STATEMENT: Overcoming obstacles is essential in peace negotiations

Statement of the Pilgrims for Peace, February 9, 2017
So let us not grow weary in doing what is right,
for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)

Peace advocates are keenly aware of how the road to a just and enduring peace can quickly become slippery and barred by tremendous obstacles.  In the last week, we witnessed the seeming unraveling of relations and held our breath as the peace negotiations slid, in real time, down a slope of disparate views.

For most Filipinos, especially those who have been so hopeful in the positive atmosphere of the GRP-NDFP Peace Talks, it has been a complex week. Still, now is a time when the voice of the Filipino people is essential in bringing to the fore the reason for the peace negotiations; now is a time when the people themselves can make clear that they, themselves, are the reason for peace talks.

The challenge for peace advocates, now more than ever, is to step up efforts to involve more Filipinos in discussions and actions for JustPeace.  It is crucial that we work together to express our collective desire for a just and lasting peace in the Philippines.  The comprehensive agreement on socio-economic reforms that was being negotiated and crafted in these last rounds of talks can inspire everyday Filipinos to get involved in the discussions.

The concrete reforms on land ownership, developing national industries, and rights of working peoples being negotiated and crafted will impact the lives of the toiling majority.  The peace that the GRP and NDFP are negotiating is the peace of the Filipino people.

Now that the negotiations are faltering, every Filipino should be encouraged to participate in expressing our shared dream of peaceful and prosperous communities!

We must bring to the forefront our stand that peace is possible.  We must build visions of peace based on justice, freedom, and democracy.  We must debunk the falsehoods of spoilers and expose their self-interests, as they seek to insist that All Out War will be the way to peace.

Peace advocates must multiply and build bridges between otherwise disparate communities.  We must prioritize and amplify the voices of the poor, exploited and marginalized in our clamor for just peace.

Most importantly, we must harness our courage and hope that if the Filipino people dare to stay the course and insist on the resumption of peace talks, peace talks can resume.  President Duterte will be compelled that the peace of the poor majority merits the restoration of his resolve to pursue GRP-NDFP Peace Talks; obstacles are best resolved by bringing them to the table of the negotiations.  We must insist that the road to a just and lasting peace is worth the effort.

We must extend every effort to convince President Duterte to take the side of the people who want JustPeace.  To choose the road of militarism and repression will betray his promise that “change is coming.”  In contrast, the robust implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law will demonstrate that change is possible.

As peace advocates, we must not tire in doing what is right:  we will continue to advocate for the resumption of GRP-NDFP peace talks! As a people, we must overcome obstacles to stay the course toward a just and lasting peace.

Reference:

Rev. Irma Balaba
Pilgrims for Peace
0928-385-4123

*Pilgrims for Peace is an alliance of advocates for a just and lasting peace based on freedom, democracy and social justice.