Leadership through Friendship

“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is a success,” by Henry Ford.

Civil Affairs had been one of the ways that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) used in their efforts to counter insurgency and create good relations with the citizens of the Philippines. Civil Affairs is one of the pillars of Civil Military Operations of the AFP, which is commenced by the uniformed service autonomously or in coordination with civilian entities to promote public interest and trust. Gaining public support is accomplished by collaboration, cooperation, and the implementation of sociological and developmental activity.

Delving deeper into Civil Affairs, it is essential to consider that the Armed Forces are treated differently in different agencies depending on social dynamics. Politics significantly influenced how cooperative a local government, an agency, and a stakeholder might be when presented with community-based activities like medical missions and livelihood assistance. The target audience can be dealt with using Civil Relations and Civic Actions. These two components will help the organization attain the goal of engaging the key leaders and stakeholders to invest in the intended activities

Civil Relations, in a deeper understanding, is where the relationship with the intended civilian entity originates. The operators must expect that most of these targets do not have an interest or are unwilling to cooperate with the organization. The operators need to be persuasive to spark a connection between the intended targets with the organization. Enhancing civilian-oriented activities encourages better links with the community and a more substantial support base for the organization and the government.

Civic Actions are more community oriented rather than agencies or critical leaders. This method aims to gain the popular support of the people and encourage other civilian entities to invest in future community-based activities. It deals more with showing ties that the community and the stakeholders participate in. It strengthens the bond between the organization and the stakeholders through the show of results while providing benefits to the concerned stakeholder.

In conclusion, the opening statement means that forming a relationship with one another first starts with a meeting and giving the best impression. It is a matter of persuasion and effective use of influence. Next is keeping this relationship strong and maintaining friendly and good affairs with each other while ensuring both sides get their benefits. Lastly, never-ending support through collaboration and cooperation will achieve goals and far-reaching success.

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Reference:

Goodreads. “A Quote by Henry Ford.” Goodreads.com, 2019, www.goodreads.com/quotes/118854-coming-together-is-the-beginning-keeping-together-is-progress-working.