GenPeace will be having its national assembly on 5-6 December 2009 at the Ateneo de Manila University. For possible slots for participants, send us a message via the guestbook of this site. The draft programme for the event is as follows:

PROGRAM

December 5: Pre-Conference Newbie Dinner

Venue: TBA

Introductions

Overview

GenPeace: Who we are? What we do?

Open Forum

Dinner

Closing Remarks

December 6: General Assembly

8:00-8:30               Registration:

8:30-8:40               Opening Ritual and Interfaith Prayers:

8:40-8:50               Overview of the GA and Introductions:

8:50-9:05               Opening Remarks

9:05-9:35               Reporting on 2009: Peace Issues, Activities, Outputs

SNACKS

10:00-10:45          Workshop: 2010 Projects, Themes, Strategies for GenPeace

10:45-11:30          Presentation of Plans for 2010

11:30-12:30          Group Photo and LUNCH

1:00-1:30               Presentation of Youth Peace Agenda

1:30-2:00               Presentation and Adoption of GenPeace Organizational Paper and Organizational Structure: Debbie

2:00-2:45               Election of Officers:  Lloyd and Celine

2:45-3:10               Video Presentation: Kwentong Kapayapaan Documentary and Peace Day Music Video

SNACKS

3:30-4:30               Panel Discussion: Moving the Peace Forward: Emerging Issues and the Armed Conflicts

-          What are the emerging issues that affect the developments in the peace process?

-          How can the youth help move the peace processes forward?

-          Considering the changes in the political landscape by 2010 vis-à-vis the peace processes, what strategies are needed?

4:30-5:00               Open Forum

5:00-5:30               Closing Remarks

6:00                        Visit of Peace Wall and DINNER at QC Circle

We have never seen this kind of barbarism in our age and time.   Not even in the war fields of Iraq and Afghanistan, has this kind of brazen, brutal and blatant act of impunity happen.  More so in an avowed democratic country we call the Republic of the Philippines.

The Mindanao Peace Weavers (MPW), the broadest network of peace constituency in Mindanao strongly condemns the horrendous killings of unarmed, helpless women and other civilians in Maguindanao yesterday.  We eventually hold the national government accountable for the deaths of 40 gentle and peaceful civilians, including members of the media around high noon in a highway in Maguindanao.

The civilians in Mindanao badly need respite not only from the tug of war between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the government armed forces but also from political clans  and their private armies which continue to wreak havoc in the island.

The MPW calls on the government to uphold the constitutional provisions which bans private armed groups.  On July 2006, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued Executive Order 546, which allows local officials and the PNP to deputize barangay tanods as ‘force multipliers’ in the fight against insurgents.  The EO allowed local officials to convert their private armed group into legal entities as civilian volunteer organizations (CVO’s).

Forty-four persons – including a politician about to file her and her brother’s certificates of candidacy (COCs), as well as journalists covering the event – were confirmed killed when heavily armed men allegedly identified with the Ampatuan political clan were waylaid on its way to the local Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Maguindanao.

Supporters of Buluan Vice Mayor Toto Mangudadatu and Mangudadatu Vice Mayor Eden Mangudadatu and their  companions were on their way to the Comelec office to file COCs at around 10:30 a.m. when they were blocked at a checkpoint manned by some 100 Maguindanao police personnel and armed civilian volunteers allegedly led by Datu Unsay town mayor Datu Andal Ampatuan Jr. and the Provincial Police Inspector.

We call on government to immediately arrest those responsible for the senseless deaths of civilians and take  concrete and decisive action to bring the perpetrators to justice. It is high time for government to stop the  arrogance, impunity and hubris of the people behind the killing. It is also time to do the same with their handlers be they cowering behind official government logos and titles.

We join the families of those who were killed in their unfathomable grief today.  But we also call for sobriety.  We ask the government and other groups in Mindanao to uphold the rule of law.  We are heartened that the victims families are allowing the law and the wheels of justice to take its course.

May this atrocity serve to guide and strengthen us in our peace work. We also remain vigilant in the effort to further muddle the peace situation in Mindanao and spawn unregulated military control in the area.

MPW will continue engaging with local government units, local communities and with women and youth in the long road to peace.  With the drafting of the Mindanao Peoples Peace Agenda (MPPA),MPW seeks to bring together peoples in a dialogue for a mutual and lasting peace in Mindanao.

Maguindanao will never be the same again after yesterday’s massacre.  Mindanao will never be the same again.  The country will never be the same again.  There is no recourse for us but to collectively work to end this nightmare. (30)

The YOUNG MORO PROFESSIONALS NETWORK strongly condemns the barbaric killing of more than 40 innocent men and women in Ampatuan, Maguindanao on November 23, 2009.  Such acts are truly UN-ISLAMIC.

We grieve with the families of all victims and join them in calling for JUSTICE. We urge those in power to allow JUSTICE and PEACE to prevail.

In these difficult times, we pray for our FAITH to grow ever stronger.  May we find the STRENGTH not to give in to hatred.  May we find the COURAGE to continue doing what is GOODdespite the evils around us.  May POSITIVE CHANGE become a reality in Mindanao and elsewhere.

May we allow the ALMIGHTY to rule our land and our hearts.

The Mindanao Peoples’ Peace Movement (MPPM), a network/coalition of human rights and peace advocates coming  from different grassroots tri-people organizations in Mindanao and the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi,condemned in the strongest term possible the abduction and subsequent massacre of women, lawyers, and journalists in Maguindanao on November 23, 2009;

The mass murder is a barbaric and savage act that has no place in civilized societies.The perpetrators of this dastardly act have acted in complete disregard for human rights, sanity, law and order. This just shows the depth of the pits that our democracy has sank into where would-be political rivals are eliminated at will and with ease by the ruling political elite in the country.

The recent incident is just one of the manifestations of how our political system of elite democracy has bred the worst kind of barbaric ruling elites such as the warlords and kingpins that are covetously guarding over their respective political domains. They have become the little gods who dispenses orders and decides over the fate of people, curtail dissent and effectively neutralizing the competition;

What is more unfortunate and sad is that the National Government seemed powerless to take action against the perpetrators, completely inutile in the face of these savagery.

While the declaration in the Provinces of Sultan Kudarat, Cotabato and Maguindanao in a State of Emergency is supposed to stabilize the brewing situation in these areas, however, the declaration is also an effective way of covering up the traces of the massacres as investigation in the areas can become doubly difficult. This is because the local police and military have lost the credibility and moral authority in conducting the investigation with top police officials in the Maguindanao Province being implicated in the carnage;

We, therefore, call upon all sectors to be united and more vigilant in the face of the recent killings and barbarism that trample upon our human rights and decency;

We joined other groups and sectors that are expressing their grave concern and alarm over these detestable acts committed by the perpetrators of the mass murders;

We are calling for an impartial and transparent investigation that will look into the cases of mass murders. We are afraid that there are more people killed than reported, innocent civilians that happened to ply the same road at the same time as the victims during that fateful day of the massacre;

Further, we strongly demand for the National Government to give justice to all the victims of the mass carnage and show to all citizens and to the world that it can protect its citizens from these ruthless criminals regardless of their political affiliations. Now is more than ever the time for the State to assert itself as the protector of the human rights of the people and not be cowed by these blatant display of savagery of its political allies.

Finally, we express our sincere condolence and sympathies to the families of those who are killed especially our fallen Lumad Council of Peoples Representatives, Mr. Napoleon Salaysay from the Bagobo tribe, who died in the performance of his duty, being one of the journalists killed in the Maguindanao massacre.

25 November 2009

Cotabato City

Reference: Mabel Carumba

Secretary General, MPPM

Contact #: 09205065235

We grieve together with the families of those brutally killed in the
23 November massacre in Ampatuan town in the province of Maguindanao.
We stand in solidarity with the Filipino people in voicing their
collective outrage over this brazen display of power and arrogance
that can only flourish in the continuing culture of impunity that
pervades the country.

We are appalled and angered at the manner by which this attack on more
than fifty-seven [57] innocent lives was carried out. Women,
journalists, lawyers, and defenseless civilians terrorized and
murdered by around 100 armed men. Bullet-ridden bodies dumped in mass
graves. Some with their faces and bodies crushed either with rifle
butts or by the backhoe that ran over them before they were buried
together with their vehicles. Forensic evidence indicates that some
may have even been buried alive. The women, victims twice over, had
their pants unzipped, showing signs of possible rape.

That the backhoe, undeniably a property of the local government, was
readily at hand to dig up the mass graves in order to hide this
gruesome crime leads us to ask – did the perpetrators actually believe
that they can hide a massacre of such a massive scale? For them to
even think that they can get away with their crime undetected and
unpunished speaks a lot about the sorry state of the system of justice
and governance in the Philippines today. Where extrajudicial killings
abound and perpetrators remain unpunished. Where journalists, lawyers
and human rights defenders are abducted and killed amidst the constant
denial of the present administration, which claims its adherence to
human rights law. Where warlords are assured of political power and a
legalized private army, with the benefit of government-issued
firearms. Where violators of human rights are rewarded with
appointments in government instead of a jail sentence.

We call for an end of this culture of impunity and the pervading
system of injustice in the country. Such can only breed more violence
and continually create conditions for unpeace.

We reaffirm our strong belief in human rights and on democratic
institutions. In the right of women to be free from all forms of
violence. In the freedom of expression and of the press, and in the
right of the people to be informed. In the legal system and on respect
for lawyers, not only as human rights defenders but also as officers
of the court. In the right of suffrage and on the electoral process.
In good governance and the right to choose our own leaders. In a
transparent and accountable government. In the right to equal
protection of the law and a government which upholds the rule of law
and where no one is above the law. In the right of the people to life
and to live a life free from fear.

Even with the eventual “surrender” and filing of charges against one
of the main perpetrators of this dastardly act, we remain vigilant in
our demand for justice and continue to hold the present Administration
accountable until justice is finally served.

1st SEACHANGE PROGRAMME

You Can Meet These Agents Of Change At YES2009

500 free trips for Southeast Asian youth worth $2,500 each for you to be at the Youth Engagement Summit 2009 in Kuala Lumpur

for details go to: http://philippines.youthsays.com/seachange



Speech by Donald Steinberg, Deputy President of the International Crisis Group, to the UNICEF Program on Rehabilitation and Reintegration of War-Affected Children, Brussels, 22 October 2009

How can we ensure that programs that stress the needs of child soldiers do not create the impression among the broader population that we are prioritizing their requirements above those of the masses of other children who have suffered equally? (read more)

http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=6363&l=1

After a hard and prolonged discussion, the MILF and Philippine government peace negotiators finally signed the Agreement on Civilian Protection today at Kuala Lumpur. This historic agreement pushed further the GRP-MILF Peace Talks to formal resumption.

The Framework Agreement on the formation of the International Contact Group (ICG) and the Agreement on the Protection of Civilians are essential mechanisms to prevent the repeat of the debacle in Kuala Lumpur on August 5, 2008 when the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) was not signed by the government, as well resulting displacement of more than 600,000 people in Mindanao.

The ICG serves as guarantee that both the government and MILF comply with all signed agreements.

The GRP Peace Panel was composed of: Amb. Rafael Seguis, chairman; Atty. Bong Montessa, Amb. Ed Malaya, and Director Mark Ryan Sullivan, while the MILF delegation was led by Mohagher Iqbal, chairman,  Atty. Michael Mastura, Bobby Maulana Alonto, and Jun Mantawil.  Datuk Othman Bin Abdul Razak, as usual, acted as facilitator.

Nov 26- Dec 3, 2009

Forum with the Students (YOUTH) and Legislators (national & local)

Miriam College, 2-5PM November 26, 2009

Privilege Speech in the Congress: Mindanao week of Peace

House of Representatives, Dec 1, 2009

Forum with Civil Society Organizations

Venue TBA, December 2, 2009

Final event: Mindanao WEEK OF Peace, Usapang Kapwa Tao & Peace Bazaar

Venue TBA, December 3, 2009

September is a historical month for GenPeace. Incidentally, 21 September is the International Day of Peace, the Day of Commemoration of the Declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines, and also the End of Ramadan for our Muslim brothers and sisters. On October  6, the World Peace March of the World Without Wars visited and marched in the country.

Thank you all for participating and supporting GenPeace events during this period.

1. Peace Day Project

The Peace Day Project aims to popularize the 21^st of September as Peace Day, use the day as a starting point for the discussion of the different peace and conflict issues in the country, participate in the world wide celebration of Peace One Day through different local youth activities.

The Peace Day Project has 3 main activities:

a.)    Peace Mosaic and the Wall of Peace

The Peace Mosaic is a collective art intiative wherein 100 tiles are distributed to GenPeace network members across the country. The tiles are designed by youth leaders from different communities and youth organizations. Artworks were done in communities affected by conflicts, areas of indigenous peoples communities, peace zones, youth organizations working on peace, human rights, governance, environmental protection, etc.

The designed tiles were then transported to Quezon City, Manila, where a permanent art installation was granted by the government to create a Wall of Peace in a public park. The wall symbolizes the youth’s aspiration for peace and their efforts against war.

b.)    A GenPeace Mini-Documentary: A Story of Peace

Along with gathering artworks on tiles, GenPeace also collected different perspectives of youth vis-à-vis conflict and violence. The different youth peace stories were gathered and made into a mini-documentary which highlights the a)different realities of violence in the country, b) the youth initiatives on peace, and c) provide inspiration and hope that peace is possible. The documentary is designed as an educational tool that can be used as a material to start discussions on armed violence or as a very brief presentation on what the Philippine context is.

c.)    Peace Day Celebration

We celebrated the International Day of Peace by gathering different stakeholders to peace—government leaders, NGOs, youth and students organizations, religious, women and spiritual formations—in a half-day celebration that included the end of Ramadan prayer, interfaith prayers, songs, dance numbers, speeches from different leaders, making of a human peace sign, the unveiling of the Wall of Peace and the premiere screening of the mini-documentary.

1. World Peace March

The Philippines is the 3^rd stop for the historic 80-day World Peace March initiated by the World Without Wars movement. GenPeace supported the initiative, and marched the symbolic ½ kilometer-walk in Manila. Banners calling for peace, nuclear disarmament and non-violence were waved along the way. The international marchers from Latin America, Europe and Asia were also welcomed in a short program that included dances, messages and songs for peace. Schools and youth organizations mobilized participants to the event that had the gymnasium jam-packed and really festive.

The Philippines is the 3rd stop of the World Peace March, an 80-day trip around the world calling for peace, nuclear disarmament and non-violence.

Outside the venue, GenPeace members had exhibit tables where different issues and advocacies were lined up such as disarmament, small arms, advocacy towards a non-killing society, overview on the conflict in Southern Philippines, among others. We also took this opportunity to fund-raise by selling peace shirts to participants.