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Monday, March 29, 2004
Peace delegates say no need for int'l mediation
ILIGAN CITY -- Facilitation, not mediation, is needed for countries dealing with conflicts caused by insurgencies or warring factions.
This was stressed by foreign delegates participating in a study tour sponsored by the Volunteer Service Organization-Technical and Organizational Skills for Civil Society Action for the Displaced and at Risk in Mindanao (VSO-TOSCADAR) in a forum held here last Friday morning.
The forum was held as part of the weeklong "2004 Peacetivities" held in this city and in Lanao del Norte. A resolution enacted by the City Council here declared the last week of March as "Iligan Week of Peace."
During the forum one of the delegates from Sri Lanka said while there is need for some facilitation in negotiations between a government and rebel forces the peace should be worked between the two parties and not outside groups like the U.S. or even the United Nations (UN).
"It is important to some extent that facilitation be made by outside groups but the monitoring committees to be set up and the mechanism for working out the peace should be done inside the country and not outside such as the US," the delegate said.
Sri Lanka's government had been dealing with the Tamil rebellion for sometime.
The answer was in response to a previous proposal by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. asking the US to act as mediator or peace broker between the national government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Significant role
The proposal had been greeted with some enthusiasm by Muslim groups though sentiments had largely been vague to other sectors and this had been opposed by militant groups.
For his part, Mohamed Elmi Aden, board member of the Horn of Africa Voluntary Youth Committee (HAVOYOCO) of Somaliland, said international facilitation is important to a certain degree especially that done by the United Nations.
Aden cited the case of his own country, which had been wracked by civil wars between warring clans.
"We had 15 mediation meetings since 1991 and amid the fighting our clan leaders sat down under the tree and decided to talk. We had another meeting in Nairobi, Kenya and one year and one month later nothing had happened so far," he said.
Despite this others like Huda Imanul, director of the People Resource and Conservation Foundation (PCRF) in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, said the international community plays a significant role in bringing about as seen in the eventual independence of East Timor.
The delegates were invited for a study tour of Mindanao to learn more about the ongoing peace initiatives instituted by civil society groups.
All the delegates said they find some similarities with the Mindanao conflict and the conflicts faced in their own countries.
"Mindanao is not much different compared to West Kalimantan. But in Mindanao I am glad to see that the participation of the people in building peace is very much higher compared to West Kalimantan," Imanul said.
For his part Panca Pramudya, peace-building senior program officer of the Catholic Relief Services in Indonesia, said there is a chance of attaining peace in Mindanao.
"Our experience in East Timor has shown that it is difficult to get the rebels to the negotiating table. In Mindanao, I believe peace can be attained," he said. SC
(March 29, 2004 issue)
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