albert e. alejo, sj ateneo de zamboanga university

Comic Enlightenment Academy of the Philippines (CEAP)

BUILDING A CULTURE OF PEACEShaping the Vision, Living the Dream

ALBERT E. ALEJO, SJAteneo de Zamboanga University

Catholic Education Association of the Philippines (CEAP)

BUILDING A CULTURE OF PEACEHow’s the foundation? Are there faulty connections? Will it stand?

ALBERT E. ALEJO, SJAteneo de Zamboanga University

Let’s start with a short review quiz!

Pambansang

Dahon

Anahaw

Pambansang

Bulaklak

Sampaguita

Pambansang

Bungang- Kahoy

Mangga

Narra Pambansang

Punong-Kahoy

Pambansang Tirahan

Kubo

Pambansang

Ibon

Agila

Pambansang Hayop

Kalabaw

Pambansang

Isda

Bangus

ANO angPambansang PAGKAIN?

Litson

“2004 Teachers’ Choice” Also available: 2007, 2011 editions)

Pambansang Bayani

Jose Rizal

Pambansang Kamao

http://angbagongfilipino.wordpress.com/2010/11/14/ang-

pambansang-kamao/

Manny Paquiao

Grade VI Textbook (2007)

NGALAN NG TRIBU TIRAHANTausog LanaoBadjao Cagayan de SuluSamal PalawanMalbog BasilanMaguindanao Davao del SurMaranao Sulu, Tawi-TawiYakan Basilan

Grade School Texts

“Ang Yakan naman ay taga-Basilan. Maliit lamang sila, singkit ang mga mata, at maitim ang buhok na parang taga-Borneo.” Grade 6. (2007)

“…teroristang Muslim” Grade 2. (2010)

POPULAR QUESTION: How can schools contribute to peace?

FOUNDATIONAL QUESTION: How do schools contribute to unpeace?

The Role of Catholic Schools in Peace Building

“Schools, colleges and universities, acknowledged as neutral agents of change, can play a strategic and leadership role in helping craft a Mindanao peace roadmap, build broad support around it, and provide timely assessments and inputs as to its implementation.

The conventional notion that education is the long-term solution to peacelessness “self-limits” the vast potentials of educational institutions as credible and effective platforms for peace-building and peace-making in the short and medium term.” --- (Atty. Beny Bacani)

“The Catholic Church in general and Catholic educational institutions in particular are weighed down by “baggages” as a repository of confessional and historical biases against Muslims and Lumads.

The success of peace-building programs of Catholic educational institutions must be gauged among others on how they move Christians into admitting that they play a part in the historical marginalization of minority groups and that there can be no just resolution to the Mindanao conflicts without their support.” ---Benny Bacani

Visible and Invisible Conflict

“The conflict in Mindanao involves a visible war and an invisible war being fought in the vertical and the horizontal arenas.

The vertical arena is the formal Peace Talks between the GRP and the MILF.

The horizontal arena is the peace process within and among communities at the grassroots level. A comprehensive approach to the peace process must address these two interrelated problems.” ---Fr. Bert Layson, OMI

THE VISIBLE WAR: ARMED CONFLICT AND

PEACE TALKS BETWEEN THE

GOVERNMENT AND REBEL FORCES

MAINSTREAM ISSUE:LAND, HISTORY, IDENTITY

Costs of the conflict

• 50,000 deaths• 2 million refugees• 535 mosques destroyed• 200 schools demolished• 35 cities and towns destroyed

ALL OUT WAR:

June 2000

Cost of War

The Armed Conflict and Its Impact

AMMO TYPE ROUNDS SPENT

COST

5.56 MM (Ball) 212,019 P 2.39M

7.62 MM linked 53667 P 1.15M

7.62 MM (Ball) 26821 P 0.41M

40 MM (M203) 2407 P 3.86M

Hand grenade 126 P 0.08M

Rifle grenade 356 P 0.08M

CAL 30 LMG 10348 P 0.59M

CAL 50 HMG (linked) 16967 P 0.10M

CAL 50 (Ball) spotting 1200 P 2.96M

81 MM Mortar 799 P 3.71M

90MM RR 448 P 8.71M

25MM 300 P 0.09M

AMMO SPENT BY 6TH INF BN DURING BULIOK OFFENSIVE

TOTAL AMMO

SPENT BY JUST A SINGLE

BATTALION:P 20.51M

Investment Growth*

* Source: Phil. Human Development Report 2005

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

CY1999 CY2000 CY2001 CY2002 CY2003

PhilippinesLuzonVisayasMindanao

ECONOMIC LOSSES1975 – 2002

PhP 5 billionto

PhP 10 billionevery year

Internally Displaced Persons in Mindanao (year-end numbers)*

2000 982,412 March: “all-out-war”

2001 202,842 June: Zamboanga and Sulu

2002 23,650 GRP-MILF ceasefire violations

2003 452,258 February: Buliok incident

2004 44,532 Clashes before May 2004

* Source: DSWD DROMIC

Cost of War

The Armed Conflict and Its Impact

2000 – “All-out-War” in Mindanao cost the government P20 Million per day or a total of P1.337 Billion during the whole period. AFP personnel losses: 431 KIA and

624 WIA Damage to infrastructure: P202M Damage to agriculture: P124.76M

Cost of War

The Armed Conflict and Its Impact

2003 – “Buliok Offensives” P46.8 M worth of damage to

crops, livestock and fisheries; P130 M worth of damage to

infrastructure