by AJLPP
Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009 at 4:44 PM ajlpp_socal@yahoo.com 213-241-0995 337 Glendale Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026
AJLPP learned though media souces that in a peace dialogue dubbed “Conversation on Peace”, DDR (demilitarization, demobilization and Reintegration) was one of the hotly examined issues. It was severely critized and rejected in the forum.
The dialogue was facilitated by the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) at the Asian Institute of Management, Makati City on February 5-8, 2009,
AJLPP Update Feb 9, 2009
DDR rejected in a recent forum on peace in Makati
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
Manila--AJLPP learned though media souces that in a peace dialogue dubbed “Conversation on Peace”, DDR (demilitarization, demobilization and Reintegration) was one of the hotly examined issues. It was severely critized and rejected in the forum.
The dialogue was facilitated by the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) at the Asian Institute of Management, Makati City on February 5-8, 2009,
DDR framework of peace is at the forefront of the Arroyo administration in its attempt to revive talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). But both revolutionary organizations flatly rejected DDR as basis of discussion in any resumption of talks.
During the open forum, Professor Juhan Galtung of Norway, the main resource speaker, was asked his view on the Arroyo’s DDR approach.
Galtung’s answer, according to one of the three MILF representatives, said: “DDR is not the solution to the age-old problem of the Bangsamoro people.”
Galtung is a world known professor on peace and conflict transformation and is the founder of “Transcend International”.
He has familiarized peace and conflict resolutions all over the world and had been involved on handling peace and conflict resolutions for more than one hundred cases.
Transcend International is a concept which aims at connecting autonomous individuals and centers working on peace by peaceful means, development by developmental means and environment by environmental means. The mission statement defines four pillars: To bring about a more peaceful world by using action, education/training, dissemination and research to handle conflicts with empathy, nonviolence and creativity.
Transcend was founded in August 1993 by Johan Galtung and Fumio Nishimura as a conflict mediation organization. Dietrich Fischer joined and June 1995 Fischer and Galtung invited 11 others. Mid 2008 TRANSCEND has 350 scholars-practitioners from 80 countries as members, one third women.
TRANSCEND International, Inc. is registered in Hawai'I, USA.
It is also organized in a dozen regions around the world: Northern Europe, German-speaking Europe, Eastern Europe, CIS, Europa Latina, Africa, the Arab World, the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, (North-) East Asia, North America, and Latin America. Each region has a convener. The Board of Conveners is TRANSCEND's highest authority, sensitive to the biannual member assemblies.
During the 15 years from 1993 most of the work has been on conflict mediation and violence conciliation, using Diagnosis-Prognosis-Therapy, on often very difficult and complex conflicts. In that connection peace journalism, peace education and peace business have played important roles.
Galtung also said, "You should not wait for your enemy to recognize you, but you should assert your fundamental rights and identity".
The dialogue started on February 5, at 2:30 in the afternoon and opened with invocation rendered by two representatives from both Muslims and Christians, followed by opening remarks given by Ms. Jesselyn Dela Cruz, program manager of Asian Institute of Management (AIM) policy center.
Bishop Ephraim Tendero delivered the statement of purpose of the dialogue.
Representatives of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were asked one by one to give their statements on the context and dimensions of the peace GRP-MILF peace process on MILF perspective.
The Convenor and the participants to the peace dialogue applauded the 3 MILF representatives for their statements on the context and dimensions of the peace process in the Philippines based on MILF perspective.
Abdullah Camlian, head of the MILF Technical Committee, led the three-man delegation from the MILF.