#AnimatED: Inspire courage amid the despair

As Rappler enters its 5th year, we invite you all to reflect on what courage means to us as individuals and as a nation, from the personal to the national. 

We face vastly changing times and they are demanding more from us as citizens. Our history is being upended, our humanity is being challenged, and the new leader of a global power is casting shadows on the future of our country’s economy and security. Our responses to these challenges call for courage. 

When the Supreme Court allowed the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos to be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani, students led protests in various parts of the country. They were unafraid to speak up against the 9 justices of the highest court of the land who chose to disregard the weight of history. 

Hardly had the sadness worn off when news of the victory of Donald Trumpswept the world.  What Trump stands for runs counter to values we hold dear, primarily tolerance, inclusion and diversity.

There’s more. A Trump presidency does not augur well for certain businesses in the country, remittances, our lifesaver, and our security, especially in the South China Sea.

All this is not lost on our readers. In a recent Twitter conversation, our readers gave thoughtful answers on rising to the occasion, painting various shades of courage. Here are a few:

• One says she chooses to “remain positive in light of what’s happening in the world.”
• Another calls for “going against the current if you believe history is not what it seems.”
• Yet another chooses “hope and inspired action amidst all hate and desperation.”

Courage on the personal front is equally important. We invite you to share your stories, like this one, of a triathlete who, months after a near-death experience, competed in one of the world’s most grueling races.

In journalism, we share our own hurdles as well, in the hope that we inspire others.

Let us nurture courage in our hearts and minds. This will help us ride out the storms coming our way. – Rappler.com