peace building

  • by Luz Maria Martinez

    BetingIndigenous people around the world share a commonality—they have paid a price for being the original inhabitants of their countries.

    With the onset of colonization this cycle of oppression continues until today. Whether through expansionism or migration, the original inhabitants of the lands we inhabit have suffered and in some instances have been wiped off the face of the earth.

    At a recent forum on the plight of the Lumads at Miriam College in the Philippines, I had the chance to hear and talk to a peace advocate from the Lumad indigenous group.

  • by Nicole Hutchison

    KishraDawabi

    “It is only with the political leaders' genuine commitment in protecting, promoting and respecting Human Rights and upholding the rule of law that true peace can be achieved not only in Mindanao but in the Philippines in general,” says Kishra Dawabi.

  • mamasapanoOn January 25, 2015 a mission by the Philippine National Police (PNP) to serve arrest warrants against two men suspected of terrorist activities led to the death of over 40 members of the Philippine Police Special Action Force (SAF) and at least 16 members from the Muslim Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The clash between the SAF and the MILF, took place in the town of Mamasapano, in the Maguindanao Province in the southern island of Mindanao. The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) also got involved in the firefight.

    At least four villagers, Badrudin Langalan, Murshid Hashim, Omar Dagadas, and five-year old Sarah Pananggulon were hit by stray bullets and died. An unknown number of civilians were injured.

    The incident caused the Philippine Congress to suspend the discussion of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which will implement the agreements reached by the government and the MILF in the peace process.

    Below is the statement by Women Engaged in Action on 1325 (WE ACT 1325), a network of women's organizations that work for peace in the Philippines. Other women's organizations have called for an investigation into the encounter to determine what happened and to seek justice for the families of the civilians killed.

  • by Claudia C. Lodia

    Central to the underlying spirit of building sustainable peace is the realization that visions of peace are rooted in specific contexts. This particular understanding has been deployed as a dominant strand within the developing discourse on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) in the Global South. With the passing of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on October 31, 2000 − a resolution pushed for by feminist antimilitarists and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) cross-nationally, in order to formalize the mainstreaming of gender in peace and conflict operations − what has emerged and continues to take shape is the challenge of its implementation and translation.