Currently, I am fabulously enjoying the luxury of time away from the employment pressures. And such is a personal choice, a sacrifice made to deciduously focus on another chapter of my life-a lifetime journey with my most significant other. And instead of worrying of not doing anything much of my free time, I do the entire planning of my wedding, developing myself more in communication aspect, and further comprehending how development is best achieved not only for myself and for the persons around me, but also in a wider spectrum of the society we live in and the world in general.

Hearing the term Development Communication gives a new face of achieving sustainable development that everyone does hope for. Learning its concepts and approaches was for me, a challenge more than a learning. It is not just taught and memorized and remembered, but it is designed to be applied, to influence, to create awareness, and to instill change. Moreover, more than the concepts and definitions of development communication, its significant linkage to everyday life, and particularly to mine, is both ineluctable and oblivious. It doesn’t need to be acknowledged every single moment, but towards the end, it creates essential purport.

One of the easiest and unique ways to spread social change is through the use of electronic communication and social media. It is said to be less expensive, more interactive, definitely contemporary, and can cater an immeasurable number of people; a modern and easy example is Facebook.

Facebook has been an essential element in the field of communications especially in the development of modern media, and I too use this.  It is not only limited to a one-on-one interaction, but goes far beyond that by reaching multiple people at the same time. More than that, it has become a tool for social advocacy and freedom of expression, faster and easier access to news and information, new way of social interaction, and most importantly, it breaks boundaries of cultural divergence.

Indeed, communication in its basic definition encompasses all human activities. Quoting Paul Watzlawick, You (We) Cannot not Communicate, and therefore, whatever the circumstances are, communication serve as a tool to engage one’s self, thought, and feelings to anyone, to everyone, and even to intangible and abstract ones. The process itself is boundless, vast, and infinite, and through time it develops and matures to be one of the most significant armor for change and development. 

We are living in a world that is designed to be complicated-the ironies of life that define each other’s distinctness and the diversity of culture make it even more complex. And throughout this unending and repeated process, there is one thing that signifies its intricacy and has a major part of its growth and regress, which is communication.

Having a degree in communication was not enough to understand its application to attaining the sustainable development every human may wish to have. And so I pursued a higher degree in Development Management to deeply understand how every aspect of society relate with each other and how social policies make up social structure, yet having such comprehension made me more sensitive in dealing with various social issues particularly in the public service.

In my short experience in the public service, development seemed concealed with the fabricated facts to satisfy what the people ought to deserve, and worst it starts in the lowest levels of offices in the government. The integrity, transparency, and ethics in the public service are becoming a definition only read on papers. These characteristics are impeded by the people who are the main recipients of development.

Quoting my former colleague as he considers himself a “veteran” as he says, “you may either simply go with the flow or bear the anxiousness you see opposing your belief on righteousness”. But I ended up not taking any of those and instead giving up a career in the public service.

Beyond numerous disappointments in the government system, who should I have to blame? Is it the system or the people manipulating such? Or should I blame myself for doing nothing and merely ranting? The issues of integrity and ethics have long been existed and only the people who composed the problem are the ones who can possibly cure it. The power of communication, verbally and non-verbally indeed shape the way people view things and even to create their own identity. And therefore, understanding the roles of communication in facilitating development and the changes it may impact in our lives will towards the end will never be just a role to play nor a relationship between and among people, but an effective tool to use for service and to get people involved towards growth.

A month ago, I was really planning to create blogs on my wedding preparations and the things I love doing like cooking, travelling, and anything under the sun. I was always planning and was not diligent enough to start it up, but the Universe has already pushed me to broadcast a piece of myself (for the first time), not because I willingly choose to do it (somehow), but for academic purposes, I am ought to do it.

I don’t usually share my life to the public because I am too afraid of the vastness of online reach. Also, I consider myself a private person, an introvert sometimes, and not a good writer. I do not even know if my thoughts would impart change to other people’s perceptions, or would even influence others in a good way. Whatever my reasons are, here I am, blogging, and most importantly, trying to embrace change.