Introduction:

Our experience in the GRP- RPM-M Peace Process has taught us one important lesson: Peace is not only the journey’s end. More importantly, peace is a way of journeying. Peace is not only the resolution of strife but a way of striving.

The Peace Process has successfully managed to take off the ground. Three vital documents have been signed by the two panels, local consultations involving thirty barangays (with 24 barangays within an ancestral domain) in three municipalities in two provinces in two regions of Mindanao have been held, some confidence-building measure projects are already being implemented, and more consultations are scheduled and more development projects are due for implementation.

More importantly, this Peace Process has survived and surmounted odds and obstacles – the lack of resources, the long lull caused by the electoral/political season, the differences in frameworks and approaches of the parties involved, the moments of doubt when one or both parties were seriously contemplating of ending the process, the moments of impatience, anger and despair, and many other tests of endurance, fortitude and commitment. The parties involved have emerged stronger, wiser, more committed, more principled, more peaceful.

Most importantly, the Peace Process has become a way of striving for those involved: the Panel members, the secretariats, the partners, and most especially the peoples and communities – a striving which has been peaceful and empowering…and rewarding.

Indeed, this Other Peace Process is proving this Other Paradigm right: Empowered and sustainable communities are the real foundation of lasting peace. The process itself (and not the process’ end) will already allow these communities to win small victories, and build peace by themselves. The final resolution is important but communities need not wait for this. Building peace is here and now.

We must not lose sight of the ultimate goals of this Peace Process: 1. a final resolution to the conflict through a formal peace agreement between GRP and RPM-M; and 2. empowered, sustainable and peaceful barangays, communities and tribes able to freely analyze their situation, appreciate their resources, identify their needs, formulate and implement their own plans, and living in harmony with history, culture and nature.

I propose that we focus our efforts on the following:

1. Keep the Parties talking. Continue facilitating the dialogue. Sustain and even strengthen channels of communication both formal and informal. Initiate regular face-to-face meetings between/among parties. Observe mutuality – what one gets, the other also gets. Encourage candid dialogues and discussions. Never allow long silences. This will help ensure that the arms remain silent. Help organize the next round of formal talks, and encourage the signing of the Formal Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities and even of the Final Peace Agreement.

2. Keep the peoples and communities involved. This is non-negotiable. Organize and conduct more local consultations. Exert utmost effort to innovate and improve the consultation design to be better, more participatory, more efficient, more effective and more productive. Let’s target at least fifty more consultations before June 2005.

3. Show results: Small Victories that Inspire. The peoples and communities are hoping. In fact, they are expecting and waiting for concrete things to happen after the consultations. We have asked them to give their own share, show their own stake. Let’s finish our consultation documentation. Let’s help package the proposals for the priority projects. Let’s help mobilize external resources to supplement and complement internal resources. Let’s set up a system to monitor compliance and delivery of commitments from various agencies and stakeholders.

4. Build on initial successes. Sustain the momentum, spread the good news. Yes, I think we should exert effort to let more people hear the good news. Let us now do something about monitoring and documentation, and about our media and communication plan.