BRIEF BACKGROUND ON THE GPH-CPP/NPA/NDF PEACE NEGOTIATIONS Insurgency problem has been with us

for 42 years Negotiations have spanned 24 years

and 4 presidencies. This is the fifth Panel to conduct the

negotiations. Over 40 rounds have been completed

since 1992. More than 10 Agreements and Joint

Statements signed by the Parties, including the CARHRIHL

13 interruptions due to contentious & prejudicial issues (i.e, sovereignty, JASIG, abduction of military/police personnel, terrorist listing, others) .

RWC-SER OF GPH AND NDF

(L-R) Prof. Fernando Aldaba (GPH), Mr. Randall Echanis (NDF); Ms. Juliet De Lima (NDF-SER Chair) Mr. Ednar Dayanghirang (GPH-SER Chair);

Mr. Rafael Baylosis (NDF); & Fr. Albert Alejo SJ (GPH)

Public consultation

on the GPH-NDF

issues

THE INVISIBLE WAR: BETWEEN GROUPS

WITH DIFFERENT VALUES, KNOWLEDGES, ATTITUDES

Challenging “Majority-Minority” Habit of Thinking1. The majority now has not been the

majority in the beginning.2. Christians form the majority in the

Philippines, but we are minority in the rest of Asia.

3. While Christians feel we are the majority in the country, actually, in some places like Basilan, Christians are a minority.

84 million Philippine populationCatholic Church = 83%Other Christians = 9%Muslims = 5 %Indigenous and other Religious Traditions = 3%

Catholic Church83 %

Indigenous and other Religious Traditions

3 %

Other Christians

9%

Muslims5% Catholic Church

Other Christians

Muslims

Indigenous andother ReligiousTraditions

Catholic Church

85%

Indigenous and other Religious Traditions

1%

Other Christians

9%

Muslims5%

Catholic Church

Other Christians

Muslims

Indigenous andother ReligiousTraditions

Source: www.nationmaster.com

Mindanao Population• 18 Indigenous groups 8.9%• 13 Islamized tribes 18.5%• “Kristiyanos”/ “settlers” 72.5%

TAWI-TAWI SULUBASILAN

LANAO DEL SUR

MAGUINDANAOS. KABUNSUAN

MINDANAO

Provinces where Muslims are majority

Public Land Law and Resettlement

Hectarage Allowed

Year Homesteader Non-Christian Corporation

1903 16 has. (no provision) 1,024 has.

1919 24 has. 10 has. 1,024 has.

1936 16 has. 4 has. 1,024 has.

COTABATO 1918 CENSUS

Bayan ng Lumad - 5

Bayan ng Moro - 20

COTABATO 1939 CENSUS

Bayan ng Moro - 20

Bayan ng Lumad - 9

Bayan ng Settler - 3

POPULATION CHANGE IN COTABATO 1918-19701918 1939

1970

Bayan ng MoroBayan ng LumadBayan ng Settler

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION AND CONFLICT

Trigger: How do

religions get into conflict?

Islam is a religion of peace. Christianity is a religion of love. But why do we witness so much fighting among Muslims and Christians? Why the deep and persistent prejudices hurled against each other? And this despite the many interreligious and interfaith dialogues? Presuming that religion is not the main culprit, how is religion “recruited” as it were into this friction? And to what extent are we part of this?

Could it be the link between religion,

culture, and history? Faith-based peace activists must understand the

dynamics of religion, culture and conflict. E.g. Religion initiates individuals into a community. Community building, however, builds not just identity but boundary. Identity markers both define who is in and who is out. Formation of identity involves oppositional identity. This distinction, when taken too sharply, or too exclusively, can lead to fundamentalism or chauvinism.

COLONIAL CONDITION

“COLONIZER”

“COLONIZED”

IF YOU WANT PROGRESS, LEARN OUR WAYS. THEY’RE THE BEST!

I MUST LEARN THEIR WAYS AND FORGET OURS.

FROM INTERFAITH TO INTRAFAITH

DIALOGUE

Working on Prejudices

A study reveals that both Muslims and Christians have developed prejudices against each other, but that Christians seem to have stronger prejudices against the Muslims.

One problem is the prevalent lack of training in dialogue. Much of education is monologue, or debate---which often is nothing but a clash of two monologues.

We need to engage in Intra-Faith Dialogue

Existing peace initiatives are closing the gap between “dialogue Christians” and “dialogue Muslims”. But it is not clear whether we are closing the gap between the “dialogue Christians” and the “prejudiced Christians”, or between the “dialogue Muslims” and the “armed Muslims.”

Bishops-Ulama Conference, 35th General Assembly, Jolo, Sulu, November 18-21, 2008• While we continue with interfaith activities,

we shall also pursue authentic intrafaith dialogues among our own communities. We hope that through this open communication, we will find a way to face our own share in the prolonged problem in Mindanao as well as discover how we could go beyond our hurts and biases. Perhaps this holds a key to more creative solutions to the impasse in our peace process.

TAYO-TAYO MUNA!Intrafaith Dialogue among Catholics in the Service of

Interfaith Dialogue with Muslims and Lumads

CORRUPTION AS VIOLENCE

INTEGRITY AS PEACE

Corruption and ViolenceCorruption is violence. Corruption kills. It destroys

the environment. If destroys institutions. It destroys hope. Corruption makes people angry.

Corrupt people refuse to accept that actions have consequences. My actions affect other people. And my bad decisions for the sake of my immediate benefit may destroy others’ dream in the future. Corruption snatches away hope. That is why corruption breeds conflict and war.

Integrity as PeaceIf we want peace, we need to live a life of integrity. Integrity means you are not deceiving other

people. Integrity means you are not taking away what is

not yours. Integrity means not feeding your family with what

you have stolen from other people’s family. Integrity means you are not getting rich or powerful

through illegal and immoral means.

Gold• Money speaks …

a) patronage for the campaign, for network-building

b) vote-buying and other illicit practices c) political advertising [often in violation

of the laws that place limits on media exposure], and other such activities.

Corruption destroys the environment

Soil erosion-inappropriate agri system

Landslides

Flooding & Flashfloods

Irresponsible Mining and extractive

industry

Logging and tree cutting

Drought

Risk: Climate Change (Temperature)

Mindanao is generally Agri-based and consideredhigh risk if there is an increase in temperature.

Very High Risk Areas:

MaguindanaoSuluBasilan

GovermentBusiness Church Non-Government

Leaders

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

CORRUPTION

Education and Corruption

…Corruption in education affects more people than corruption in most other sectors and it affects the development potential of

the whole country…

Possible Areas of Corruption in the SchoolEstablishment

of School

ApprovalEmployment

Educational Activities

Curriculum

Library

Textbooks

Uniform

StudentsExaminations Report

Card

Teacher & Staff

TaskAllocation

Personnel Matters

WorkTime

DisciplinaryActions

Financial Administration

Requests &Liquidations Appropriations

Taxation

The Overdue Challenge:Localization of Corruption

The different facets and manifestations of corruption in the campus: Cheating Plagiarism Cutting classes Bullying Loitering

loafing bumming tambay

Bribery Stealing Vandalism Habitual tardiness and absences Faked diplomas

Campus election frauds Deceptive campus election campaigns School funds mismanagement

annual yearbook school paper club funds

Campus sports anomalies Rampant solicitation

• annual yearbook• club t-shirts• Christmas parties• construction of fences• field trips

Other malpractices and malfeasance

Slide 17

Bullying is a

seriousmatter!

http://fvdb.wordpress.com/2010/07/25/plagiarist-supreme-court/

Catholic Schools• ‘Many graduates of Catholic schools have

been successful economically and politically but they have also contributed to the dismal economic and political imbalances existing in our country’ (Plenary Council of the Philippines II, no. 267)

CHURCH’S EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE

V. CONFESSION OF SINS COMMITTED IN ACTIONS AGAINST LOVE, PEACE, THE RIGHTS OF PEOPLES, AND RESPECT FOR

CULTURES AND RELIGIONS (POPE JOHN PAUL II, DAY OF PARDON, MARCH 12, 2000

• “Lord of the world, Father of all, through your Son you asked us to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us and to pray for those who persecute us. Yet Christians have often denied the Gospel; yielding to a mentalíty of power, they have violated the rights of ethnic groups and peoples, and shown contempt for their cultures and religious traditions: be patient and merciful towards us, and grant us your forgiveness! We ask this through Christ our Lord.”

CANADIAN OBLATES OF MARY IMMACULATE (1991)

• “We apologize for the part we played in the cultural, ethnic, linguistic, religious imperialism that was part of the mentality within which the peoples of Europe first met the aboriginal peoples and which consistently has lurked behind the way the Native peoples of Canada have been treated by civil governments and by the Churches. We were, naively, part of this mentality and were, in fact, often a key player in its implementation.”

Jesuits confession in GC 34: Intuition and alienation

“Our intuition is that the Gospel resonates with what is good in each culture. At the same time, we acknowledge that we have not always followed this intuition.

We have not always recognized that aggression and coercion have no place in the preaching of the Gospel of freedom, especially in cultures which are vulnerable to manipulation by more powerful forces.

We have often contributed to the alienation of the very people we wanted to serve” (90-92)

FRANCISCAN PROVINCE OF SAN FELIPE DE JESUS TO THE MAYAN PEOPLE (MANI, YUCATAN 2009)

We ask forgiveness of the Mayan people for not having understood your world view and your religion and for having denied your deities;

for not having respected your culture and for having imposed upon you for many centuries a religion that you did not understand;

for having demonized your religious practices and for having declared in word and writing that they were works of the devil and that your idols were Satan incarnate…

Considering Forgiveness

During a number of sessions on clan conflict and interfaith dialogue, forgiveness was mentioned both by Muslims and Christians. While nobody thought it was easy, nobody seems to claim that it was impossible. A few testimonies proved it was necessary.

Testimony of Datu Toto Paglas

As a young boy, he witnessed the murder of his father. He was old enough to remember, but too young to fight. When he grew up, his relatives told him to revenge. But Toto Paglas refused.

Later, his younger brother was killed. Again, he decided not to be like his brother’s murderer. When another brother was killed, his relatives volunteered to take vengeange into their hands.

Toto stopped them, saying that if he killed another person, the family of that person will take another life back, and the cycle will not stop.

From Arms to Farms

“I believe that real peace is in education and livelihood. If people are not educated, then the only pride they have is to own and use a gun. If the people are hungry, they can not think properly; they fight for their family. So I converted our land into a plantation. I hired the members of the family that killed my father and my brothers. Now I can walk even without a body guard. I am at peace.”—Toto Paglas

Celebrating Culture of Peace

Peace Village:Village of Peace, Children of PeacePresented by:

Estrella Abid-Babano, CESO III

Regional DirectorDepED X, Cagayan de Oro

City

Peace Campaigns

From instruments of death to nurturing of life. Converting arms to farms

☺“Kids Say NO to Guns”