“Unity Amidst Diversity”

No two persons are alike, they say. Each of us has his own personality and identity. But as we age and become mature, we tend to find and be with those people who have the same personality and principles as ours. Being with them makes us functional, therefore positively contributing to the society. It’s because we can do so much things when we’re with those people who we are comfortable with and who have the same ideas and principles as ours. Scientists join forces to find cures for illnesses, the government is there to lead the nation and provide justice to the abused, farmers and other producers provide food for everyone, and intellects continue to think of theories and principles that can be applied in the present and future. Each group has its own unique identity and function. Each group contributes to the welfare of the nation.

However, what we don’t realize is that the concept of “faction” prevents us from being united. It creates a borderline separating a group from another, therefore prohibiting peace and harmony to take place among the members of the society. The rich would only deal with the rich. The knowledgeable ones would prefer being with their fellow intellects. The poor is intimidated, therefore making them somehow socially-awkward. What is even worse is that people in a group tend to abuse their power therefore benefiting themselves at the expense of others.

In this 10th Mid-year Convention, Local Chapters are assigned factions. LCs will have to compete with one another for honor and glory. Practical and academic skills will be tested through the series of activities and competitions and participants are expected to be very competitive. But at the end of the day, WVFJPIA aims to promote unity among its members. Yes, we came from different universities and islands and competition is inevitable. Yes, each of us has his own personality and beliefs. However, we are here to also have fun, learn, and build camaraderie with our fellow JPIAns. The theme teaches us that different factions hone specialization of work and strengthens the essence of being Local Chapters, but despite being different from one another, despite belonging to different factions, at the end of the day, it’s our being JPIAns that matters.

A quote says, “Peace is not unity in similarity, but unity in diversity, in the comparison and conciliation of differences”. We would most likely achieve peace and harmony through uniting amidst our diversities. We may take different shapes and sizes, but remember, each of us is an important piece to the puzzle as each JPIAn is an essential part of the WVFJPIA.