COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 13 December)—Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Chief Minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim called on the Bangsamoro people to support the efforts of women to build peace and resolve community conflict in the region during the WE RESOLVE Peace Summit held here on Monday.
Expressing the plight of women and their role in peacebuilding, 40 women from 40 different barangays in Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, and the Special Geographic Areas in BARMM perform a collective poetry entitled “So Babay” (The Woman) during the WE RESOLVE Peace Summit. MindaNews photo by JULES L. BENITEZ.
“With the summit today, let us realize our accomplishments in recognizing the role of women in conflict transformation, peacebuilding, and advocating for policies that safeguard their rights,” Ebrahim said. He added that after the summit, “the role of women in peacebuilding will be highlighted and that discriminatory gender norms and practices will be put to an end when Bangsamoro women and men are both champions of peace and advocate for sustainable development and moral governance.”
The Chief Minister noted that it has only been four years since the establishment of this new political entity, and as such, “it is the vision of the government of the day that as we move forward with development, it is only imperative that we also create an enabling environment that is inclusive for everyone.”
Ahod, a known advocate for equitable development of the Bangsamoro women, lauded Relief International and Balay Mindanaw Foundation for their assistance in helping create such enabling environment. “This peace gathering today is one such environment that celebrates women leaders who are champions of building communities of peace, managing socio-economic enterprises for peace, and participating in conflict resolution,” he said.
Some 80 community women leaders and barangay officials representing 1,400 organized women from 40 barangays in Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao and Special Geographical areas in BARMM, along with 21 youth peace volunteers, participated in the WE RESOLVE Peace Summit. WE RESOLVE is an acronym for Women Engaged in Responsive Solutions to Violence and Conflicts in Mindanao, a one-year peacebuilding project supported by the German Federal Foreign Office, who has been supporting the BARMM government in stabilizing peace in the region since the establishment of the autonomous government in 2019.
Ebrahim opened the women peace summit via a taped video message, which he ended by saying, “I dream of the day when all of the Bangsamoro people will enjoy the dividends of peace where gender is not a barrier to the fullest growth of our homeland.”
Germany’s commitment
The German Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr. Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke, commended the women of BARMM for their steadfast commitment to peace. He said that the German Federal Foreign Office believes that “societies are not stable and peaceful and peace processes are most successful when women fully participate in all decision-making processes and gender equality is ensured.”
Speaking during the opening program of the peace summit via taped video message, the German Ambassador expressed condolences to the victims of the December 3 bombing in Marawi City that killed four people and wounded many others. “It is my hope that those responsible for this terrible violence will be brought to justice,” the Ambassador said.
Vrinda Dar, Relief International country director, welcomes the over 100 participants to WE RESOLVE Peace Summit in Cotabato City on Monday (11 December 2023). “Experiences have shown that peace depends on equal rights, equal opportunity and the equal participation of women and men, youth and senior citizens, all minorities and ethnicities alike,” she said. MindaNews photo by JULES L. BENITEZ.
“The tragic event in Marawi shows the importance of continuing to engage in peacebuilding to end armed conflicts and violence in Mindanao,” Pfaffernoschke said. “Germany recognizes this need and has been a committed partner in peacebuilding in Mindanao for many years,” he added.
Pfaffernoschke noted how the peace summit coincided with the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. “Protecting lives through peacebuilding and preventing violence is the perfect way of honoring this milestone human rights declaration,” he said.
According the ambassador, the policy guidelines of the German government strategy for comprehensive engagement in the Indo-Pacific emphasizes the need for stability and peace in this region with the commitment particularly to the peace process in Mindanao.
Bangsamoro women’s call
Highlight of the summit was the sharing of experiences among women groups and a policy forum that focused on educating women for peacebuilding, experiences in women-led enterprises, inclusion of women in the Barangay Justice System, and the democratization of gender and development.
Representatives from the Bangsamoro Women Commission, the Ministry of Public Order and Safety, and Members of the Parliament Diamila Ramos and Atty. Tarhata M. Maglangit inter-acted with the community women leaders during the policy forum.
The gathering crafted a Women Peace Summit Declaration, which was drafted by seven workshop groups and signed by all the participants to the summit.
In part, the declaration reads: “We are confident that women have the capacity and agency to impact and shape the development of their communities. We commit to strengthening solidarity and collaboration among women and men for resolving conflicts and building sustained communities of peace. Recognizing the crucial role of women in peacebuilding, we believe in their unique ability to foster understanding, dialogue and cooperation and in unlocking opportunities that promote peace.”
The summit declaration called the attention of the government to pursue 1) advocate for increased representation of women in conflict management and peace processes, especially while implementing policies aimed at promoting equal rights for women in the areas of government, economy, and society; 2) strengthen support for programs and projects that aim to expand the skills and opportunities for women, particularly in the domains of livelihood and good governance; 3) advocate for a higher number of women at various levels of government, including positions in decision-making; 4) support women’s education, irrespective of age, to expand their technical knowledge, skills and informed participation in decision-making processes that affect their lives; and 5) foster a culture of cooperation, dialogue and collaboration among women and men to advance a more prosperous and just society. (Jules L. Benitez / MindaNews)
