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Lanao del Norte provincial employees attend seminar for peace
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- Thirty-nine employees from the provincial government of Lanao del Norte attended on July 9-11, 2008 a seminar-workshop on peace-building at Apple Tree Beach Resort this city.
Sponsored by the Provincial Government of Lanao del Norte in coordination with Balay Mindanaw Foundation, Inc., the workshop provided an overview of the national peace plan which is the blueprint of every local government's peace building initiatives.
Read
more at the PIA website
A personal journey
with the 'bakwits'
"I did not have the chance to
run and hide because of my poor condition. I am already old and
weak. They caught me in the street. They beat me up all over, pushed
me, and suddenly one of them hit my left ear with a bolo. They
dragged and left me in the street. My ear was bleeding severely.
After that experience, I have a hard time sleeping. I have these
thoughts of that night’s events. I am afraid that they would come
back." These were the words of
73-year-old Nong Tiburcio as he vividly recalled the events that
happened to him during the first day of the attack of an MILF
renegade group led by Commander Bravo in several towns in Lanao del
Norte last August 18, 2008. It was a shocking experience for this
old man. While he shared his plight, his hands and feet were
trembling.
Reclaiming
Peace Within: A Basic Training on Community-based Trauma Healing
“Pamatia kung unsa nga parte sa imong lawas ang sakit?” This is
one of the basic questions asked of people who have experienced
violence in helping them regain their confidence and their worth
despite the pain and what violence has inflicted on them. This is
also one of the questions asked when you are being taught how to be
aware of your bodily responses to negative experiences. If the
question is answered, then the healing begins. Thirty-two warm
bodies gathered together at the Balay Mindanaw Peace Center in
Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City for a three-day session on “Reclaiming
Peace Within: A Basic Training on Community-based Trauma Healing”
held last September 3 to 5, 2008.
"Healing
in Lapayan"
A poem by Victor Peñaranda
Global
Xchange volunteers hear Mindanao lecture from the experts
Amid the growing tension between government soldiers and the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the province of Lanao del Norte
and while all kinds of forums regarding the Memorandum of Agreement
on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) are being facilitated all over the
country, 19 young volunteers of the Global Xchange Programme chose
to seek better understanding of the Mindanao situation at the Balay
Mindanaw Peace Center last August 26.
Healing
in Lapayan
A poem by Victor Peñaranda,
iligan city-lanao del norte
Balay
Mindanaw shares Ateneo Peace Award on its 12th year
Last December 9, 2007, Balay Mindanaw received the Ateneo peace
award. The award is bestowed on persons or groups, government or
non-government, who have made significant contributions to the peace
process and culture of peace. It is a recognition of work on
peacebuilding, agrarian reform, sustainable development and
democratic participation in governance. But for Balay Mindanaw, the
award is not only for the organization itself but also, and most
especially, to its partner communities, government and
non-government organizations, academe and the religious sector, who
have been with Balay Mindanaw. A shared award for the shared
experiences, learning and reflections.
East
Timor martial artists learn peacebuilding in Mindanaw
Key leaders of the different martial arts groups of East
Timor visited Mindanao last April 19-24 and had an exposure on the
different peace initiatives of Balay Mindanaw. They had the
opportunity to learn and share experiences with rural communities on
community-based peacebuilding, the negotiation process between GRP
and RPM-M, and also had a dialogue with military commanders who are
now engaged in peacebuilding.
TSP’s
Vic Hao Chin pushes for youth development
Balay Mindanaw recently invited Vic Hao Chin, President of the
Theosophical Society of the Philippines, to hold a session on how to
handle and help develop our youth. The topic is very important such
that Balay Mindanaw is now looking at a more strategic intervention
towards community youth development and peace.
Waging
Peace in the Barangay
A movement is now slowly
brewing in the barangays of Misamis Oriental, slowly transforming
the once conflict areas into peaceful ones. A calm and gentle
atmosphere is slowly creeping into the local people’s
consciousness. As part of its strategy of educating towards a
culture of peace, Balay Mindanaw has been continuously conducting
comprehensive peace building courses dubbed “OP KORS! Operation
Peace Course.” Silent,
obscure and away from the limelight of media, these local people
have been waging peace in their respective barangays. Right after
their OP KORS Training, through their recalls, come stories of their
journey of peace. They have told stories of how they have handled
conflicts in their homes better (Peace work at home) and how as
local leaders, they have managed and resolved conflicts better.
Play
for Peace: A Dialogue Through Sports
Mindanao has long been torn by wars and conflicts. These displaced
thousands of people, destroyed homes and claimed thousands of lives.
For decades, peace has been an elusive dream. It is said that
Mindanao has had a history of unrest partly due to the diverse
characters of its population. That this diversity has led to
conflict among the various groups. This has been proven wrong last
January 25-27, when badminton players from all over the country and
from the different sectors of society came and played for peace.
Peace through badminton attracts big crowd
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/26 Jan) -- It's just a game, but organizers of the first "Let's Play for Peace in Mindanao" badminton tournament here hope it can somehow contribute to the attainment of peace in the island. It seems to have gotten the attention of many a badminton enthusiast as the tournament attracted a total of 558 players (or 279 pairs) from all over the country, cutting across various sectors, including religious (both Muslims and Christians), soldiers, students, government officials, and many more. Organizers over a hundred more in the waiting list could not be accommodated anymore.
Balay Mindanaw receives
Ateneo Peace Award
On December 9, 2007, Balay
Mindanaw was conferred the Ateneo Peace Award during ceremonies at
the Ateneo de Zamboanga High School Building, Tumuga, Zamboanga
City. The award is bestowed on persons or groups, government or
non-government, who have made significant contributions to the peace
process and culture of peace. Read the speech of
Sylvia Okinlay-Paraguya, Balay board chair. Read also the closing
speech of Antonio F. Moreno, S.J., president of the Ateneo de
Zamboanga University. Click here
for the citation, and here for more info
about the award.
Institutionalization of
peace training among soldiers pushed
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- The top brass in the
military in Mindanao, as well as commanders on the ground, feel the
need to institutionalize trainings on peace building and conflict
management to help bring about peace in the island and as part of
the efforts to transform soldiers to become responsible warriors.
Archbishop Ledesma backs ‘Baklay Sumilao’
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma has expressed support to the Sumilao farmers who have started to walk from Sumilao, Bukidnon all the way to Malacañang in an attempt to reclaim the 144 hectares awarded to them under the government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).In his letter to priests and vicars of Misamis Oriental, Ledesma asked them to show support to the farmers’ cause. He urged his flock to organize the parishioners to provide food, make posters manifesting their support, and interact with the farmers.
10 years later, Mapalad
farmers still didn’t get their land
TEN YEARS AFTER they staged hunger strikes and
stormed the halls of Congress, Sumilao farmers still did not get
their lands under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Act of 1988.
What is worse, the
144-hectare land in barangay San Vicente in Sumilao which the
farmers wanted was sold by its owner, Norberto Quisumbing Sr., to
business tycoon and former ally of late President Ferdinand Marcos,
Eduardo Cojuangco, according to Kaloy Manlupig of Balay Mindanaw
Foundation, Inc. (BMFI).
Peace
Course with the military still going
… despite war in Basilan and Sulu
THE NINTH BATCH of soldiers now undergoing the Course on
Conflict Management and Peace Building at the Balay Mindanao Peace
Center from August 13-17 may be the last. But the question still
lingers: “What happens after the training?” This is one of the
questions Col. Raynard Ronnie Y. Javier, commanding officer of the
103rd Infantry Brigade, posed as a challenge to his 33 officers and
men who attended the Operation Peace Course, or OPKORS!
Remembering
Isse Abdi Isse
Isse Abdi Isse, who attended last year's Action Asia Peace Builder's
Fourm at the Balay Mindanaw Peace Center as an Africa
representative, was killed in Mogadishu last Thursday. His group,
the Kisima Peace and Development Organization, strongly condemns
"the cowardly barbarian killing" in Mogadishu on Thursday,
March 14th, 2007. Isse is remembered for his tireless work of
defending the right of the defenseless for the last one and half
decades. He left behind two widdows, three daughters and one son.
Workshop Unites Conflict
Parties
Why would representatives
from OPAPP, MNLF, MILF, CPP/NPA, CPLA, RPMP and RPMM1
like to join one workshop? Whatever reasons the
respective groups and the individuals had to join the activity, five
out of the seven groups listed above have sent representatives to
participate in the workshop on November 30 till December 2, 2006.
The workshop, dubbed “Frameworks in Peace Negotiations,” was
initiated by Conciliation Resources, a British based non-government
organisation that is supporting negotiation and mediation processes
in various countries all over the world. The meeting was hosted by
BMFI, a local NGO in Cagayan de Oro that is facilitating and
mediating one of the four peace processes in Mindanao.
Letter
from Africa
Richard Smith, a South African who attended the Peace Forum at
Balay Mindanaw in October 2006, writes from Africa: I am writing
about a dire situation developing here in Southern Africa. The
crisis in Zimbabwe has taken a dramatic turn for the worse. The
police and army are out in full force in Harare, and in several
other reported incidents across the country police and soldiers have
dealt extremely violently with protests. People are being shot,
beaten extremely brutally, and even killed. All of this on the back
of years of intimidation by the state using rape and other forms of
thuggery to subdue and scare people.
Meet
a soldier who builds peace
A soldier into peacebuilding? Perhaps this may sound
ironical because traditionally, people have feared the military and
associated them with war and violence. Even with a relatively “trusted”
military like the United Nations peacekeeping force, these negative
perceptions still exist. However, in Western Mindanao, Maj. Gen.
Raymundo Ferrer, currently commander of the First “Tabak”
Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, is trying hard to
challenge these perceptions. But he made his mark as a peace builder
as commanding general of the 103rd Infantry Brigade in the island
province of Basilan from 2004 to 2006. He was also battalion
commander in the area a decade earlier.
‘Manok
Mindanaw’ transforms Libertad households
Earning a net income of
P2,000 to P6,000 every two months -- added to whatever they could
earn from selling copra, corn or rice -- has changed and continues
to transform Barangay Libertad in Gingoog City. The additional
income is derived from raising broilers on contract. But isn’t
poultry contract growing a big agribusiness that only people with
capital in the millions of pesos could afford? A happy synergy of
social preparation by an NGO in cooperation with a responsive
community, a businessman who recognizes the value of social
discipline after failing in other communities, and a thriving market
for a popular food item (lechon manok), these elements have
converged in this bustling barangay less than 20 kilometers away
from the poblacion of Gingoog City.
GRP,
RPM-M sign agreement on ceasefire ground rules
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- As their Christmas gift to residents to
Mindanaoans, representatives of the Government of the Republic of
the Philippines (GRP) and the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa
ng Mindanao (RPM-M) signed Dec. 19 an agreement detailing the ground
rules of the ceasefire agreed upon over a year ago. Government chief
peace negotiator Franklin Quijano said the agreement means that guns
will be silent in villages under the influence of the RPM-M, which
include at least six provinces. The main forces of the RPM-M are
reportedly in Lanao del Norte, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur,
Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and the newly created Shariff
Kabunsuan.
Can soldiers be peace
builders?
LABANGAN, Zamboanga del Sur
-- Can soldiers who are trained for war, also work for peace? The Army’s First “Tabak”
Division (1ID) -- particularly its commander, newly promoted Maj.
Gen. Raymundo Ferrer -- wants to prove that it can be done. Tabak’s
area of responsibility is the western part of Mindanao which
includes the Zamboanga provinces, Basilan and parts of Sulu. “We already have so much
training on fighting, since our cadet days,” Ferrer, a member of
Class 1977 of the Philippine Military Academy, told his soldiers.
“Maybe it’s about time we teach soldiers to do peace building,”
he added.
BalayMin to host ‘First
Action Asia Peacebuilders Forum’
At least 50 peace practitioners from all over the Asia
Pacific Region will come together in a 5-day forum to identify
uniquely Asian approaches in the field of conflict transformation
and peacebuilding, and celebrate the vibrancy and successes of peace
building initiatives in the different countries in Asia. The First
Action Asia Peacebuilders Forum with the theme “Exploring Asian
Approaches to Peacebuilding”, will be held on October 26-31, 2005
at the Balay Mindanaw Peace Center in Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City.
Dr. Johan Galtung, who is the recognized Father of Conflict Studies
and founder of the PRIO-International Peace Research Institute in
Oslo, and a member of the Advisory Council of the Committee for a
democratic United Nations, will be the Forum keynote speaker.
Galtung is also considered as the one who coined the term “peace
journalism”.
BMFI's
Ayi Hernandez chosen as one of young leaders
to represent the Philippines in South Korea forum
BMFI Executive Director Ayi C. Hernandez has been chosen as one of
the participants in the First Philippines 21 Young Leaders Forum
organized by the Asia Society-Philippines and HSBC for the group's
efforts at building peace in the island. He and the nine other young
leaders will represent the Philippines in the Asia 21 Young Leaders
Forum in Seoul, South Korea in November. Read the story here
as reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Dumalondong
revisited
Lessons from the spiritual world
of the Higanonons vs. the secular
FOR US WHO were schooled and products of the logical and
scientific thinking, we could hardly comprehend anything related to
the spirits. It is out of the realm of science and logic. However,
there is a growing movement towards the recognition of their
presence. While mainstream society has just begun to realize it, for
the Higaonons, it has already been part of their everyday lives for
centuries. We were invited to attend a Dumalondong ritual last
August 21-24, 2006. It was a high ritual and a big cultural event
for the Higaonons. The Dumalondong is the spirit that oversees all
things.
BMFI
leads Mindanao generals engage in peace building
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- Early last Thursday (Aug. 25), the
offices of Balay Mindanao Foundation, Inc. teemed with combat
camouflage uniforms, some of them with stars on their collars, as if
war erupted anew in Mindanao and the BMFI’s “peace center”
converted into a war room. What was surprising, though, was that the
generals, and some colonels, obliged to BMFI’s polite request not
to bring firearms inside. There was no need to bring those
instruments of war, because for the rest of the day, Mindanao’s
highest ranking soldiers -- along with representatives from civil
society, local governments, the church, the academe and others --
were attending a roundtable discussion on how to equip the Armed
Forces’ Southern Command (SouthCom) with skills on conflict
management and peace building.
The
sun shines for the flowers in Kalagunoy
IT’S 5:00 o’clock in the early morning, the village is
still very quiet as Rhodora “Tata” Vicente prepares her three
baskets of chrysanthemum. While it breaks her heart watching her two
small pre-school kids still asleep -- the other three are already
awake preparing for school -- she just have to hurry to catch the
only passenger jeepney going to the city, some 14 kilometers away.
To be able to cope with the day’s work, her husband, Damaso, usually wakes
up earlier and help in the household chores. Carrying her small
handbag, she quickly slips her small figure through the small wooden
door in the kitchen. Together with 10 other members of the Blooming
Forest Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BFMPC), they carefully pile their
delicate flowers inside the jeepney.
Going
organic in Languyod, Libertad
EVERY time Adela Avian Dalapo, 48, and her family eat their
home-grown fruits and vegetables, they eat their food with gusto,
knowing they are among the lucky ones, unlike many people who get
theirs from the market, not knowing how these were grown. “Me,
I’m very satisfied with my vegetables and fruits because I know
these are free from fertilizers and other chemicals,” said the
48-year-old housekeeper from the hinterland Sitio Languyod in
Barangay Libertad, some 18 kilometers away from downtown Gingoog
City in Misamis Oriental. Adela is lucky because she was among those
trained by BMFI, starting in 2005, on diversified integrated farming
system, which is basically sustainable agriculture covering, among
others, organic farming.
Long-standing
Higaonon conflict settled through ‘tampuda’ ritual
THE conflict that resulted to the death of several people
from two opposing clans in the villages of Madaguing and Minalwang
in Claveria, Misamis Oriental was finally resolved through the
time-tested tampuda ritual, the Higaonon way of conflict
resolution, last May. The conflict was originally between the
Humaynon clan of Madaguing and the Asapons of Minalwang. But since
the conflict had lasted for generations, as in many ridos
among the Lumads, many had been dragged into the conflict -- their
children and grandchildren and other relatives.
Tribal
peace builders help settle 'Inluntod' conflict
AFTER years of conflict among
Lumads in Inluntod, a hilly land straddling the northeastern part of
Barangay Minalwang, Claveria, Misamis Oriental and southwestern part
of Barangay Eureka of Gingoog City, the feuding parties finally
settled their disputes, thanks to the help of community tribal peace
builders -- Datu Dicno Mansumagan, Datu Manuel Pina-andel and
Kagawad Rico Mansumagan.
BMFI
honored by Lagonglong LGU
THE BALAY MINDANAW FOUNDATION, INC. (BMFI) was among those
honored by the local government unit of Lagonglong in Misamis
Oriental last June 30, the eve of the 57th Araw ng Lagonglong. It
was the first time that the LGU recognized concerted efforts by
various individuals, institutions and groups who have, in one time
or another, helped the people of Lagonglong achieve their full
potentials as one community.
Balay now a
member of Global Alliance for Departments and Ministries of
Peace
Balay Mindanaw is now a member of the Global Alliance for Departments and Ministries of Peace. Thus, Balay Mindanaw through Kaloy, is invited to be involved in the Preparatory Meeting (in November 2006 in New York) for the 3rd Summit of Peoples’ Initiatives for Departments of Peace to be held in June 2007 in Japan.
Balay
Mindanaw Attends 2nd Annual International People’s Summit for
Departments of Peace
Kaloy Manlupig of Balay Mindanaw, together with Franklin
Quijano, who is the Chair of the Philippine Government Panel for the
Peace Talks with the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa sa
Mindanao (RPM-M), attended the Second Annual International Peoples’
Summit for Departments of Peace in Victoria, British Columbia,
Canada on June 18 - 22, 2006. The
Summit was organized by the International People’s Initiative for
Departments of Peace and hosted by the Working Group for a Federal
Department of Peace-Canada.
Another
home for the lumad, of the lumad, by the lumad
Madagway ha pag-uma dini ta tulugan ta Madaguing [Welcome to our
home in Madaguing]. Stuck along the road going up the hill,
this is the wooden signage that greets everyone who visits the newly
constructed tulugan or home of the Higaonon tribe. Today, the
Balay Tulugan is happily inaugurated by the Higaonon tribe and the
people who helped in the setting up of this tribal hall in Barangay
Madaguing, Claveria, Misamis Oriental.
2
batches of peace course already completed
A new pool of 72 barangay leaders and community-based
development workers participated in Balay Mindanaw’s recently
concluded Operation Peace Course (OP KORS for short), a two-week
training program. Teresita Torreon, Barangay
Secretary of Barangay Lunotan, asked herself before the start of the
training: “Ngano kami pa? Ug kamo na lang diay ang maglihok sa
barangay kay kamo man ang nakamao?” She later realized how crucial
their roles are as leaders in their community.
Peace
Processes in Mindanao
There are actually at least six
formal peace processes going on in the Philippines today. Four
of these peace processes have the conflicts in Mindanao as their
focus. These conflicts are better understood within the context of
the continuing poverty and powerlessness in Mindanao, the second
biggest of the country's 7,107 islands. Despite the island's
richness and giftedness, Mindanao remains as the country's poorest
region. Its rural populace alone, despite their closeness to
agricultural resources are among the poorest, mainly because 70% of
those who work in agriculture do not own the land that they till.
Mindanao remains marginalized economically, politically and
culturally. Decisions concerning the lives of Mindanaoans
continue to be made by decision-makers in Manila, the Philippines'
seat of economic, political and socio-cultural powers.
Balay
Mindanaw to hold more courses for peace and development
practitioners
Balay Mindanaw will conduct another set of peace courses for key
community leaders, local government leaders and development workers
this year. This time, 10 batches are being targeted and prepared to
undergo this training. As part of its new strategy of educating
towards a culture of peace and thereby building constituency towards
a mission of helping build peace in Mindanao, Balay Mindanaw
continues to pursue this peace initiative by conducting
comprehensive peace building courses for peace and development
practitioners, dubbed as “OP KORS! Operation Peace Course.”
A
new resource book for Peace Builders
A resource book for peace builders entitled “Panday Kalinaw”
(“peace building” in the vernacular) has finally been produced
by Balay Mindanaw with the support of Konrad Adenauer Foundation
(KAF). This book is practically a guide for peace builders as they
continue to implement their peace building plans and program in the
barangays of Mindanao. It contains major and minor tips as well as
practical strategies in promoting and sustaining conflict
transformation and also provides ways and means of managing and
resolving conflict towards building peace.
Balay Mindanaw Peace
Center launched
Another dream came true. Marking another significant
milestone in its nine-year old journey, Balay Mindanaw
inaugurated and dedicated on January 18 its new Peace Center in the company of
friends and leaders representing various sectors and partners coming
from different parts of the globe. Japanese Minister of Economic
Affairs Tetsuya Ishii and Adviser Munateshi Ishida represented Japanese Ambassador Ryuichi Yamazaki
during the
formal turn-over rite. The German Development Service
(ded-Philippines) Country Director, Mr. Christoph Dehn,
formally turned over facilities of the Peace Room, a resource
center for peace-building and development work.
Balay Mindanaw to hold course for
peace and development practitioners
The newly-inaugurated Balay Mindanaw Peace Center will conduct of a
four-week course for key staff of the Balay Mindanaw Group of NGOs
(BMFI, BDSI, BALAOD and RCED) and key community leaders and Local
Government Executives on February 15 to 24 and March 14 to 24, 2005.
This Comprehensive Course for
Peace and Development Practitioners will consist of four modules
including a seven-day actual work in the various peace zones in
Mindanao. This course is a follow up to the CRS and KAF-supported
7-day course conducted during the last quarter of 2004.
A Peace Room opens for
peace advocates
Inside the Balay Mindanaw Peace Center is a facility which aims to
advance initiatives in peace-building at the community level and in
the peace process. The Peace Room will provide an area for greater
learning as well as access to resource materials on peace and other
related information related to peace-building initiatives. A
60.43-sq.m. peace room may be a small area to talk about big issues
like peace, but this will not limit peace workers and advocates to
think big and envision peace.
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