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"Forum: Mamasapano and The Peace Process" Summary
"Forum: Mamasapano and The Peace Process" Summary
Summary of a forum held by forumZFD, Kaya Natin! Movement, Al Qalam Institute (Ateneo
de Davao), and Sociology and Anthropology Department, Ateneo de Manila on February 27,
2015 at Club Filipino, Metro Manila.
The already difficult task of forging peace in Mindanao was further complicated by the
Mamasapano tragedy of January 25, 2015. Recent discussions sparked by the tragedy have
been colored by grief, anger, belligerence and war-mongering, thus creating a new set of
challenges for the ongoing peace process.
With this in mind, forumZFD, Ateneo de Manila University's Sociology & Anthropology
Department, Ateneo de Davao University's Al Qalam Institute, and the Kaya Natin! Movement
for Good Governance came together to hold an informal forum in Club Filipino on February
27, 2015. The forum aimed to tackle the Mamasapano tragedy within a frame of peacebuilding, and create a safe space for alternative discussions and perspectives that have been
drowned out by more hostile language.
The forum was also an attempt to comprehend and address the anger surrounding the
tragedy, by fostering discussions between a diverse array of panelists and participants, who
each brought their unique perspective to the table. Discussions occurred in an inclusive and
supportive space, and no perspectives or areas of expertise were privileged over others. This
overall tone extends from the organizers' aim of building a support group for those who
desire a more cogent and less politicized discourse on the current crisis, and its implications
for the peace process.
The Mamasapano tragedy created a very real and pressing need for a refreshed, widened,
and deepened framework of discussions around the peace process. It is this need that the
forum and its organizers sought to anticipate and address.
The forum proper was comprised of three panels led by various discussion leaders. Each
panel gave way to participatory conversations with the rest of the forum's guests.
DISCUSSION TWO: MAMASAPANO AND NOTIONS OF JUSTICE, THE PAST, AND THE FUTURE
The second panel was led by Congresswoman Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman and Atty. Ruben
Carranza, who attempted to disentangle complex and at times conflicting notions of justice.
The panel discussed justice in the context of the tragedy, but it also looked to the past,
towards victims of armed struggles and displacement in Mindanao, and to the future, towards
transitional justice and reconciliation.
Congresswoman Turabin-Hataman began by posing a question: when we speak of injustice,
whose injustice are we speaking of? She spoke at length on the many lesser-known injustices
and massacres experienced by the Moro people throughout history, at the hands of various
groups, colonial powers and iterations of the Philippine government. One injustice she finds
deeply troubling is how the ongoing peace talks, along with the well-being of the Moro people,
have been held hostage by the Mamasapano tragedy. She spoke of injustice in the forms of
discrimination and ignorance, which she has observed firsthand at congressional
deliberations. For the congresswoman, the greatest
injustice lies in how some legislators make decisions
with sweeping implications for the Moro people,
without truly understanding Moro culture.
Congw. Turabin-Hataman then turned her attention
to the SAF casualties of the Mamasapano tragedy.
She believes that the disintegration of this nation, as
a result of their deaths, would be a grave injustice to
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Atty. Benedicto Bacani, executive director of the Institute for Autonomy and Governance,
shared his thoughts on the ongoing peace talks. He noted President Aquino's willingness to
achieve peace in Mindanao, and likened his fast-tracked process to a bullet train. However,
he also noted that the train runs on old rails, in the form of existing legal and political
frameworks in need of reform. He described the peace process as one that occurs on two
such tracks, with the first being the formal negotiations, and the second being public
acceptance and support. He emphasized the need for the second track to exact
accountability on the first track, as opposed to serving as its mere extension. In light of this,
he stressed the importance of adding to the public's understanding of the peace process, and
harnessing their informed and principled acceptance.
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The final panelist, Father Albert Alejo, sees potential in peace communication, as a possible
bridge between formal negotiations and public acceptance. Alejo believes that communication
is a necessary component of peace, as it can be inextricable from conflict. Violence can be a
form of communication, as an expression of pain, just as communication can be a form of
violence, in the form of hateful language. Alejo emphasized the need for sensitivity in
communication, citing how miscommunication can often lead to further conflict.
However, Alejo believes that peace communication can only be effective if it moves beyond
existing efforts, and into more reflective and inclusive dialogue. To this end, Alejo shares
lessons from the four P's of marketing, concerning product, publics, places and
promotion.
Alejo suggested that peace could be packaged in a key message or narrative, such as all-out
peace, and then marketed as a product. This would then be marketed to the diverse range
of groups, peoples and publics implicated in the issue, with a tailored communication
strategy for each. Similar to publics, the nation's many regions, provinces and places
would require context- and culture-specific communication strategies. Finally, Alejo rounded
out the four P's by outlining the broad range of mediums, settings, personalities and tactics
necessary towards the successful promotion of peace.
Listen to Fr. Alejos panel talk here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuS6TPJGwh8
EMERGING THEMES
The conversation then gave way to closing remarks from Marian Pastor Roces, which serve
as a guideline for this summarys overview of emerging themes from the forum.
Complexity
It's complicated, Pastor Roces remarked, speaking of the many nuances of the issues
discussed. She commended the forum's willingness to tackle this complexity, which she sees
as a solution to the fundamentalism, shallowness and overall oversimplification that have
taken over the prevalent discourse.
Both guests and panelists expressed disappointment in the trend towards oversimplifying the
issue, and reducing it to black and white binaries. This had been observed in the media's
handling of the issue, within government and the legislative branch, in everyday discussions,
and in other settings and institutions. This trend towards oversimplification has been identified
as an extension of ignorance, which has limited the framing and understanding of the Moro
people, Bangsamoro, the peace process, and the tragedy. The search for deeper truth,
knowledge and understanding, one of the forum's more popular calls, was raised as a solution
to these issues.
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This harkens back to discussions on the different narratives implicated in peace and the
Mamasapano tragedy, and the importance of working towards shared narratives and truths.
The narratives of the Bangsamoro, on one hand, and of Filipino nationalism and
Filipinoness, on the other, are two narratives that received particular attention during the
forum. Many panelists and guests expressed the need to understand how these narratives
interact with one another, in order to eventually reconcile them.
Couched within these conflicting narratives are the conflicting histories of Mindanao, which
the forum identified as an area in need for shared truths. Guests and panelists shared their
knowledge on events that have been relegated to the margins of history, despite their
importance towards deeper understandings of the region and its people.
The forum recognized the power of language, and its capacity to both facilitate and undermine
the peace process. Prof. Coronel-Ferrer brought up the language of hate, as an extension of
ignorance and othering, as one example of the unhealthy potential of language. She
contrasted this with the languages of peace and compassion, which illustrate the positive
potential of language, and how it can support the peace process.
The potential of language can be realized through a variety of mediums. Prior to the tragedy,
Mangansakan planned on setting one of his films in Mamasapano, in order to bring that
discourse to Manila. Guests from the worlds of art, creativity and culture spoke of the use of
other mediums, such as theater and animation, as other vehicles for the Bangsamoro
narrative. Fr. Alejo, in his proposed peace communication strategy, also saw value in the use
of multiple mediums, in order to carry the message of peace to diverse groups and settings.
Moving Forward
In Atty. Bacani's words, the Mamasapano tragedy has disrupted the landscape of the peace
process, and the very arena in which it plays out. While it complicated the task of peacebuilding, the forum was able to identify key areas and strategies for moving forward.
One of the most important steps moving forward is the creation of a more inclusive and
participatory discourse, with an emphasis on public participation and acceptance. The public
plays a key role in the peace process, and efforts must be taken to bring them deeper into the
fold. Some concrete steps were raised during the forum, and these include: more refined
communication strategies, broader youth participation, the use of alternative mediums, an
examination of language, and entering dialogue with the media. Another step towards this
discourse is the creation of safe spaces and support groups, in order to foster alternative and
inclusive discussions.
Alternative, participatory discourse can foster a willingness to tackle complexity, and oppose
the oversimplification, ignorance and unexamined anger that have colored past discussions. It
can also foster the search for deeper knowledge, truth and understanding, which are crucial
towards reconciling conflicts between narratives. Lastly, the forum drew attention to
accountability and acknowledgment, as crucial first steps in the path towards justice,
reconciliation, and peace.
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