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Peace
challenge to the GPH and NDFP: Peace agreement in 18 months
(2012-June 2013) with interim ceasefire, or else…
By Soliman M. Santos, Jr.
This is that time of the year again for possible unilateral
announcements by the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the
National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) on a Christmas
season ceasefire. Last year’s Christmas season ceasefire of 19
days from 16 December 2010 (the traditional beginning of Simbang
Gabi or Misa de Gallo) to 3 January 2011 was hailed as the “longest”
ever such ceasefire for quite some time. But actually, there were
previous longer Christmas season ceasefires of 29 days from 9
December 2001 to 6 January 2002 during the first year of the first
Arroyo administration (2001-04), and of 60 days from 10 December
1986 to 6 February 1987, the latter also related to the first
GRP-NDFP peace talks during the first year of the first Aquino
administration (1986-92). To be sure, a holiday not only from work
but also from the fighting would be welcome by most people any time.
But it is also time that we go beyond almost ritualistic
declarations of a Christmas and New Year ceasefire.
Imagining
a consti amendment for a Moro “sub-state”
By Soliman M. Santos, Jr.
Is this not putting the cart before the horse? Why not wait for the
Comprehensive Compact outcome of the GPH-MILF peace negotiations
first? For all we know, constitutional amendments may not be
necessary. But actually, we already know that they will be necessary
if there is to be an enabling core framework that would be
qualitative better in terms of self-governance than the existing
constitutional provisions Article X, Sections 15-21 on autonomous
regions. We already know from existing drafts and statements of the
MILF that the form of self-determination that they seek has been
expressed through catch words like notably “sub-state juridical
entity,” “asymmetrical state-substate relationship,” “asymmetrical
structure through compact of free association,” “free
association of state or union,” “associative relationship,”
“free associated state,” “associated free state” and the
like which are unfortunately not readily understandable.
We
will need charter change for the peace process
By Soliman M. Santos, Jr.
Right now, the prevailing majority sentiment seems to be that
charter change is not urgent nor even a priority for the country.
For many, it is not even needed, so they ask: Why? Those who have
recently and prominently called for it early in this new
administration, notably former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno, spoke
on the 1987 Constitution having spawned a failed state, one crippled
by a weak electoral system, social inequalities and a politically
vulnerable judiciary. Another former Chief Justice, Artemio V.
Panganiban, disagrees “with due respect,” and says the priority
is solving excessive corruption and grinding poverty. Other pundits
object to charter change at this time due to its great monetary cost
at a time of many rising costs, reduced budgets and impending
increased taxes. There are also the oft-expressed apprehensions
regarding the “tinkering” (alternatively, “monkeying around”)
with the Constitution by the suspect Congress of perceived
self-serving politicians, especially for the tired old issue of
lifting or changing term limits.
The Current
Political, Economic and Social Contexts in the Philippines
Center-Periphery Disparities
By Charlito “Kaloy” Manlupig,
Chairperson , Balay Mindanaw
A Presentation to the
Conference on
“Human Rights and Democratization: Trends and Challenges Under the
Aquino Government,”
June 29-30, 2011 at the Konrad Adenauer Academy, Berlin, Federal
Republic of Germany
Tribute to a Former Colleague, A Friend, A Mentor, A Mindanawan Leader -- Mr. Rey Magno Teves
By Ayi Hernandez
Delivered in the House of Representatives, November 16, 2009
Daghang
salamat, Rey…
By Kaloy Manlupig
A Tribute to Rey Magno Teves delivered during the Necrological
Service on November 13, 2009 at the Ateneo High School Chapel, Davao
City
Condolence
Letter to Mila Teves: Tribute to Rey Magno Teves
Lawyer Soliman "Sol" M. Santos Jr. writes about his fellow
peace advocate Rey Magno Teves, Vice Chairperson of Balay Mindanaw's
Board.
Interrelationship
of the Mindanao Peace Process and the Communist Front of War and
Peace: Initial Notes and Thoughts
Peace advocate
Atty. Soliman M. Santos Jr. discussed at length the GRP-RPMM Peace
Processes, wherein Balay Mindanaw serves as the secretariat, as a
viable alternative model. Please click here
to download the Word file.
Transforming
Violent Conflict:
Fostering Conflict Transformation in the Military
This essay will be based on one chapter of the ACTS (Applied
Conflict Transformation Studies) book, Transforming Violent
Conflicts. This essay will also consider some approaches on how to
deal with situations of violent conflict, particularly at the
large-scale level. Approaches discussed here include the features of
social cohesion whose foundation lies in the people that bridge
societal divides. Second is the kind of change that should be made
in the process of conflict transformation which is positive and
founded on the values and vision towards peace. And the third one is
the dialogical approach in influencing stakeholders, policies and
policy-makers in the military.
RIDO and its Influence on the
Academe, NGOs and the Military
Why should the academe, non-government organizations and the
military be interested in ridos? It is a clan conflict, annoying and
destructive, deadly for the people that are directly involved. So
why should that be interesting for outsiders? This essay -- by
Svenja Schmelcher, peace worker of the German Development Service
assigned at BMFI for the past two years -- describes the conflict
pattern of rido and its traditional handling mechanism and shows the
influence it has on other stakeholders in the near and distant
surroundings. As the common conflict resolution practices have been
proven ineffective in the case of rido, the great effectiveness of
traditional conflict resolution mechanisms have become more and more
of interest. It is the aim of the essay to provide an introduction
into the pattern of this particular kind of conflict and its
handling mechanism and to show the connection to the new
stakeholders that are drawn into it.
German
city dweller finds meaningful life amidst the Higaonons of Minalwang
WHY does the development community try to change the
traditional life of indigenous people (IP)? Are organizations like
the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) really helping them by
implementing development projects aimed at pursuing western values?
Wouldn’t these cultures rather continue to live according to
values of their own? Being at a stage of my life where I have to
decide whether or not to pursue a career in development, I worked as
an intern for the KAS in the Philippines to get first-hand
experiences and thus answers to these questions which are rarely
addressed in university.
Peace
Talks between the Government of the Philippines (GRP) and the
Revolutionary Workers Party of Mindanao (RPM-M)
By Paul Clifford
A
first-hand account from a volunteer: The Year Ender
A young volunteer's account
of life as a social development worker fresh from college
By Jong jong Ladaga
The
GRP - RPM-M Peace Process 2005: The Journey Continues
Some Thoughts
from Kaloy Manlupig
President of Balay Mindanaw
Head of the Independent Secretariat to the GRP-RPMM Peace Process
Peace-Building Work in Mindanaw
The “Other” Peace Process:
Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the
Revolutionary Workers’ Party of Mindanao (RPMM)
A Commitment to the Pursuit of Development and Peace in Mindanao
By Kaloy Manlupig
Balay Mindanaw: Helping build
a home of equity, development and peace for Mindanao’s peoples
By the Voluntary Service
Overseas
FEDERALISM: New
Hope for Mindanao and the Philippines
By Sylvia
Okinlay-Paraguya
Chairperson, Balay Mindanaw Foundation, Inc.
Balay
Mindanaw’s Local Governance Work in Mindanao
By Kaloy Manlupig
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