German agency reaches out to remote Moro areas

COTABATO CITY — The German humanitarian agency Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAF) is keen on reaching out to far-flung Moro communities and educating them on the need for governance as a mechanism for lasting peace in the South.

The KAF donated the other day a sports utility vehicle to the Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG) here to allow it to move around in carrying out its activities complementing the ongoing peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

For years, the KAF has been helping — through capability-building programs on governance, conflict resolution, and peace-building — the government and MILF peace negotiators as well as religious and political leaders in areas covered by the ceasefire.

The KAF, the IAG and the Notre Dame University, which pioneered peace education in the country, have a common, formal "peace course" academic program for representatives of the military and the MILF.

For Klaus Preschle, KAF’s resident representative to the Philippines, conflict resolution and governance are essential in putting in place lasting peace and sustainable development in the South.

KAF, according to Preschle, is a strong advocate of cultural, religious and political solidarity among people of different races, cultures and religions.

Lawyer Benedicto Bacani, IAG executive director, said one of their concerns this year is the intensification of cross-section support for the government-MILF talks.

Bankrolled by the KAF, the IAG has been holding "roundtable discussions" on prospects of the peace talks for three years now, aimed at encouraging the free flow of ideas on how local sectors can contribute to the success of the ongoing negotiations.