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Life Onboard |
LAST UPDATE
June 21, 2007
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| June 12, 2007 |
Building peace in Asia – Gus Miclat |
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| Gus Miclat came onboard to share his story of peace building in Asia |
Coming from different towns in the Philippines, Gus Miclat’s parents couldn’t understand each other at first. They spoke two different languages. But when they came together and used the common language of English, their relationship flourished. From this family experience, Gus learnt an important lesson: by working together and finding a common voice, people can change their situation for the better. Nowadays, Mr. Miclat puts this understanding into practice, helping local people to find their voice, even in the most difficult circumstances of conflict. As the Peace Boat made its way through the warm straits of Asia, Gus joined the ship to tell the participants his own story, share his knowledge and teach us about the practical ways in which people at the grassroots level can build peace across the continent. |
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| Clashes between government forces and rebels in Mindanao destroyed the peace over the past 60 years. Image courtesy of IID |
Remembering the history of his homeland, Mindanao, Gus captivated the onboard audience with its story of struggle. Once a peaceful island in the south of the Philippines, it was largely home to Muslim migrants from across Asia Pacific. Yet successive colonisation by the Spanish, US and Japanese over the past 500 years changed all this, he explained. More recently, programmes by the government to forcibly settle Christians from northern islands took land away from the indigenous people and Muslims, breeding a culture of resistance. Now the Islamic forces rebelling against the government are called ‘separatists’, but Gus said “they are really fighting for what they already had.” |
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| Entire families are being raised in refugee. Image courtesy of IID |
In the clashes between rebels and government over the past 60 years, it was the ordinary people that suffered from the fighting. Families have been forced to flee their homes. Children are still growing up in makeshift camps. Up to 10,000 may have been displaced. “And yet ironically, this war is waged in the name of the people, when it is they who suffer most,” Gus said. Similarly, subsequent peace talks were held in the name of the people, but those same people weren’t given a voice in the talks. “That’s where my organisation, Initiatives for International Dialogue, comes in” asserted Gus. |
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| The people of Mindanao voiced their opposition to the war. Image courtesy of IID |
“We wanted their voices to be heard” he explained. “So we gather people in the communities where conflict happens – we get them to talk amongst each other and decide what they can do themselves.” After yet another flare up in 2003, they decided to tell the government and rebels they wanted peace, as 10,000 took to Mindanao’s main highway in protest. A week later the rebels laid down arms. A week after that, the government also joined the ceasefire. This time, the voice of the people was heard. |
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| Bantay Ceasefire volunteers talk to generals and field commanders to ensure there is no return to violence. Image courtesy of IID |
And still it is the people that are key to maintaining the peace, participants learnt. The movement that IID helped to start has now set up Bantay Ceasefire – meaning Ceasefire Watch – a network of 400 trained volunteers that monitors the situation and acts as an early warning system to prevent war breaking out again. |
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| Mr. Miclat shows the audience headlines of violence from a Philippine newspaper as he calls on them to speak out |
Gus and IID also believe that the sort of cooperation and solidarity shown by the people of Mindanao can be built up across Asia to help stop conflict. That’s why they also helped support the calls of local groups for independence in East Timor, and share their knowledge and experience with those campaigning for democracy in Burma. It was in this spirit of solidarity – or ‘friendship’ as he sees it – that Gus asked his audience to add their voices to those speaking out against the current violence in the Philippines, as the political killings of journalists and activists claim more and more lives. And through his work with IID, many have learnt what can be achieved when people decide to speak out together. |
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You can find out more about the work of Initiative for International Dialogue (IID) at: www.iidnet.org
IID and Peace Boat are members of GPPAC – the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict. Peace Boat will be hosting the first Asian Pacific forum for all members in the region during the 58th voyage. Read more about:
GPPAC www.gppac.net
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