BANGSAMORO identity, rido, conflict, security, violence, war, and peace are issues that both young and old struggle with. They are complicated issues to discuss to our people today. They are also crucial to the legacy we pass on to our future generations. We know that we can start building peace in the world and in our communities by building peace within ourselves and our families.
As a citizen of this republic, we all have a responsibility to actively participate in making choices about how we resolve conflicts. This is especially true in our choice to support or not support the Bangsamoro peace process.
Our view of the world as shaped in our childhood and adolescence to a large part determines our perspectives on these issues. I ask myself, if we all want peace in Mindanao, how can we work together and bridge the gap of our misunderstandings? Do we have the courage to pass this legacy to our children, one that encourages peace building in the Bangsamoro and Mindanao?
In the past two years, I have been fortunate to be part of the Bangsamoro insider mediators (IM). The insider mediators is a platform for the Bangsamoro from various sectors and groups, who try to work within their respective organizations and communities to achieve a wider consensus on major Moro issues. We convened in the different cities in Mindanao for workshops and meetings to help address the crucial issues confronted by the Bangsamoro and Filipino people.
Recently, the IM conducted simultaneous workshops to formulate the Bangsamoro Vision/s. In the said workshops, different groups from various sectors (within the Bangsamoro and outside the core territory) were invited to articulate their vision/s of a Bangsamoro in both the short and the long-term.
We in Al Qalam Institute handled the visioning workshop in Davao City. The Bangsamoro Visioning Exercise was a multi-sectoral event that brought together different members of the Moro diaspora and the Kagan communities in Davao Region. The end goal was to envision the ideal autonomous state under the Philippine government. The event consisted of different demographics such as women, youth, and traditional, religious, business and political leaders.
What we have found is that, overall, the Bangsamoro simply wants to be able to have access to basic services and goods done by the government. They only want to be able to live their lives in peace, to be able to freely practice their religion, and to see their culture reflected in the government practices of their people.
However, this is easier said than done. The Bangsamoro as it is now has its challenges already, and the Organic Law is something that will grant the Moro people a fresh start. It is critical to start off on the right foot, in order for the visions of these sectors to come true.
They envision a Bangsamoro where traditional and religious leaders are engaged with the government as cultural experts and consultants, in order to ensure inclusion for everyone. They envision more roles for women, youth, and business sector to prosper under the BOL.
These are beautiful images to look at, but if we do not act, this will only remain as an image. We call on our stakeholders to come and work together for peacebuilding and for an empowered Bangsamoro.