I am happy that the saga with Aware so far (it is too early to say it has ended). My wife and me watch the whole episode with great interest, although our position on various issues are different. She is pro-family and I am pro-choice but we are both against the ex-new Exco of Aware.
Whether it is bad PR or lack of experience or bias of the media, the following remains:
1. They were telling half-truth in an NGO, an environment that requires and values transparency. In some cases, they either out-right lie or they changed their position often. The appearance of the puppet master, a feminist mentor, and the church (please don’t give me the BS that COOS is not involved) behind all these is the last straw for us.
2. (1) is not about whether they are christian or their views of homosexuality, which I disagreed but my wife agreed. As I said, she is pro-family – but at least she don’t see people who disagreed with pro-family as anti-family.
3. Their action so far in Aware speaks volume of their modules of operation: shutting down all sub-committee, firing long-time staff members, changing locks, security cameras, and uncontrolled spending of reserves.
This is not how you takeover a society. This is not even the way you handle a hostile takeover of a company. NGO is a totally different beast, and far more political and sensitive for you to run it as if you own it.
4. If there is one thing the ex-new Exco would be disqualified to run Aware, it is their value of Pro-Family they wear with pride. Aware is not just about helping woman to be successful (and by that count, the ex-new Exco is fully qualified) but build upon Suffrage movement.
Pro-Family oppose abortion. Pro-Feminism, on their first agenda list is reproductive rights, including abortions. Pro-Family and Pro-Feminism have a lot of things that don’t see eye to eye.
Don’t get me wrong: There is nothing wrong with Pro-Family values, although it is not one I subscribe to, but there are decent people (like my wife) who believes in it. But that value has no place in Pro-Feminism group.
