NORMIN LAUNCHES BOOK ON PEACEBUILDING, DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK AND AGENDA
It is a step closer to peacebuilding and peacekeeping in Northern Mindanao.
Serving as a guide for the different stakeholders to be proactive in addressing peace and development issues in Northern Mindanao through a commonly agreed analysis and course of action, the Regional Peacebuilding and Development Framework and Agenda (RPBDFA) was officially launched last March 13, 2019 at Capitol University, Cagayan de Oro City.
“This will serve as a vital reference to unify understanding, synchronize efforts and consolidate resources in the planning and in the implementation of interventions not only in conflict-affected communities,” Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) 10 Regional Director Arnel M. Agabe said.
With this, the Regional Director called the support of the Provincial, City and Municipal governments to incorporate the peacebuilding and development needs into their planning processes and align their plans and budgets with the regional agenda.
“We will fight for peace through our peaceful means by implementing proposed strategies to address the conflicts through diplomatic ways and to utilize the peace dividends to invest in sustainable development programs,” he said.
About the book
The creation of the RPBDFA is under one of the components of the “Mainstreaming Conflict-Sensitivity, Culture-Recognition, Gender-Responsiveness and Child-Friendliness in the Peacebuilding and Development Process of Northern Mindanao”, which is joint undertaking between the DILG 10 and Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit – Conflict Sensitive Resource and Asset Management (GIZ-COSERAM), in coordination with Capitol University Research and Extension Office (CUREXO).
The said book contains what most people in Mindanao already know about their peace and development situation. The persistence of this situation despite multiple program to address it, points to the need for more creative peacebuilding and development programs.
This was crafted through the experiences and ideas of different sectors in the Region such as farmers, fishers and laborers, politicians and government workers, indigenous people and migrant-settlers, women and youth on how peace and development should be in Region 10.
RPBDFA’s launching
To formally introduce the peacebuilding and peacekeeping tool to the primary users and stakeholders, and to provide a forum for the presentation of the Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation (RBME) Result, the RPBDFA was officially launched.
Attendees were DILG 10 field officers, League of the Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) – Bukidnon President/Libona Mayor Leonardo Genesis Calingasan, RPOC members, Peace and Conflict Analysis Technical Working Group (PCA TWG), NGAs, PNP, Philippine Army, and CSOs.
“This launching is very timely because we need to develop Mindanao fully in order to attain progress, but in order to develop it, we must first attain peace,” said Capitol University President Atty. Casimiro B. Juarez in his message during the activity.
“If there is no peace, there would be no development; and if there is no development, there can never be progress,” he added.
The launching of RPBDFA was also graced by DILG USEC for Local Government Marivel Sacendoncillo, DILG ASec for Peace and Order Manuel Felix, DILG RD Agabe, Cagayan de Oro City Mayor and Regional Peace and Order Council 10 Chair Oscar Moreno, and GIZ-COSERAM Chief Advisor Dr. Herwig Mayer.
According to USEC Sacendoncillo, “Peace is not just an entitlement of our people, but also a responsibility of our people.” With this, she points out the importance of localizing solution to peace concerns by involving the communities.
Further, as GIZ-COSERAM Chief Advisor, Dr. Mayer looks forward to future projects in region 10 with regards to land-based conflicts and conflict transformation.