Has anyone ever called you crazy?

Has anyone ever called you crazy?

A prison chaplain's reflection on Mark 3, June 10 2018 

Has anyone ever called you crazy?

Has anyone ever called you a devil, or evil, or hopeless? 

Have your own family members thought you were out of your mind?

Have you ever been cursed and slandered by people who you thought were your friends?

Have you ever tried to help someone, and people accused you of just stirring up trouble?

Have you ever had friends undermine or betray you because they were jealous of your success?

Have you ever had to hide or get away because someone was trying to kill you?

Have you ever walked into a room, and it gets silent because you were the one they were all talking about?

"Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. ² Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. ³ Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” ⁴ Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. ⁵ He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. ⁶ Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

⁷ Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. ⁸ When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. ⁹ Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. ¹⁰ For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. ¹¹ Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” ¹² But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him."

This is the situation we see today in our gospel reading. 

Jesus had become a popular figure, he heals people who are sick and deformed, he casts out demons, and the demons try to expose him. The leaders twist the truth saying “it is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons” in order to destroy his reputation, while they try to think of a way to have him killed. “Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.” (verse 6)

All this because Jesus is confronting and disarming the “demonic” forces of evil, not only by casting out the spirits of disease and sickness, but naming the hidden forces that crush people’s spirit, the deceptions and manipulation used by authorities to keep people in bondage and fear, and the spiritual powers and system of hatred and despair. 

That is the meaning behind Jesus line of inquiry and action earlier in verse 4-5: “Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. 5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored”

As a prophet, Jesus lived in an occupied land, yet he spoke out against the legacies of historical injustice and the systems of violence the Romans and their Jewish collaborators used to oppress, enslave, and terrorize entire peoples, races, and communities. Crucifixions were the direct violence the Romans used to kill anyone they thought might challenge them, but the indirect violence they used was in alliance with the Jewish religious leaders who collaborated with them. That was the why the Pharisees feared Jesus, when they met before his final execution, it was because they were afraid that because of Jesus popular movement of restoration, they would lose their place in power in cahoots with the Roman occupiers.

This was the reality that Jesus was confronting – surrounded by people, yet isolated at so many levels - personal, familial, social and institutional. Thus, “When his family^[b] heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” (verse. 21)

Do we ever feel this way, like we are fighting the world, or fighting ourselves, or our history, and can never win? Or have we just given up and just survive one day to the next? Maybe we just take it out on the people around us, allowing the anger to just bubble over as threats, negativity, insults, violence?

^"And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”

So how do we get out of this mess, this house of destruction? Let’s go back to our story, to where Jesus is telling a little story to make a point. And he’s doing it in a way so that people have to think about it to get the point. Why? Because he is a prophet and a teacher, and if you think about your best teachers in life, what did they do that helped you learn?

Did they just stand up front and lecture for hours or give you a list of answers? No, the best learning comes through a story, and this is the story he told to make his point,

“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house”

So what can we learn from this story? First, we find that Jesus is actually in the house with us already. Jesus is like a rebel or robber who sneaks into the house of the “strong man” and has the power to tie him up so he can take his stuff. 

Has anyone here ever stolen anything? Breaking and entering? Theft? So maybe we can relate to this.

What is this “house” Jesus is talking about? This house of the strongman is the violent, sick and dying reality that is our world. It’s everything that Jesus was working against and confronting on that day when his own family thought he was crazy, and the authorities wanted him dead. It’s all that stuff – that terror, oppression, deception, pain, hurt, anger, fear, loneliness – that Jesus experienced and was fighting against, but in a different way.

Who is the Strongman? Satan is the strongman who has been tied up and made powerless by the truth of the Holy Spirit, that is the word of God, spoken and lived out by Jesus. It is by his words that Jesus, healed the sick, delivered those under demonic possession and raised the dead. So we see in the story that Jesus claimed the truth and exposed the deception of those who tried to destroy him by pointing to the Holy Spirit as the source of truth and the antidote to “blasphemy” of the Pharisees. 

"Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”"

The unforgivable sin he was pointing out was simply that if we try to rely on our own spirit or the spirt of the world rather than the spirit of God, we can’t be saved – we can’t save ourselves. The eternal sin, or blasphemy against the spirit, is the truth of our prideful spirit, of relying on ourselves and the power of the strongman, Satan, to rule our lives. He directed this as a warning to the pharisees, who were attacking him, that they were in great danger to reject his mission and distorting his message by saying "he had an impure spirit". So it is not that we ever need to be afraid that we have committed an unforgivable sin. God's gift is forgiveness for all sins, regardless. But if we, like the Pharisees, reject him, than we are rejecting the one person who can help us out of the mess we're in.

But we are in luck! We don’t have to submit to that reality, to that dead-end lies or fake truth. Jesus is the like a “divine robin hood” or guerilla fighter who sneaks into enemy territory to rescue the people who are suffering under the occupation forces because the bad guys took over and ruined everything and so everyone is just doing what the bad guys’ leader, the strongman, says to do. 

But Jesus, he snuck, and he’s trying to “steal” us – you and me – out from Satan’s house, and he has already tied him up and made him powerless, all we have to do is walk out the door of the house of destruction with Jesus and start the journey of faith back to the homeland of God’s love. But if we refuse that, then we are stuck in the house of death, and that is a sin that God “can’t” forgive, because God won’t force us to accept his freedom – he would be going against his own nature, which is love.

And that’s why he points out, that if the rebel used the same methods as the strongman, then his effort would fail. That’s what he means by saying, “a house or kingdom divided against itself would not stand.” And so it is not just that this power used by God in Christ and through the Holy Spirit to bind up the strongman is greater power than Satan’s power, but it’s a totally different kind of power. 

And what do you think that power is? 

I already mentioned it, its the power of love, because God is love. So through the power of the Holy Spirit of love, Satan’s power of hate has been made powerless. If we try to manipulate or hate our way out of the mess we’re in, without relying on God’s power of love and wisdom, we’re not going to get anywhere. We will only be repeating the same mistakes that caused things to go wrong in the first place. 

That’s why Jesus points out the contradiction of the Pharisees accusation – you can’t defeat hatred with hatred, violence with violence, oppression with oppression, deception with deception, slander with slander, insults with insults, depression with depression. The Romans and the Pharisees stayed in power by killing others to save themselves – that is the logic of violent power. Jesus did the opposite, and sacrificed his own life to save everyone else – that is the logic and power of sacrificial love.

Jesus is offering a totally and radically new way of life. That’s why he says it is like being born again, you’re coming into a new world, and the old rules don’t apply because the guy (Satan) who made those rules has been cuffed and locked up and has no power in this house of love. 

And the next thing he points out, is that leaving the house of the strongman means being part of a new family, so that if your old family thinks you’re crazy to escape with Jesus, it’s because they have not yet realized that they are still living in the house of the strongman.

“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. 34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.””

So the question is, will you accept that power, that love in your life. If you’ve been living in the house of hatred and destruction, or you’ve wandered back into that house even after you had left already, do you want to be free from that reality sickness, depression and hopelessness?

It’s an utterly lonely place to be, disconnected from God, disconnected from others in ways that are life giving, it is the house of death. Jesus has gone into that house, through his death on the cross, incapacitated the strongman, and wants to take you into the new house of life and love and freedom. 

"The more we sweat in peace, the less we bleed in war"

Jeremy Simons
March 4, 2011

Most people are not aware of the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), but the current budget plan heading to the U.S. senate will sacrifice it's entire budget on the altar of short term expediency, and the blood to flow will come from American soldier's veins.

Just ask General David Petreaus, one of the USIP's biggest supporters, who stated, "In Iraq the Institute stepped up to the plate beginning in August 2007 to assist the 10th Mountain Division in a reconciliation effort in Mahmoudiya, a community on the southern edge of Baghdad that was once known as the 'Triangle of Death. Since then, General Odierno and I have often cited Mahmouidya as a striking success story. USIP's continuing reconciliation efforts at the community level…hold great promise for the future.”

The USIP is the only government agency devoted to promoting global peace building and conflict resolution. It's budget is only $42 million and has a staff of about 150. It's existence reflects at least a spark of institutional governmental commitment to the prevention of conflict through non-violent means. Former Secretary of State George Schultz writes, "At a time when our country is grappling with budgetary challenges, the minuscule budget of the Institute—less than one-tenth of one percent of the State Department appropriation—represents a highly effective investment in our foreign policy and national security capabilities."

Meanwhile, the cost of keeping one soldier in combat in Afghanistan for one year runs between $400,000 to $1million. In other words, what America spend to field one platoon of Marines in Afghanistan would fund the entire USIP for a year, which has conflict prevention and peacebuilding activities in 20 of the most conflicted countries in the world. Let's take a stand on this one, as the Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit tagline on the USIP website states, "The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war."

An online petition to save the USIP is being organized by the peace alliance and can be found at www.thepeacealliance.org, while more advocacy information is at the alliance for peacebuilding at http://www.allianceforpeacebuilding.org/?page=advocacyusip.

Only 1.05% of extrajudicial slays in past decade solved—study - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Only 1.05% of extrajudicial slays in past decade solved—study - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

What is a learning feast?

As we spend time traveling and visiting in the U.S., we want to help people 1) learn, 2) understand and 3) connect with some of the realities, both beautiful and challenging, that exist in other parts of the world - and especially our corner in the Philippines.

Learning, Understanding and Connecting - these are the 3 purposes of the Learning Feast.

A Learning Feast happens when a family, group or individual sponsors a get together in their home with friends and ourselves where we share 3 things to facilitate the purposes of the Learning Feast:

1) Food - We will distribute and eat the contents of typical ration distributed by aid agencies to families affected by war and disaster - and hopefully learn that feeding the hungry is a lot more than just handing out food.

2) Information - We will share a short presentation of the reality of the poor in the southern Philippines and some of the ways in which people (all of us included) are making, or can make, a difference.

3) Global fellowship - We will arrange a skype conference call, technology permitting, connecting directly with workers in the field to share mutual encouragement for sustainability over the long haul.

Simons March 2010 brief update

Summer is here! Ouch!
Its summer here in the Philippines, which means less rain and hotter! El Nino is affecting the Philippines this year, causing drought conditions, meaning 2 hour rolling power outages on a daily basis, as our main power source is a hydroelectric plant that doesn’t have enough water to run. If it’s at night, it can be fun eating by candlelight and telling stories, other times just plain hot, when we can’t run our fans in the heat of the day with steamy humidity and temperatures in the mid 90’s.

Crisscrossing Mindanao
We have had a busy month with Amy teaching a women’s health class at the maternity clinic as well as traveling with a team of Canadians that came to visit and assess Peacebuilders’ Community health work. They traveled 10 hours each way, visiting indigenous (tribal) and Muslim communities where Jeremy organized two of their stops. The first was a Peacebuilders sponsored coffee training among the Matigsalug tribe. The training pulled together different groups within the same tribe who have often been in conflict. The result of the training was that they began to develop a coffee council together to sell their coffee at fair trade prices and offer greater support to indigenous farmers.

Blessed are the Peacemakers
The second stop among the Talaandig indigenous people turned out to be a highlight. Jeremy presented to the tribal council the culmination of his work over the past year: a listening project of their traditional conflict resolution practices and indigenous cosmology. After the presentation, it suddenly rained, indicating, the leaders informed us, that the project was not only accepted by the community, but blessed in the spiritual realm as well. This is mutually significant because the Talaandig were appointed by their ancestors to be peacemakers among the more than 40 tribal communities of Mindanao. This has strengthened our relationship as fellow peace workers and provides a respected foundation for further engagement with them and surrounding communities.

Simons 2010 U.S. schedule and speaking topics

June 5: Depart for the US, arrive in Denver, CO
June 7-11: Debriefing at IDEAS in Colorado Springs
June 14: Travel to PA and stay with Amy’s parents
Mid to late July: Travel back to Denver, settle into temporary housing and get kids ready to start school (Linea in 3rd grade, Madeline in kindergarten)

Possible speaking topics:

Spirituality and theology of peace building
Where's God in the middle of all this?
Indigenous spirituality and peace building
Restorative justice - learnings so far
A Philippine journey of healing and peace
Current peacebuilding efforts in the 40 year-old civil wars of the Philippines
Human rights and peacebuilding in the Philippines

U.S. congress condemns Philippine massacre

Agreed to December 18, 2009

One Hundred Eleventh Congress of the United States of America

AT THE FIRST SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, the sixth day of January, two thousand and nine

Concurrent Resolution

Whereas, on November 23, 2009, 57 unarmed civilians were slain in Maguindanao in the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history;

Whereas those killed were on their way to file nomination papers on behalf of Ismael Mangudadatu, vice mayor of Buluan, who intended to run against Andal Ampatuan, Jr. who is currently mayor of Datay Unsu, in next year's gubernatorial elections to succeed Andal Ampatuan, Sr., the father of Andal Ampatuan, Jr.;

Whereas many of those killed were women and children, including the wife of Vice Mayor Ismael Mangudadatu and his two sisters;

Whereas most of the women were reportedly raped and their bodies were mutilated after being shot;

Whereas as of December 2, 2009, initial charges have been filed in connection with the massacre , according to press reports;

Whereas the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists reports that at least 30 journalists and media workers were killed in the Maguindanao massacre ;

Whereas, the Committee to Protect Journalists reports that prior to the Maguindanao massacre , 30 journalists had been killed in the Philippines since 2000, and suspects were prosecuted in no more than 4 cases, putting into question the safety of journalists and the integrity of independent journalism in the Philippines;

Whereas government prosecutors and judges with jurisdiction over the massacre have allegedly received threats and have been told to `go slow' on the investigation;

Whereas President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared a state of emergency in Maguindanao the day after the massacre , vowing that `no effort will be spared to bring justice to the victims';

Whereas extrajudicial killings and election-related violence are common in the Philippines, though never on this scale and rarely with this level of brutality; and

Whereas the United States and the Philippines share a strong friendship based on shared history and the commitment to democracy and freedom: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress--

(1) regrets the senseless killing of unarmed civilians and expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the 57 victims;

(2) condemns the culture of impunity that continues to exist among clans, politicians, armed elements, and other persons of influence in the Philippines;

(3) calls for a thorough, transparent, and independent investigation and prosecution of those who are responsible for the massacre , including those who committed the killings and anyone who may have ordered them, and that the proceedings be conducted with the highest possible level of professionalism, impartiality, and regard for witness protection to assure the Filipino people that all the responsible persons are brought to justice;

(4) calls for an end to extrajudicial killings and election-related violence;

(5) calls for freedom of press and the safety of the reporters investigating the massacre;

(6) urges the Departments of State and Justice and other United States Government agencies to review their assistance programs to the Government of the Philippines, and to offer any technical assistance, such as forensics support, that Philippine authorities may request; and

(7) reaffirms the United States commitment to working alongside Philippine authorities to combat corruption, terrorism, and security threats.

Attest:
Clerk of the House of Representatives.
Attest:
Secretary of the Senate.

Peaceweavers statement

Mindanao Peaceweavers is the network of peace networks here in Mindanao, here is their statement

Gut check for those who report and advocate..

click for here for "Killings leave media stunned."

Hope for the Future

Civil Society Recommendations Regarding the Maguindanao Massacre of November 23, 2009

Cooling Off: The agreement by the aggrieved families, friends and relatives to a 30 day cooling-off period to allow the preliminary and impartial investigation into the killing. Preliminary findings should be released by law enforcement officials at the end of the 30 days in order to provide understanding into the incident and clarify further options for the victims.

Peoples Justice: Convening of a civil society work group to make preliminary recommendations related to this incident at the end of the 30 day period in the larger picture of justice practices (i.e. legal, indigenous, Islamic, restorative and transitional) and conflict transformation in Mindanao.

Reconciling and Truth-telling Commission: A Commitment of seed funds from local and global partners for the creation of a Peoples Commission on Reconciling and Truth-telling in Mindanao (Peoples CORT) under the auspices of the United Nations or another trusted International non-Governmental Organization. The recommendations of the aforementioned civil society work group will provide basis for the establishment of a truly Cultural Process addressing the just needs of victims and the wider community. This ideas has been discussed for too long, it’s time to give it wings.

Violence Prevention: Coordination between the Philippine National Police, Philippine Army and other law enforcement investigating the incident with the Joint Coordinating Committee for the Cessation of Hostilities (JCCCH) in order to prevent inadvertent hostilities with the MILF or other armed groups.

Peacebuilders Statement on the Maguindanao Massacre

We deplore and condemn the vicious killings in Maguindanao Province yesterday, Monday November 23. At least 46 people, including public servants, journalists, fathers and wives, were murdered while exercising their democratic rights to register an election candidate and serving as media practitioners providing the information and transparency that undergirds a healthy society. This incident is a serious blow to that crucial work in society and may be the largest killing of media personnel ever, according to the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders.

In particular we mourn the loss of Jun Jun Legarta, a field reporter for Mindanao Bulletin, and Juvy Unto, a field reporter based in Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat. They are the cousins of our Peacebuilders staff member Jester Valdez.

Peacebuilders Community Inc. has been doing peace education, advocacy and conflict transformation in Mindanao since 2006. We have seen over the years how easy it is for a localized incident to spark wider violence and how negative perceptions of conflict often reduce the capacity to address these flare-ups in creative non-violent ways.

We therefore decry the media using this incident to war-type the image of Mindanao. This is seen in today’s Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) headline picture showing a column of tanks in Datu Piang Maguindanao on May 26 in the offensive against the MILF, a war story and location of an unrelated image piggy-backed onto the current tragedy. This only cements that image of violence in the national consciousness and the idea that military action is the appropriate or only response.

We therefore call on the editors of the PDI to balance their reporting with the pictures and stories of the many peace workers, journalists and advocates struggling to birth a better reality in Mindanao. We are especially concerned about the following:

1. With the increased military and police presence in an already highly militarized and volatile area, we are concerned about a potential disintegration of the ceasefire between the army of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which was only reestablished this past July.

2. The government might take this as an opportunity to go after suspects accused of human rights violations in the recent hostilities between the MILF and GRP, which could lead to displacement of civilians in other communities.

3. Spillover of communal violence into surrounding communities and the escalation of a cycle of retaliation between involved individuals, families or communities, or the settling of unrelated grudges by unrelated parties through violent means.

PBCI has learned that within every painful situation such as this lay seeds of peace and hope that will grow when watered by justice and truth. While there is tragedy and danger in this reality, there is also an opportunity to transform this into something new and better.

Political violence hits journalists hard in Philippines

She didn't actually know where she was going as she left the house this morning. Carol, my neighbor and the editor for the Mindanews media center, is following the breaking story of a massacre about 4 hours away from where we live. But she didn't know where they would bring the bodies. Nearly a dozen journalists were also killed in the atrocity. For more details, click here

Brief Notes on Spirituality: 1

Faith is a gift to be received.

Not only is it a gift, but a necessary gift in the life of the spirit (spirituality). To refuse the gift of faith means to deny our innate need and desire for connection to the other - both the human other and the divine other. Doubt does not kill faith, rather, doubt is part of the daily struggle in understanding the honor bestowed on us in receiving the gift of faith. So don’t be anxious over the doubt that often exists in our spirit, but follow it's voice plumbing the depths of our faith understanding.

The opposite of faith is independence, not doubt. Independence is more deadly, for it is a refusal to genuinely acknowledge and receive the gift of faith and of the one who gives it. The world is full of people who take gifts, but few who receive them. If we are honest, we realize that we often take what we crave rather than receive what we need and desire most deeply. This happens when we listen to the voice of independence rather than receiving the gift of faith.

Let us pray for the humility and honesty to receive faith as the antidote to our independence from our fellow humanity and our God.

Documenting the injustices of war

The posting today Nov. 17 on the Mindanao People's Caucus facebook page by Father Eduardo Vasquez Jr., of his experiences as the Catholic parish priest in Datu Piang, Maguindanao, Philippines, provides horrifying details regarding some of the worst realities of the recent war in Mindanao, including: 1) Who really started it; 2) Gun running by Philippine military; 3) torture and killing of civilians; 4) ghost units of the Philippine military 5) death of children and others in IDP centers; 6) stealing of relief supplies.

1) People always want to know who "started it." The fighting after the failed signing of the MOA-AD (agreement on thorniest issue of ancestral domain) was initiated NOT by the MILF (muslim fighters), as is reported in the media, but by the goverment paramilitary CVOs (civilian volunteer organization). Father Vasquez reports that on Aug. 8, 2008, "The reason for evacuating was the news that circulated through text messages that the military would make an offensive to the MILF camps in Pikit. This news coincided with the arrival of military troops with heavy armaments in Pikit that day....At around 5:00 PM, firing between the Civilian Volunteer Organizations (CVOs) and the MILF troops started in Barangays Kolambugan and Tapodoc....The tension in Pikit heightened when the AFP started the mortar shelling to the MILF camp. Explosion of mortars could be heard all over Poblacion, on Sunday of August 10, 2008." This modus operandi was confirmed by other reports from "inside," that the CVO's would breach the ceasefire line, drawing fire from the MILF, they would engage each other, then regular army units would come in to reinforce the CVOs, leading to full-scale MILF-army confrontation. These inside reports further indicated that the MILF fell-back from their position and the army occupied their village, often burning and looting houses in the process.

2) Gun running by the Philippine military and paramilitaries, "July 2009 I received a phone call from an MILF Commander...in Datu Piang. He requested me to visit his place and to facilitate on how the war between his men and the 54th IB of the Philippine Army could be stopped. When I met him, I could sense that he really wanted to end the war. He was also afraid to die. He wanted already to live peacefully.... But what bothered me when I left the place was the revelation that he made about the sources of their bullets and other armaments. He attested that the bullets that they use are also coming from the Armed Forces of the Philippines. What he said was also confirmed by MILF Commander "jojo" (not his real name), the operation commander of the 105th base command.... When someone asked him how they buy bullets from the military, he said that 'the CVOs are the ones making the deal'.... War is indeed a business and unless this business is cut off, many civilians will continue to be displaced."

3) The disappearance, torture and killing of unarmed civilians, "The MILF attack that took place that day resulted to the death of Lucio (72) and Isidra Fano (63) who were husband and wife. Based on the testimony of their son-and-law, Lucio was shot while he was harvesting corn. Isidra however was inside their house when shot by another armed-man. Dulcisimo (37) who was their son was taken by the armed troops. We recovered his body after three days. It was already on the state of decomposition. Part of his intestine went out from his side. One of his eyes was gone. Probably he was tortured."

4) Operation of "ghost units" of the Philippine military involved in breaking the of law of war (human rights violations), "On September 6, 2009 just right after I celebrated Mass in Datu Piang a woman named Lindongan Husain who is around 60 years old approached me and asked me to help her find her 23-year old son who was arrested by the military last May 7, 2009 at around 8:00 AM. The name of her son is Kaharudin. According to the mother, Kaharudin was gardening in their backyard in Barangay Pagatin, Datu Saudi when some government soldiers picked him up and asked him to ride in the military truck. She wanted to go with her son but the soldiers did not permit her. The name clothes and the name of the company of the soldiers were covered with masking tape so that she was not able to identify them. Some people who saw the actual arrest of Kaharudin told me that some companions of the military were wearing bonnets. They were the ones who seemed to be identifying the people who were to be arrested.Kaharudin is the only son and the only person who supports his mother Lindongan."

"Meriam Aman the wife of Said Aman was so uneasy when I found her in Barangay Makir, Dato Odin Sinsuat on September 9, 2009. She and her 6 children were originally residing in Barangay Pagatin, Datu Saudi (35 years old) but decided to transfer when her husband Said was killed. Said was also arrested by the military in the morning of May 7, 2009. His body was found three days later at the Rio Grande de Mindanao in Barangay Duaminanga, Datu Piang. His wife and his six children are now living miserably in Barangay Makir Evacuation Center."

5) Death of children and other civilians in IDP centers, he lists, by number, several heart wrenching stories, "#3. Mohaymin Dangandangan - She was only 10-days old when he died in Damabalas Evacuation Center. She suffered from diarrhea. Her mother unable to lactate, fed her with any milk she could afford. She was never brought to the hospital when she got sick. When I met her parents she was already buried under the ground for one day. #4. Baby Boy Kureg - He was brought to the Bahay Kalinga on June 18, 2009. He suffered from pneumonia and severe difficulty in breathing. His whole body was swollen because of severe infections. I found out that his mother had been feeding him with “simbug” – a mixture of water and brown sugar and the worst was that, the water was coming from a dirty well not suitable for drinking. Baby Kureg died on June 20, 2009 in Cotabato Regional Medical Center."

6) Stealing relief food intended for IDP's, he lists 4 methods utilized by government officials, including the selling of food ration tickets, local governments confiscating rice sacks as their 'share', a mayor redirecting relief goods to their friends/constituents, and indiscriminate ticket throwing.

Indigenous Community hit by flu epidemic

What is media advocacy? Click on the above for the news article I wrote that was carried as the front page headline of a local paper. As a result, the city health office followed for the affected community. Pictures are from our outreach that discovered the epidemic. Only one duffel bag of basic medical supplies were carried in by horse to Gumitan, split up, than by human carriers to the village of Dumalogdog.

Human rights catastrophe in Mindanao - will you help us take action?

My U.S. tax dollars at work via the $30 million aid to the Philippine military.."a few minutes past seven [am]...My husband was outside the house...I saw five soldiers come...straight to him...one of them hit and kicked him...they ganged up on him...hit him with their guns. He tried to stand up...to protect our 7 year old daughter...they shot him...Our three children...witnessed their father being killed...his skull was broken and his left eye popped out.

click on the title to link to the full report.

Peacebuilding update: Philippines

A good up-to-date summary of the peace situation in the Philippines by fellow peace worker Susan Granados.

MINDANAO PEOPLE'S PEACE AGENDA

:: On July 23, 2009, the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) declared its suspension of military operations or SOMO against the MILF.

:: Two days later, July 25, the MILF issued a corresponding order to all its field commands to suspend all military actions or SOMA against government forces.

:: The SOMO and SOMA were declared after almost one year of renewed fighting between the Philippine Government and the MILF that resulted after an aborted signing of an initialed Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) between the two parties. On October 14, 2008, the Supreme Court of the Philippines declared this draft agreement unconstitutional, leading to further escalation of hostilities that displaced more than 600,000 people in Central Mindanao.

:: In late 2008, the formidable Bishops Ulama Conference (BUC), a convergence of high-ranking religious leaders who have resolved to give an interfaith dimension to the continuing search for peace in Mindanao, had tasked a section of the “academic community” in Mindanao to conduct a series of community dialogues and consultations covering the whole of Mindanao on how to put the peace process forward after the MOA-AD controversy.

:: Dubbed “Konsult Mindanaw,” these dialogues began in February 2009 and would soon end. About 800 focus group discussions (FGDs) have been slated to be conducted in eight Mindanao regional groupings, namely: Basilan-Sulu-Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao region, Caraga, Central Mindanao, Socsksargen, Northern Mindanao, and Lanao region.

:: While government-inspired, Konsult Mindanaw is being done independent of government. It has been made sure that in the dialogues, ample representations cover various sectors among Muslims, indigenous peoples, Protestants and Catholics. The sectors include women, youth, rural and urban poor, local government units, nongovernmental organizations, internally displaced persons, traditional leaders, religious groups, academics, business practitioners and professionals. Special group discussions are being conducted among artists, armed groups, and children. It is hoped that the result of these community dialogues would put the Mindanao peace process back to its track with more vigor and resolved.

:: In February 2009, a civil society – led consultation process was conceived and is currently being undertaken by seven major peace networks in Mindanao, under the umbrella network of networks “Mindanao Peaveweavers” (MPW). Named “Mindanao Peoples Peace Agenda” (MPPA), the objectives include: (1) the development of a common understanding of a Mindanao Peoples Peace Agenda (MPPA) among the MPW member networks and the wider Mindanao peace constituency, and (2) the translation of these Mindanao Peoples Peace Agenda into public policy and lobby points that would help increase engagement of civil society and grassroots in formal policymaking processes in the country.

:: The consultation process hopes to end in a Peoples Peace Assembly to be held in October or November 2009, with the end in view of arriving at consensus points to support and help sustain the peace process in Mindanao.


GRP–MILF PEACE TALKS

:: On July 28-29, 2009, the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Panels finally ended their impasse and held a special meeting in Kuala Lumpur and issued a Joint Statement which included agreements on the following:

.. Mutual effort to sustain both the Government’s Suspension of Military Offensives (SOMO) and the MILF’s Suspension of Military Actions (SOMA).
.. Acknowledgment of MOA-AD as an unsigned and yet initialed document, and commitment by both parties to reframe the consensus points with the end in view of moving towards the comprehensive compact to bring about a negotiated political settlement.
.. Work for a framework agreement on the establishment of a mechanism on the protection of non-combatants in the armed conflict.
.. Work for a framework agreement on the establishment of International Contact Group (ICG) of groups of states and non-state organizations to accompany and mobilize international support for the peace process.

:: In this same statement, it was mentioned that the GRP Panel Chairman took serious note of the concern of the MILF on the implication of the exclusion from the SOMO of some MILF commanders tagged as “rogues” by the Government.

:: The formal resumption of the GRP-MILF Peace Talks was set to the third week of August with two issues top in their agenda: Formation of the International Contract Group and setting up of a mission that will protect non-combatants from harm’s way. But the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) postponed the resumption of peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

:: The two parties would also discuss the possible return of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG). But decision on their return is still hazy as this will require the concurrence of contributing countries.

MILF CONSULTATION AMONG THEIR PEOPLE

:: The MILF conducted Mindanao-wide consultation meeting of grassroots leaders on August 7- 12, 2009.

:: Ghazali Jaafar, Vice Chairman of the MILF for Political Affairs, said the purpose of the consultation is to provide updates on the recent developments on the peace process between the government and MILF, particularly on the four issues reached by the government and MILF during the special meeting of the two parties’ peace negotiating panels in Malaysia last July 28-29, 2009.

:: Jaafar also said the consultation is not as massive as what the MILF had on May 29-31 in Darapanan, where at least a million people came and participated in said direct consultation.


GRP TALKS WITH THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FRONT OF THE PHILIPPINES (NDFP)

:: The NDFP is the umbrella organization of revolutionary forces in the Philippines led by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA).

:: Secretary Avelino Razon of the Office of the Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process (OPAPP) recently announced that peace talks with the NDFP will resume in Oslo, Norway in October instead of this year as originally set.

:: Peace talks between the Philippine government and the NDFP reached an impasse in 2004. A year later (2005) the Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantee (JASIG), providing “safe conduct pass” to panel members to the talks, was suspended.

:: In 2008, a Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) was signed between the two parties. CARHRIHL is the first out of four main agenda in the GRP-NDF peace talks. The other three are: (1) Social and Economic Reform, (2) Political and Constitutional Reform, and (3) Disposition of Forces.

:: At the moment, a series of regional consultations are being conducted by the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP), which is supported by the Norwegian Ecumenical Peace Platform (NEPP), all over the Philippines on a draft agreement between the Philippine government and the NDF on Social and Economic Reforms.

:: These consultations are spearheaded by the Ecumenical Bishops Forum (EBF), the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC--a member of PEPP), together with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP).

Peacebuilding and Transformation....

click on the title for a well written exposition on the meaning of peace - "Shalom" or "Salaam," in our context, as Dann traces the genesis of our work for peace in Mindanao Philippines.

Recommendations from the fields of Mindanao

Since 9-11, the U.S. has been poviding $30 million in military assistance annually as part of a counter-terror operation in the Philippines. This assistance is being subsumed in the larger civil war between Bangsamoror freedom fighters and the Philippine government. Unfortunately, this puts the U.S. on the side of one of the most corrupt governments in Asia, where impunity is widespread.

Human rights groups such as Amnesty international, Human Rights watch and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions have all conducted and issued extensive reports on this in the past several years. The Committee to Protect Journalists ranks the Philippines 6th in it's world impunity index, worse than Mexico, Russia and Afghanistan. Filipino humanitarian workers in Mindanao recently found over 200 houses burned by the Philippine army, which is directly supported by American tax dollars. Peacebuilders field workers have witnessed the deployment in central Mindanao of “ghost units” of the Philippine military, operating without insignia or identification.

To top it off, Melissa Roxas, an American woman from California volunteering as a community health outreach worker, was recently abducted, tortured and accused of being a communist. Evidence suggests that this was carried out by agents of the Philippine military. This has been widely reported in Philippine news, but not in the U.S.

These are just several examples of the many human rights problems in the Philippines. The government and military here have virtually no accountability. Rarely is there prosecution and conviction of perpetrators, if even an effective investigation.

Currently, only $2 million of the 30 million U.S. military aid is contingent on human rights conditions. We are at an important juncture as the government and Muslim sides in Mindanao have declared a truce in the fighting and the country heads into it's "election season" for the 2010 presidential elections. The U.S. government needs to make it clear that fighting terror does not mean condoning rampant impunity and disregard for basic human rights.

Therefore, we at Peacebuilders Community are remmending the following policy initiatives:

1) Immediate suspension of U.S. military aid to the Philippines pending an inquiry into counter-insurgency military operations, human rights and impunity, especially the case of American citizen Melissa Roxas.

2) Creation of a multi-sectoral task force to visit the Philippines to investigate the human rights situation and make recommendations for further policy changes.

3) Re-positioning of U.S. policy and program initiatives related to the civil war in Mindanao as a more neutral arbiter.

4) Conven an international advisory group of peace "elders," especially from the Muslim nations, to help shepherd the peace process forward for both the Muslim and Communist insurgency and to submit recommendations for a long term transitional/restorative justice process (aka, truth & reconciliation commission).

5) The creation of a UN peacekeeping force to intervene in Mindanao.

6) Creation of an environmental report card/sign posts for appropriate development so that the root causes of conflict are addressed in an ecological way.

Poem 1: Moses Running

Moses running

We all walk in Moses steps -
strike the slavedriver
burn the bush
seize the snake
- test the ancient God

while cramming in
another prayer
on the morning ride.

Looking for the green light
I thought was God saying
GO!

Ahead the traffic parts
before me
red sea of my rush hour
that holds me back from
winning
advancing
(up the ladder)
dancing
to the beat of Pharaoh’s drums.

O God make speed to save me
(but please
don’t exceed
the speed
limit)
Oh Lord make haste to help me,
because I’m running late-

running,
lately,
-that is-
from Pharaoh’s war drums
pulsing and throbbing and mobbing.

Sobbing as I say
“Lord
have mercy,
on me,

a winner.