Muslim women for conflict resolution

ZAMBOANGA CITY: The creme de la creme of the country’s Muslim women are in this city – as participants in a Muslim Women Peace Advocates Workshop-Conference on Peace and Development. A few minutes ago, a rare Muslim woman municipal mayor spoke about her successful hurdling of cultural obstacles to her running for the post in the last local elections of Lantawon, Basilan – "a breeding place for Abu Sayyafs." Mayor Tahira Ismael-Sansawi governs "with faith and confidence", and the belief that leaders should be "Makadios, makatao and makabayan".

Former Sen. Santanina Rasul – the first female Muslim senator – organized the conference through Magbassa Kita Foundation, which she founded years back, with funding from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Some 50 Muslim women have come, by land, air and sea, to discuss how they can contribute to the promotion and realization of peace and development in Muslim Mindanao. Some have doctoral degrees; one is a medical doctor; others are heads of successful non-government organizations.

The conference objective, says Mrs. Rasul, is to produce a Plan of Action which will be presented to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and House Speaker Jose de Venecia, asking that Muslim women’s voice be heard "on issues concerning Mindanao." Women have been invisible, she said, and yet "We are stakeholders, in fact, some of us are victims of the conflict in Mindanao, or at the very least, ringside observers."

The conference continues a series of meetings, beginning in November 2001, when a regional workshop on conflict resolution was held in Sulu. This was followed by a provincial workshop last September, with 30 women peace advocates from 15 municipalities in attendance. An offshoot of this workshop was the launching of a one-hour radio program called "Women Talk for Peace", of the Sulu Women Peace Advocates led by Zeny Masong, station manager of Radyo ng Bayan, and Dr. Norma Abdullah, president of Soroptomist International-Sulu Chapter. Both of them are present at the conference here.

Participants have expressed their views on what’s happening around them in their journey to a future peace and sustainable development. Dr. Noralin Sharief of Marawi City said the national leadership has recognized the rights of Muslim. Fatima Rasul lamented the non-implementation of vital provisions of the Tripoli and GRP-MNLF agreements.

Ustadja Albay Badrodin of Cotabato pointed to the need for clarifying and respecting Muslim cultural values as a step to conflict resolution.

Businesswoman Zeny Lim of Zamboanga said that the healing of conflicts comes about, among other things, with the changing of historical accounts that depict Muslims in a negative light.

Radio DZRH writer-director Rashida "Elba" Abanco said media needs to tell the truth about what’s really happening in Mindanao. She added, "I believe this conference is an eye opener," and she expressed the hope that the different Muslim tribes must also "learn to unite" in the process of conflict transformation and healing.

Resource persons are impressive – Dr. Allan Tidwell of the Washington-based United States Institute of Peace; Amina Rasul, president, Women in International Security, Philippines; Perla de Castro, National Commission on Indigenous People; Nana Yuliana, Third Secretary, Indonesian Embassy; Norhata Alonto, Social Fund for Peace and Development of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao; Dr. Sylvia Guerrero of the University Center for Women’s Studies, and Jenny Llaguno, a staunch women’s rights advocate.

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