IBS-CPCS launch a book for the Bangsamoro "Peace is for Everyone"

Video file: The Sequence of Speakers, Prof. Abhoud Sayed Lingga, Executive Director, Institute of Bangsamoro Studies; Dr. Habib W. Macaayong, President, Mindanao State University; Dr. Emma Leslie, Executive Director, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies; Prof. Abulkhair Alonto, Secretary, Mindanao Development Authority; Mr. Mohagher Iqbal, Chairman, Bangasamoro Transition Commission. The singing artist is "Ka Musa Sanguila".

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Marawi City – campaign for peace will not end for the just and lasting peace for Mindanao. The Bangsamoro and non-Bangsamoro people gathered together at the Mindanao State University (MSU) main campus, Marawi City on July 12, 2016, launched the book, “Peace is for Everyone”, a Bangsamoro stories of Hope, Survival, Pain and Resilience.

Prof. Abhoud Sayed Lingga, Executive Director, Institute of Bangsamoro Studies (IBS), the main author of the book, said reconciliation will start somewhere and it should start with acceptance of everybody that the Bangsamoro have a narrative to tell, this book “ Peace is for Everyone” is only the beginning. The narrative of the Bangsamoro is not for the Bangsamoro to take revenge but only to make people realize that we have stories to tell and these stories are real and accept it.

Dr. Habib W. Macaayong, President, Mindanao State University The Book “Peace for Everyone” is well written. It accounts the past experienced of the Bangsamoro people in war or in cold war between the Government forces and the Bangsamoro Freedom Fighters. Bangsamoro are peace loving people but if they are push to the wall accuse of committing injustice they will fight. He said the book is very significant. He said President Duterte expressed support for the success of the new BBL. He is hoping for the best for the Bangsamoro

Dr. Emma Leslie, Executive Director, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPCS), an Australian-Cambodian based in Cambodia, assisted the writing of the book said “this book ‘Peace is for Everyone’ is a representation of who you are (Bangsamoro). She said the book brings together the stories of 300 men and women in Maguindanao, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi , and the Cities of Marawi, Iligan, Coatabato and Isabela.”

Leslie said this accounts will not only told to places where they happened. This need be told in Manila, Luzon and in the Visayas so that all Filipino people can understand what is this been about. She said the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies is working on Conflict Transformation and Peace with Justice is always their agenda. This book is an intervention, it is a mechanism and a tool for dialogue.

Prof. Abulkhair Alonto, Secretary, Mindanao Development Authority The book “Peace is for Everyone’  the Bangsamoro stories hope, survival, pain and resilience and narrative of the Bangsamoro. He congratulated Prof Abhoud Sayed Lingga for taking a very constructive of documenting the Bangsamoro experienced containing his efforts of written the history of the Bangsamoro revolution.

Alonto was a member of the Top 90 highly trained freedom fighters of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in the early of 1970’s that most of them came from the MSU main campus, Marawi City. He described the Moro struggle during the Spanish colonizers for almost 330 years and the word Moro is a Muslim that unites all the Muslim tribes in South Archipelago. The GPH-MILF Comprehensive of the Bangsamoro in 2014, all the 13 Muslim tribes in the Philippines is singularly called “Bangsamoro” and he extended thanks to the MILF.

Mr. Mohagher Iqbal, Chairman, Bangasamoro Transition Commission The captures the essence of establishing peace is for everyone to end bloodshed in Mindanao. He said the way of peace is the only way to move forward for everyone of us. The Bangsamoro were at war for more than 300 years against the Spaniards, 50 years against the Americans, 5 years against the Japanese and the combined Ilaga and government troops from 1972 and practically until today.

Iqbal said the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) have provided the foundation of real and genuine peace with justice, but the 16^th congress failed to pass the BBL for the Bangsamoro people. The BBL is a dose of medicine designed to address the history of injustice committed against the Bangsamoro people. He said peace without justice then there will be no peace.

Iqbal said under the Duterte Administration there is a renewed hope for peace he made a campaign promise he will see to it to pass the BBL as a model for Federalism in this country. Reports & video poduction by Jun Enriquez.