the radicalism of our time I remain
faithful in my art and art will continue
to be part of activism art will continue
to advance enlightened ecological
consciousness art will always reveal the
future ahead of us thank you
[Music]
happy birthday to me now this was taken
when I was celebrating my 21st birthday
right so that’s my parents and they’re
welcoming their newborn in the injured
species I was fresh in my environmental
journalism class when I said to myself
this is how I’m gonna remember my 24
what 21 year old self so it was 15 years
ago when we when I felt this very very
radical emergence of my self-directed
pathway to being an environmental
activist and so on the day of my
birthday I decided to take risk as they
say the greatest risk is not taking one
together with my small group of friends
we decided to start the first widely
public art performance activism in the
university town of doomageddon imagine
for a moment Negros Island lush forests
healthy clean air and water not until
the late 1800s so slowly ever slowly at
first and then rapidly poof only three
to four percent primary forest cover
left on the island of Negros that’s me
walking around the city and that’s the
lake beautiful serene rush home to
endemic fauna and flora also a very very
critical watershed ecosystem for the
surrounding towns that’s getting their
water from it and then unfortunately the
former congressman decided to
sure explore and exploit the more than
5,000 hectares of the 8,000 hectares
land area of the Berlin Society in lakes
Natural Park and so interestingly the
imminent danger of the bill was left
unnoticed by the public to begin with
yet somehow our circle of friends
decided to do something about it the
moment we learned about that we thought
okay what can we do about it
so my instantaneous idea was to decide
and organize a non-violent direct action
protest performance art originally to
paint myself white and naked but when I
shared this too much to all my
professors she was appalled and yet very
supportive and said okay do it as long
as you wear your briefs just like the
Superman you know so I did and then I
asked my friends to join me I said hey
would you like to join me and obviously
the look of their faces was like no I’m
not joining and yet it’s the same
friends who supported me walked along
with me and obviously became my security
force so that’s around Dumaguete City
it’s the first time they saw this white
long-haired guy and along the way my
friends also started asking people to
sign an our petition paper which was
backed by a scientific research and also
support from dr. unhealthy Alcala now
the national scientist of the
Philippines and this is prior to face
book clicktivism this is very important
picture for myself it’s the daughter of
my friend who is like probably a month
old and I placed it on my wrist because
it’s a
it’s it’s her presence is very important
for this campaign it’s it shown us that
intergenerational is at hand in terms of
putting together what we can offer in
terms of really supporting this campaign
so I know that some of you are in the
audience right now and I truly honor
your commitment and support of bringing
light to the issue back in the pack in
2004 so I believe that our
responsibility as human beings is again
intergenerational because we are simply
interconnected defined by the amount of
respect that we receive and we give with
our fellow human beings
and the great nature of creation as I
walked around the city people were start
to see white a white painted long haired
guy in briefs for me I represented a
blank future sort of like a metaphor of
a blank canvas and so I ask people to
sign in my and you know as a sign of a
pledge that they are supporting the
campaign the news trailed along you know
newspaper picked it up and eventually
the information rippled across the city
and the weeks later it became a talk
among groups in different parts of the
country I said as the force of supports
noble in palpable strength so being
labeled at eco-activists I use
creativity as a channel to activate
concepts and Cha and and and strategies
to respond and address the particular
environmental or social concerns and
this by way through the act of artivism
artivism according to playwright
activist and author of The Vagina
Monologues Eve Ensler artivism is where
hedges are pushed imagination is freed
and a new language emerges altogether
for me
artivism is
their convergence of art and social
responsibility where transformation
happens with a unification unifying
actions when people get together in the
purpose of alleviating the dysfunction
of human consciousness in relation to
the ideals of a harmonious existence of
humanity in the realm of the natural
creation artivism has a playful approach
to it at times entertaining yet somehow
it brings about curiosity and wonderment
both very important to facilitate spark
of possibilities and enhances their
verse public discussions its nonviolent
direct actions in the forms of public
art mural song poetry theater films
among many other ways of conveying the
transport of transformative message of
peace truth and justice artivism can
happen through our inner contemplative
works as well through the practice of
mindfulness and meditation and
creativity as a healing therapy from the
wise words of my mentor for
environmental policy dr. ben s Millian
the third he stated that environmental
problems are emotional environmental
solutions are technical but
environmental decisions are political
environmental problems are emotional
because in my in my experience walking
around the city painted in white it
actually came from frustration
frustration because I was in an
environmental journalism class that time
and we were not talking about this very
important local concern so emotion
triggered this sense of rage and
bewilderment which eventually found a
channel an energy to bring about change
when they allow the movement of art to
search through me the art spirit was
whispering let’s get naked let’s take
the truth out environmental solutions
are technical and this is where my
biology friends came researchers
researchers scientists all put in their
data and reasoned and and you know like
knowledge about this this issue
especially to save the twin lakes of
princes is why it pays to listen to
visionaries who care about our planet
and to remember that making sound an
effective solution is very
intergenerational environmental
decisions are political in the course of
the campaign the former congressman met
with me and our group once he came to my
place and asked me to stop protesting
and ironically we live across each other
second he came to us when we were
camping by the lake you know by the lake
in the mountain and again asked to stop
doing this protest and I said you know
we are not running here we were just
being at peace in nature my friend no I
didn’t say that initiative but it didn’t
stop us it didn’t stop us to bring light
to the issue as the mud passed and
progress the campaign took a life of its
own we found that the bill died a
natural death because it became a living
consciousness in the hearts of the
that’s scientists and local leaders and
even congressmen and a tie and sometime
later I found out that the congressman
himself was enlightened he shifted
awareness and committed to help protect
the late it’s the most challenging when
nature becomes a argument in politics
and it takes a conscious heart-centered
compassionate leader to carry on the
vision of a healthy ecology and
sustainable living practice sorry
our young positive deviant spirit moved
us to do what we need to do we continued
pursuing momentum of guerrilla art type
campaigns of performance and performance
art in City and then my engagement moved
further out of the island when I was 22
years old I got accepted to be part of
the international youth delegation for
the 11th Conference of parties of the
United Nations Framework for climate
change in one she’ll Canada and when I
was there I asked myself as a young 22
year old climate activists I asked
myself what can I do in this huge
meeting well as part of our daily
activities we were lobbying and you know
attending plenary sessions but then one
day I was at coffee shop and I was
reading this newspaper I saw the photo
of Yoko Ono and it was December 7 and it
stated there that December 8th is the
death anniversary of John Lennon and
they happen to be in Montreal in 1969
doing this bed-in for peace protest in
one of the hotels so I asked my friends
ok maybe we can do this in the hall of
the UN session so we plan to we
eventually had this singing inside the
hall you know singing keep climate a
chance and imagine and eventually it it
caught the lenses of the media and it
was in the international news New York
Times
BBC CNN again the power of non-violent
direct action through creative ingenuity
has propelled the intention of the
campaign to great visibility and in 2007
I attended another UN conference in Bali
and this time I was part of the
Greenpeace solar generation delegation
and one of the great and what the
creative stunts we did was of me dressed
as the polar bear costume under the heat
of the police on at the opening of the
conference it was also when I was asked
to hand in the petition to former US
President Al Gore and climate reality
leader as well so that was me inside
that costume of the polar bear many
types of activism campaigns have adopted
creating forms of non-violent direct
action protests because it magnifies the
boldness of the message and in the
present day in the end of the present
day clicktivism it has become a playing
field for cyber crazy campaigns it was
also in this trip that I met my artistic
collaborator and my partner el divine we
met in the plane the way to Bali
if journey since then and eventually we
continued on with our work and together
I continued become to become an
environmental artist and educator and
yet I rediscover a restaurant
understanding of sacred ecology and I’d
like to play these three words with you
oops that’s me and no you start the word
scared how do you feel about it I
realized that the word scared has the
same letters with the words with the
word sacred and this is where I feel
that when we get scared yet we come into
the space of sacred field of experience
something happens that enlightened our
beingness and one of the activity or one
of the activities that I had experienced
with was when I was in Tacloban City I
was with an organization called spark
Philippi
and you know like part of that part of
the the the activity was to hold space
for health workers and teachers and one
of one of the things that that I did was
creating a breathing meditation and
south–and and movement workshop which
eventually became an activation in
themselves to feel that there is a steel
support for them in terms in you know in
the space of being scared after a
typhoon it was something to see how they
surrendered in deep vulnerability and
yet expressing so much delight in
participating crying together laughing
together as a community I also did
another workshop with the high school
students or hundreds of them and I
called it from junk the funk – I
requested students to gather debris and
turn them into sculptural of cycled
objects and one of the one of the
students you know made this chandelier
and for her it’s like a symbol of hope
you know because you place a chandelier
chandelier on the ceiling and there’s
light and then another kid made this
boat because his father lost his boat
for livelihood so again it’s a sense of
connecting with them that I feel my
activism has become more and more you
know heart centered and people engaging
so this is when we did you know hard to
heart Insight Meditation where all of
them you know just shared energies
together and eventually really felt
support from each other next word is
this words have you ever thought that
the words heart and earth share the same
letters and I’m curious if you would
agree that the heart of the earth is
love we encounter love in many levels
and in the work that we do love is
important indicator that moves us to do
what we need to do together with my
friends we have started a nonprofit
called good macaé
simply translate translated as love for
the earth still at its infancy and yet
with the work that we do focusing on
environmental education and utilizing
creative holistic learning approaches we
highlight local initiatives and
celebrating local champions in nature
conservation and such as the work of
data et vignola he’s a hunter turned
conservationist and a forest wisdom
keeper who has championed the
reintroduction of planting endemic trees
for reference station on the island of
Negros and the neighboring regions of
the country he is an awardee for forest
conservation and owns a sanctuary called
Lipton woodland a living laboratory that
the foothills of Mount Ellen is so these
are you know things that we do for good
micaiah and we do mural paintings and
workshop for students as well and lastly
I’d like to share the word
silent and listen again they share the
same characters and yet I know that when
there’s the willingness to hear there’s
also the willingness to share and it’s
when we are in our deepest silence that
we feel fully aligned and centered with
our own
true-self one thing that I realize is
that a lot of insights happen when we
come into the silence and I really
believe that instead it’s in that kind
of spaciousness that conscious
communication happens which illuminates
the desire to extend the good the sacred
and the beautiful I lived in ubud bali
for some time and I do performance art
and it’s also because it’s influenced by
the island it’s very spiritual and you
know at times that go by the river and
literally listen to rock music so that’s
me
with the headphones plug onto the rock
you may also you know start you know
practicing all of these things because
at the end of the day it’s really that
sense of inner peace that can bring
about change in what we do and
especially our great connection for the
environment we live in a fast-paced
world in a moment where possibilities
seem to be more endless as ever
technological advancements are picking
up and unfortunately who are is still a
big business and that the earth seems to
suffer as what it’s being portrayed but
no the earth itself is a living
consciousness it is shifting it is
giving warning signs it is unforgiving
yet it remains a life-giving force for
all so I continue to pledge to be part
of the counter force that contributes to
the awakening of humanity and I take
courage and renew the sense my sense of
perspective passion and purpose through
the spirit of compassion we can support
each other in cultivating contemplative
and environmental practices by going for
walks to the forest go with your friends
you know bathe in the river swim talk to
the elderly as well you’re Lola you’re
Lola thank your parents as well and
eventually be mindful of our daily
choices and up for minimal
carbon footprint I actually tried
working in a cubicle but my mind chief
was drifting to the ocean and so I
followed the wave and volunteered for a
halfback whale research in the northern
ireland’s of the Philippines where our
experienced swimming and hearing the
sound that hearing the songs of the
humpback whales as the current of the
sound vibration passed through my body
as you see I’m here for the long haul
not just for the short ride and I can
almost hear the train of the rhyming
words Wow that I’m doing my best
it was never easy still never easy it’s
challenging and there are moments when I
almost had to exit and cut my hair and
don’t care but there’s a real that’s
fishing me back to this life’s mission I
have committed to the mission of
creating a an intentional community
where it’s a safe space for
truth-telling and hub to support the
activation of awakened consciousness for
peace and ecological sustainability l
and I together we’re the heart friends
have taken the leap to create this
century a space where it will integrate
three pillars creative awakening sacred
ecology and spiritual vitality with
intention to help heightened awareness
of one’s compassion for humanity and the
planet Dalai Lama put said compassion is
the radicalism of our time I remain
faithful in my art and art will continue
to be part of activism art will continue
to advance enlightened ecological
consciousness art will always reveal the
future ahead of us thank you
[Music]
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