“There is so much that we can learn from the successes and failures of other peace processes around the world that can help us make progress in the Philippines.”
— Conciliation Resources’ Philippines Programme Director Salic Sharief, Jr.
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By EDD K. USMAN | Twitter: @edd1819 | Instagram: @bluestar0910 | Facebook: SDN — SciTech and Digital News
MANILA, 7th March 2023 (SDN) — Peace is a different beast to conquer. It’s not easy.
There are gauntlets of obstacles to overcome, not the least the stubbornness of negotiators on both sides of the political divide. Each trying to guide the negotiation to their preferred outcome. Or at least the content to their liking.
Thus, it behooves peacemakers to learn from the experiences of other peace agreements and soak up the lessons they can impart. And partners are just as important in any peace process because they can provide resources — manpower, knowledge, and financial support. And, more importantly, apply pressure, gently, maybe, on both parties of a peace negotiation.
In the case of the Mindanao peace process, particularly between the Philippine Government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the two parties agreed to create in 2009 the International Contact Group (ICG), with the task of accompanying the peace journey of the GPH and the MILF. As well as muster international support for the peace process that started in January 1997 in Cagayan de Oro City under the leadership of the then and now the late President Fidel V. Ramos.
Members of the ICG are state and non-state actors, such as Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Republic of Turkey, the United Kingdom, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue CHD), Conciliation Resources, Muhammadiyah, and The Asia Foundation.
Arguably, the GPH-MILF peace process would not have been able to achieve the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), which was forged on fire, blood, sweat, and tears of Filipinos after over 17 years of protracted negotiation without outside assistance. Negotiation characterized by intervening major and minor conflicts.
Members of the ICG have not stopped supporting the peace process even now that peace, at least a generally peaceful atmosphere in Mindanao, particularly in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), is palpable and livable. But attaining peace and being able to live off its tangibles is a long process. A continuing process.
Last month on February 10, Conciliation Resources sent to the United Kingdom a few selected Bangsamoro leaders to continue to learn from the lessons, best practices of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) forged on April 10, 1998, that ended what was dubbed the “Troubles”, the three decades of violence in Northern Ireland that pitted Catholics and Protestants. The former wanting to get out of the UK yoke, and the latter for continued being under the UK.
The Bangsamoro leaders — from the MILF and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Members of Parliament (MPs) of the BARMM, Indigenous People (IP), and civil society stayed in the UK until February 19 as they listened and participated in a series of dialogues with their hosts.
Conciliation Resources’ Philippines Programme Director Salic Sharief, Jr. highlighted the importance of taking lessons from other countries’ peace processes and continuing the journey for security, stability, and development.
“There is so much that we can learn from the successes and failures of other peace processes around the world that can help us make progress in the Philippines. This year marks 25 years since the end of the conflict in Northern Ireland, and the country still faces challenges. There is no quick fix for peace, but we can continue to take small steps into a better future for everyone in our country,” Sharief said in a statement on the website of the ICG member.
Bangsamoro Parliament Floor Leader Atty. Sha-Elijah Dumama-Alba led the Philippine delegation from the BARMM that included Labor Minister Muslimen G. Sema, Deputy Speaker Atty. Omar Yasser C. Sema, MP Marjanie Macasalong, MP Laisa Alamia, MP Forilyn Mendoza, Social Work Deputy Minister Nur Ainee Lim, Development Academy of the Bangsamoro (DAB) Director Hisham Nando, Prof. Abdullah Adam, and Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS) Chairperson Guiamel Alim.
Dumama-Alba acknowledged the vital role Conciliation Resources has been playing in the search for peace in Mindanao.
“Conciliation Resources has been there for the Bangsamoro region, and I’m happy that the support continues today. I hope for a Bangsamoro that is progressive, self-reliant and determined. Reaching a state that everyone is free to live a life that has integrity and where the next generation can enjoy the fruits of peace,” she said.
Conciliation Resources sent them to learn from key politicians and peacemakers involved in the Northern Ireland peace process as the Good Friday Agreement is about to be a quarter century old in just a few days over a month from now.
“We are on this trip together representing every single sector of the Bangsamoro community and we have formed friendship and political alliances that, perhaps, in the future would be very good for the people we serve,” said Lim.
The Bangsamoro leaders met with and listened to Northern Ireland government representatives, peacemakers, and politicians impart the lessons of the UK peace process, among them, Lord Mayor of Belfast Tina Black, Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly Alex Mackie, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland’s Laurence Simms.
They also took lessons from key political figures from Sinn Fein (the political arm of IRA that fought with the UK government) to deep dive in their understanding on their political transformation, and Claire Bailey of the Green Party shared her experiences on alliance building.
“The learning process was further enriched by talks with other key figures in the Northern Ireland peace process, including perspectives from academics, former combatants and civil society leaders. Topics under discussion included how former armed groups can transition to become political parties, disarmament, reconciliation and transitional justice and how to ensure women and minority communities are included in the transition to peace. The group also had a tour of Belfast delivered by former political prisoners who shared their personal experiences of the conflict,” Conciliation Resources noted.
At least one member of the delegation to UK also spent time in a prison.
“I have experienced being in prison as I serve and fought for the self-determination of the Bangsamoro and now that we are in the transition, we cannot afford to be disunited and lose the grip in the gains of the peace process,” Sema, one of the stalwarts of the MNLF, recalled as he emphasized the importance of being united.
It is easy to see that Conciliation Resources, an international organization with wide experience in the art of making peace and helping war-torn communities transition to a life without conflict, is truly committed in seeing this transition succeed, providing “a space for co-existence, respect and mutual understanding.”
Might as well be because as Alim said, peace processes is not only about signing of agreements or legislation. “Belfast has its own process not too different from what we have in the Bangsamoro, but one thing is certain — there are no quick fixes to rebuild (a) decades-old conflict.” (✓)