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Gov’t intensifies peace partnership with Indigenous Peoples |
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Written by Anna Dinglasan
Friday, 12 March 2010
MANILA, March 12 – The government is working hand-in-hand with indigenous peoples (IPs) to formulate an action plan peace agenda for IPs conflict-areas.
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Annabelle T. Abaya told 17 representatives from indigenous communities from all over the Philippines at a workshop-forum on Thursday that the government will also intensify other aspects of the peace process such as gender, climate change and rights of indigenous peoples.
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Annabelle T. Abaya said that the workshop-forum is part of the government’s commitment to intensify its efforts in addressing other aspects of the peace process such as gender, climate change and indigenous people’s rights.
The two-day forum on National Indigenous People’s Agenda for Peace and Development at the Malayan Plaza in Pasig City ends today.
Abaya said the workshop is part of the government’s revitalized efforts towards strengthening and broadening its peace constituency through dialogues and consultations.
“They say that humans have needs and humans live to attain those needs. Many also believe that the best ways to attain these needs are not through violent means but by cooperation,” Abaya said.
“You don’t have to ask us for what you need. In fact, what we want is to find out from you what your needs are. We do not want to speak for you and say we know what you want and what you want to happen. We are here today because we want all of these to come from you so that we may respond more efficiently and effectively),” she added.
The forum workshop brought together leaders of indigenous communities from the seven ethnographic areas in the country—Cordillera Autonomous Region and Region I; Region II; Region III and the rest of Luzon; Island groups and the Visayas; Northern and Western Mindanao; Central Mindanao and Southern and Eastern Mindanao.
Among the ethnic tribes represented were the Dumagat tribe, Ibalog, Manobo, Tagbanua, Tiduray, Subanon and Mangyans to name a few.
Workshop facilitator Pio Fuentes of the Assisi Foundation said that the activity is meant to strike conversations among those present about peace and related issues of the indigenous communities in the country.
“We are here to converse about peace, to share our experiences and to talk about the issues that we face),” Fuentes said.
Participants lauded Abaya for the initiative to consult them.
Zenaida Pawid from the Cordillera People’s Forum said: “Indigenous people’s agendas have been raised many times before, but nothing has happened because we are all divided. This activity is an opportunity for us to consult each other on how to consolidate our agendas and form a mechanism which will allow us to help each other.”
The workshop-forum aims to provide a venue for indigenous peoples to draw up a working peace and conflict map of the 7 ethnographic regions and to formulate a responsive indigenous people’s peace agenda and action plan.
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Last Updated on Saturday, 20 March 2010 03:56 |
