NewsAMAL: HOPE THROUGH ACTION MUSLIM WOMEN OF FAITH NATIONAL CONFERENCE

The Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID), in cooperation with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), the Kingdom of Netherlands, and The Asia Foundation (TAF) organized AMAL: Hope through Action, Muslim Women of Faith National Conference on October 26-29, 2018 at the St. Joseph’s Retreat House, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao. The event brought together one hundred Muslim religious leaders all over the country, collectively known as the Noorus Salam.

The conference served as a venue to identify the role of women and create a plan of action on the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) and the plebiscite, and on the prevention of violent extremism (PVE). It consisted of plenary talks, open forums and facilitated discussions on the BOL and PVE.

Arrival and Opening

Participants from the National Capital Region, Cebu, Lanao, Central Maguindanao, Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawitawi arrived at St. Joseph’s Retreat Center on the afternoon of Friday, October 26. An opening program was held in the evening, right after dinner. Miss Amina Rasul-Bernardo, PCID President, gave an opening speech and a briefing on the conference agenda.

Miss Rasul highlighted the urgency of information dissemination regarding the law, and educating the voters of the new BOL region comprised of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), six municipalities of Lanao del Norte and 39 villages of Cotabato, and the chartered cities of Isabela and Cotabato, since the plebiscite is already set on January 2019. As for PVE, she called on Noorus Salam to be warriors against violent extremism (VE).
Following her briefing, representatives of Noorus Salam from each region gave 10-minute updates on their respective chapters.

Bangsamoro Organic Law

Dr. Susan Anayatin, Commissioner of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission presented a briefing on the BOL with focus on the provisions relevant to the women sector. This included the inclusion of the women sector in the Council of Leaders that will advise the Chief Minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. Aside from a seat in the parliament, Dr. Anayatin’s talk also gave importance that at least one cabinet seat that has been reserved for the women sector, and the creation of the Commission on Women. She highlighted that the Bangsamoro government shall uphold and protect the fundamental rights of women.

Following her was a talk by Dr. Aurora de Dios of the Women and Gender Institute (WAGI) of Miriam College. Dr. Aurora lectured on the clarifying the objectives for the Bangsamoro, defining the role of women in the critical stage of the Bangsamoro development, planning information and action plan, and identifying main strategies to execute the goals. She first discussed what the plebiscite is and how the it will determine the success of the BOL. Her discussion highlighted the need to campaign for the plebiscite since at least 51% of voters have to vote on January 21, 2019 for it be credible. Focusing on the role of the Noorus Salam in the plebiscite, she urged members of the Noorus Salam to develop information materials that are creative and simple; organize community dialogues in schools and neighborhoods on the BOL; and develop core of leaders for information dissemination.

Atty. Salma Pir Rasul then discussed on promoting women’s rights during the plebiscite and the transition. Since the BOL has the Shari’ah law as one of its foundations, Atty. Rasul stressed the need for women practitioners in Shari’ah counselling.

BOL Group Discussions

After the plenary, for the discussions, the participants were divided into seven (7) groups, namely Central Mindanao, Lanao, Zamboanga, Sulu, Tawitawi, and National Capital Region plus Cebu.

The facilitated group discussions aimed to determine the level of understanding of the participants on the BOL and to identify programs and activities that the women sector, particularly Noorus Salam, can do for the plebiscite and the transition. The following are the results:

A. Level of understanding on BOL

Very much – 4%
Much – 4%
Just Enough – 26%
Okay – 11%
Not much – 30%
Mostly didn’t understand – 17%
Didn’t understand at all – 8%

B. Strategies for information dissemination on BOL and the plebiscite

Zamboanga

1. Symposium
2. Use of social media to educate people
3. Capacity building of Noorus Salam and women
4. TV advertisements
5. Seminars
6. Newspaper advertisements or articles
7. Forum with LGU
8. Radio advertisements
9. Distribution of flyers and posters

Sulu

1. Radio programs dedicated on BOL
2. Symposium
3. CSO meetings
4. Community outreach
5. Distribution of IEC materials in local language
6. Discussion among friends and family
7. Distribution of flyers and posters

Lanao

1. Seminars and training about BOL on different municipalities, purok and barangays, rural areas, out-of-school youth
2. Teach students in Madrasah and schools about BOL
3. Social media
4. Radio programs
5. House to house campaign
6. Produce and distribute easy-to-understand learning materials on BOL
7. Discussion among peers and non-Muslim people
8. Capacity building
9. Distribution of flyers and posters

Central Mindanao

1. Use of local and vernacular language in discussions and publicity materials
2. Social media
3. Community outreach
4. Radio, TV, Social Media, Newspaper
5. Symposium and forum
6. Distribution of IEC materials, flyers and posters
7. House to house campaign
8. Discussion among peers, family and friends
9. Barangay assembly on BOL
10. Capacity building
11. Organizing volunteers for information dissemination

NCR and Cebu

1. Campaigning on the illiterate ad out-of-school
2. Organize youth and women sector in barangays for house-to-house campaign
3. Consultation meetings with the BTC
4. Social media
5. Distribute easy-to-understand publicity materials
6. Text brigade
7. Community mapping
8. Focus group discussions
9. Seminars on BOL
10. Kapihan at kwentuhan sa BOL
11. Visit Muslims in Christian areas

Basilan

1. Barangay/community conference
2. Social media, radio, TV
3. Focus group discussions
4. Distribution of flyers and posters
5. Posting of tarpaulins
6. Rallying
7. Capacity building

Tawi-tawi

1. Conduct focus group discussions among Madrasah teachers and students (separate sessions) once a week
2. Community assembly on BOL
3. Distribute flyers, pamphlets or any teaching materials regarding BOL
4. Capacity building
5. Conference/symposium on BOL
6. Social media
7. Community level orientation twice a week
8. Barangay assembly
9. Inclusion of BOL on classroom discussion
10. Use of local language (Sama, Tausug)
11. Coordinate with local officials to organize information campaign on BOL
12. Coordinate with college student officers for BOL orientation in schools using publicity materials and discussions
13. Post publicity material in strategic location such as wharf, market, government offices
14. Radio programs

All participants expressed the desire to monitor the plebiscite in coordination with PPCRV.

C. Programs/Activities for women empowerment during the transition
There was a consensus among the participants on their plans during the transition which is listed below:

1. Organize Noorus Salam to form a political party list;
2. Establish a Women Commission;
3. Representation of Aleema in BTC;
4. Livelihood training programs for women;
5. Education and literacy campaign for women; and
6. Consultation with potential women leaders to run for office;

Prevention of Violent Extremism

Director Helen Rojas, Officer-in-charge of the Head Secretariat for the National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) gave a briefing on the National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security (NAP WPS). Dir. Rojas first discussed the context, both local and international, of violence. According to the womenwarpeace.org, around 75% of displaced people are women and children, and for some refugee populations, the percentage go high up to 90%.

In the Philippines, from year 2000 to 2003, there was in increase in violence against women in the province of Basilan. Communities considered raped women unclean and thus, these women were forced to marry those men that raped them. During the Marawi crisis, 13 minors, between 14-17 years old, forced to marry some members of the Maute amidst the siege.

Following the context, she then discussed the bases for the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. Among them are the UNSCR 1325, 1820 and the Philippines’ Six-Point Peace Agenda. The UNSCR 1325 is the first resolution on women, peace and security, which was signed on October 31, 2000 by all UN member states. It focuses on importance of women’s equal and full participation as active agents in peace and security. The UNSCR 1820 first institutionalized declaration of sexual violence as an international peace and security issue.

The national six-point peace agenda is as follows:

1. Meaningful implementation of the FAB and the CAB towards healing in the Bangsamoro.
2. Completion of the implementation of remaining commitments under the GPH-MNLF Peace Agreements.
3. Accelerated signing and the implementation of peace accords with communist insurgents.
4. Immediate conclusion of the peace process with the CPLA and the RPMP-RPA-ABB.
5. Peace promoting catch-up socio-economic development in conflict affected areas.
6. Building of a culture of peace and conflict sensitivity.

The NAP WPS  2017-2022 has seventeen (17) action points and fifty-two (52) indicators. The following are the outcomes of the NAPWPS:

Pillar 1: EMPOWERMENT AND PARTICIPATION

Overall Strategy:
Application of the gender approach in all procedures and mechanisms of the peace process, including post-reconstruction that seeks to address gender inequalities in the politico-economic lives of women, as well as institutional reforms in the security sector to improve the status of women.

Relevant Agencies:
OPAPP, PCW, DILG, DA, DAR, TESDA, DND, AFP, PA, PAF, PN, PNP

Pillar 2: PROTECTION AND PREVENTION

Overall Strategy:
Integration of NAP WPS in the framework of disaster and risk reduction and management, particularly, in conflict-affected/prone areas and development of a comprehensive gender and culturally-sensitive inter-agency humanitarian protection and rehabilitation program that specifically highlights the context of various conflict situations and the vulnerabilities of women.

Relevant Agencies:
DND, DILG, DFA, OPAPP, AFP, OCD, PNP, POCs, LDRRMCs, NCIP, NCMF, DSWD, DOH, NEA, LGUs

Pillar 3: PROMOTION AND MAINSTREAMING

OVER ALL STRATEGIES:
Full implementation of NAP WPS in all relevant mechanisms at the national and local levels (i.e. GPBs, GAD ARs, national and subnational peace and order/development/natural disaster councils); formulation and/or review of policies and action plans by all implementing NGAs, LGUs, and inter-agency bodies; and development of comprehensive capacity development programs on relevant WPS topics.

Relevant Agencies:
OPAPP, PCW, DFA, DILG, DOJ, DSWD, AFP, PNP

Pillar 4: MONITORING AND EVALUATION

OVER ALL STRATEGIES:
Full implementation of NAP WPS in all relevant mechanisms at the national and local levels (i.e. GPBs, GAD ARs, national and subnational peace and order/development/natural disaster councils); formulation and/or review of policies and action plans by all implementing NGAs, LGUs, and inter-agency bodies; and development of comprehensive capacity development programs on relevant WPS topics.

Relevant Agencies:
OPAPP, PCW, NEDA

Meanwhile, Miss Amina Rasul-Bernardo, PCID President, also gave a briefing on the National Action Plan on the Prevention of Violent Extremism (NAP PVE) – Women Agenda. Her talk focused on the following:

• United Nations Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism
• Highlights of the ASEAN PVE Conference
• The Religious As Catalysts For Change
• Recommendations for PVE using the AMAL 8-point framework

The UN Plan of Action to PVE has the following objectives:

• Mainstream gender perspectives across efforts to prevent violent extremism;
• Invest in gender-sensitive research and data collection on women’s roles in violent extremism, including on identifying the drivers that lead women to join violent extremist groups, and on the impacts of counter-terrorism strategies on their lives, in order to develop targeted and evidence-based policy and programming responses; and
• Include women and other underrepresented groups in national law enforcement and security agencies, including as part of counter-terrorism prevention and response frameworks.

During the Conference on Peace and the Prevention of Violent Extremism in Southeast Asia last September 22-23, 2017, the participants came up with the following recommendations for the women sector:

• Women should be part of the development and implementation of C/PVE national plans as well as any peace-building initiatives;
• International funding institutions to increase support for women organizations and groups championing the participation of women in peace processes and preventing violent extremism;
• Capacity-building training for women should be organized to help them navigate social media as well as define peace narratives to counter extremism online; and
• Political participation: government and other stakeholders should increase the political and democratic spaces for women, not just for electoral participation but also on the role of women in the community.

She highlighted the role of the Madrasah as a center of community outreach. PCID has been experimenting with capacity building for the Muslim religious who teach in the madrasah, particularly the Muslim women religious (ustadjas). PCID has organized them into a national network, the Noorus Salam (Light of Peace). The Noorus Salam members have been partners of PCID over the past 6 years in educating their communities on peace-building, human rights, good governance, among others. They chose the 8 advocacies as key to the security and development of their communities.

Using this framework, Miss Amina then presented the recommendations from the Muslim Planning Workshop last August 11-12, 2018:

AMAL Thematic Areas:

Environment

Proposed Activities:
Incorporate the Islamic concept of ‘Khalifa’ in Fatwa materials to be printed and reproduced

Governance

Proposed Activities:
Incorporate e-governance, by using social media platforms to promote good governance, use of “hashtags”, and responsible use of WiFi connection.

Literacy and education

Proposed Activities:
Promote basic education for children with a gender-sensitive, safe and motivating environment.

Values formation

Proposed Activities:
• Developing an enhanced (values formation) module and pretesting it at the grassroots levels.
• Developing values formation of teachers, administrators in Madrasah, through various training programs.

Economic empowerment

Proposed Activities:
• Training for entrepreneurship/
• business
• Talk to LGU about the facilities that they have for finance/business
• Create a manual on how to run a business (for individuals/cooperatives)
• Replicate successful business, finance initiatives of other NS chapters.

Health

Proposed Activities:
• Violence against women and their children (VAWC) Counselling
• Promote ARMM GAD law

Peace

Proposed Activities:
Create a simplified peace book to be taught in Madrasah with the following modules: understanding rights and responsibilities, understanding justice, understanding conflict and violence, understanding leadership in Islam, which can be incorporated with the good governance agenda.

Human rights

Proposed Activities:
Disseminate Aleemat module book in Madrasah.

Following Miss Amina’s discussion is Dr. Jenny Lind Elmaco’s talk on Engaging and Organizing Women for PVE. Dr. Elmaco is currently the Peace and Security Specialist of Silliman University.

Dr. Jenny first defined the concept of peace and conflict. “In Chinese, peace is written as a combination of two characters, one meaning harmony and the other meaning equality or balance. Taken together, the symbols mean harmony in balance. In Chinese there is no word for peace as the absence of war.” For Galtung, peace cannot only mean the reduction of war to a state of non-violence: There must be creativity in the resolution process itself. Galtung writes: Peace is what we have when creative conflict transformation can take place nonviolently.

Thus, peace is seen as a system characteristic, a context within which certain things can happen in a particular way. The test of the pudding is in the eating; the test of a marriage is when the going is rough, not in smooth water; the test of peace is in the ability to handle conflict. Three points are made: the conflict can be transformed (not resolved, conflicts are not (re)solved) by people handling them creatively, transcending the incompatibilities in the conflict, and, without recurring to violence. One can say that “every peace is different.” For instance, the understanding of peace cannot be same for different people even though they can be neighbors.

She also stressed that conflict is always present, and quoting Kai Frithjof Brand – Jacobsen, “Conflicts exist at all levels, within and between individuals, communities, countries and cultures. Conflicts are natural. They are experienced by people of every background, culture, class, nationality, age, and gender every single day. What is important, is not whether conflicts themselves are good or bad, but how we wish to deal with them.”

After this, Dr. Elmaco discussed the importance of representation as it:

• Reflects the identity and strengthens the membership;
• Is a valuable exercise of dialogue and reflection;
• Is a practice of cooperation and shared responsibility;
• Is a careful choice of representatives; and
• Is a participation in social life, which allows a person to
a) Expand horizons,
b) Express and make other people aware, and
c) Strengthens confidence.

She also enumerated the commitments a representative should make:

• Being active;
• Attending meetings;
• Respecting roles and functions;
• Making his skills available;
• Honoring agreements with loyalty;
• Respecting pluralism;
• Favoring dialogue;
• Supporting direct and genuine relationship;
• Keeping a constructive and positive attitude;
• Recognizing the authority of institutions;
• Overcoming patchy and special interests;
• Not accepting direct or indirect favors;
• Being a responsible and an active citizen;
• Abstaining if there is a conflict of interest;
• Faithfully putting meetings on records;
• Periodically referring to who is represented;
• Accepting that checks need to be made;
• Favoring her replacement;
• Not maintaining incompatible functions; and
• Sending information once the activity has been completed.

Dr. Jenny then discussed what women should do for PVE. These are:

• Having dialogues on security especially advocating for more women to engage on security at the community and national level
e.g. ensuring the national counter radicalization strategy includes the role of women;
• Working towards women involvement in trust building;
• Tapping into women local informal networks to provide alternative narratives and create awareness;
• Being role models; and
• Providing support groups for women while considered the relevant support that might be required based on the individual needs of the women.

Finally, she highlighted her talk using the quote, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

PVE Group Discussions

After the plenary, for the discussions, the participants were divided into seven (7) groups, namely Central Mindanao, Lanao, Zamboanga, Sulu, Tawitawi, and National Capital Region plus Cebu.

The discussions aimed to determine the level of exposure of women to violent extremism and focused on the crafting activities and programs for PVE. The results are as follows:

A. Exposure to Violent Extremism

i. Within the past 5 years

Affected – 100%
Not affected – 0%

ii. Within the past 12 months

Affected – 80%
Not Affected – 20%

B. Challenges in implementing programs/activities for PVE

There was a consensus among the participants on what the challenges in implementing programs/activities for PVE in their respective communities. These are:

1. No support from government and stakeholders
2. Lack of knowledge on VE and PVE
3. Difficulty in travelling
4. Limited resources
5. Passive attitude of learners
6. Difference in opinion
7. Political intervention

C. Projects/activities recommended for PVE and peace building

The following are the proposed activities/projects of the participants for PVE and peace building:

1. Capacity building on VE and PVE
2. Focused group discussions within barangays/sitios on VE and PVE
3. Coordination with LGUs for PVE
4. Safety mapping which includes all areas of possible entry and exit point of dubious people
5. Integration of PVE in all learning areas, such as in Madrasah and schools
6. Partnering with other CSOs for PVE campaigns
7. Educating the people through posters, discussions, conferences, social media, and radio about Islam, VE and PVE
8. Working with TESDA and DTI on skills and livelihood training to prevent further recruitment of violent extremists
9. Monitoring and evaluation of VE victims
10. Involve Sangguniang Kabataan officials on PVE campaigns
11. Values transformation training especially on youth