Cotabato City, May 20 – “Going the extra mile for peace in Mindanao” will be the statement of around 500 bikers and peace advocates who are expected to gather here on May 29 to pedal a 36-kilometer route for promoting peace in the region.

Biking enthusiasts, government officials, civil society organizations, and the military will unite for this peace campaign dubbed as “Bike for Peace 2011.”

The Government of the Philippines (GPH) peace panel for talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) initiated the event to gain heightened support from the public on the Mindanao peace process.

By 6:30 a.m., the 36-km marathon will start at the Cotabato City Hall then pass through the town of Datu Odin Sinsuat, and end near the Municipal Hall of Upi, Maguindanao.

Participants from different groups have been invited to join the bike fest, some of which includes: Cotabato Off Road Enthusiasts (CORE); Karancho Motorcycle Club; Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom); AFP 6th Infantry Division (6ID); Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID); Mindanao Human Rights Action Center (MINHRAC); Mindanao People’s Caucus (MPC), Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP); and Muslim Organization of Government Officials and Professionals.

The Upi local government unit will likewise conduct a medical mission at their town gymnasium during the event.

Under the Aquino administration, the MILF has resumed peace negotiations with the government, and the two parties are scheduled meet again for another round of formal exploratory talks in June this year.

The GPH panel is expected to submit its counterproposal to the MILF’s Comprehensive Compact which contains the Moro group’s starting position for a politically negotiated settlement. #

Source:  http://www.opapp.gov.ph/news.php?id=514

This piece of article is a personal opinion which I decided to write after a question was asked about PeaceTech and its connection to the MDGs.

I remember a discussion one time where somebody asked me about the contribution of PeaceTech to the Millenium Development Goals or the MDGs.  The person said that the only contribution we had is on MDG number 8 which is “Universal Partnership for Development.”  I would agree in that case since indeed it is the most visible and direct link that PeaceTech contributes to the MDG.  However, PeaceTech is contributing a lot more to the MDG that what meets the eye.

Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

In Mindanao, one of the causes of poverty and hunger is the persistent presence of conflict and war.  War devastates homes, investment and any development in the area.  It creates an environment and uncertainty.

Through PeaceTech’s programs it hopes to promote understanding and create a mindset where peace will be the number 1 goal and consideration before conflict escalates.  It creates an avenue where the community will be able to finally act on solutions to address MDG Goal Number 1.  People cannot work in a war thorn area, hence families became miserable and stricken by poverty and incapacity.

Goal 2:  Achieve Universal Primary Education

By promoting understanding and a culture of peace, PeaceTech can possibly add a factor to education which will ensure that not only primary education can be completed but the later stages of education.  It promotes culture of peace and understanding between classroom of different settings which will later on translate to a change in attitude.  An environment of peace promotes an environment suitable for education.

Goal 3:  Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women

It is relative to PeaceTech’s peace education module the promotion of gender equality and women empowerment.  Peace education has a particular stress on this issue thus PeaceTech is contributing to the awareness of Goal 3 by breaking down the walls of prejudice and discrimination not only based on religion but also based on gender.  In all of PeaceTech’s programs, gender balance is always being ensured as one way of promoting gender equality and women empowerment.

Goal 4:  Reduce Child Mortality

Although PeaceTech has no direct contribution to Goal #4, it indirectly reduces child mortality by reducing conflict and promoting a peaceful environment.

Goal 5:  Improve Maternal Health

When women are less involved in armed conflict their maternal health will be improved.  Again, PeaceTech by its advocacy indirectly contributes to Goal #5.

Goal 7:  Environmental Sustainability

Although not directly a part of PeaceTech’s programs, PeaceTech has special concern for environmental peace.  It sees this as an essential part of achieving peace in the whole context of it.  A sustainable environment is therefore needed in order to have a long lasting and just peace.  Therefore, even though PeaceTech achieves its aim to eradicate prejudice and discrimination if the environment is not sustainable, there will be another issue which will contribute to escalate conflict.

The Millenium Development Goals of the United Nations are standards for which every project should consider.  It should be incorporated in fact in their programs.  There are however various ways to contribute to the MDGs and various ways to solve and analyze a problem.  Most of us sees the obvious and visible side of the problem and hence also applies the most common and immediate solution.  The issue of conflict and war in Mindanao for example is not an issue of religion for it is an issue that needs a deeper and more thourough look.  Applying and achieving the MDGs in Mindanao and in other war torn areas need a solution and approach that will directly address the problem at its core before even any direct solution or help can be done.

PeaceTech has a lot of potential.  With the power of technology and the human passion to be concerned with other people, it will be a very good way to promote understanding not only about prejudice and discrimination but about a whole lot of other issues.

Thanks for reading and do like the PeaceTech Facebook page at www.facebook.com/peacetech.

For more information on the Millennium Development Goals CLICK HERE.

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Introduction

We at III-Goquinco, perhaps is one of the youngest facilitators of PeaceTech.  We are third year high school students from Iligan City East High School Sta. Filomena who once is unaware of what we can do to promote peace but through PeaceTech, our eyes had been opened to a wide variety of potential.

We made the music video “Bagong Pilipinas” without any help from any professional because we want to show that in promoting peace, age does not matter.  We conceptualized the music video based on what we understand about PeaceTech and what we aspire for our home here in Mindanao.

Through I Inspire we want to promote the Music Video and together with it we want to market creative and innovative peace merchandise such as t-shirts, mugs and others.  Through this we hope to spread the awareness of peace and technology throughout our place.

The Proponents

The main proponents and participant of this project are those in the SPA or Special Program in the Arts.  This curriculum has 6 specialization namely, THEATER ARTS, DANCE, MUSIC, VISUAL ARTS, MEDIA ARTS, and CREATIVE WRITING.

The Project

1. PEACE MERCHANDISE.  The fund will be used to create peace items for sale like keychain, pins, t-shirts and others which will then be made available for sale.  The aim of this is to promote peace and create sustainability by making a source of funding for peace projects.  The items will contain peace signs and/or peace quotes.  The design and quotes will be made by the proponents themselves.

1. PEACE SHOW.  The funds that would be generated will be used to create a peace show, theater, dance and music play.  The topic of this show will be centered on peace.  The show will not only be performing at our school but also at various schools in Iligan and perhaps beyond.

The project will be subdivided among the 6 specialization on the SPA Curriculum:

• Theater, Dance and Music specialization will be in charge of the Peace Show.
• Media Arts will be in charge of the keychains.
• Visual Arts will be in charge of the t-shirt printing.
• Creative Writing will be in charge of the quotes about peace for the keychains and t-shirts.

We maybe young but our inspiration and passion to continue what we have learned through PeaceTech and inspire more people is I think unparalleled and will not die for we have it within our hearts.

Submitted by;

Trixcel Emborong
in behalf of III-Goquinco

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Original ENTRY HERE.)

Introduction

When Sir David invited our group, Naruto Cosplayers PH to join PeaceTech, we honestly do not know what it is about.  Some of us are not even interested because for us it is way too serious.  We know peace and we like to do cosplay for a cause but to talk about peace seriously and attend videoconferences, at first it sounds like too boring for me and for some of my fellow groupmates.

Then, we attended the PeaceTech Facilitators Training before the 2nd Mass Videoconference and we are changed.  We had been awed and realized the importance of peace and what PeaceTech is doing when we also attended the 2nd and 3rd Mass Videoconference.  We are glad that we have indeed answered Sir David’s call positively.

I am not a person who usually submits things like this.  Doing a project was not my good side but I believe with my group helping me out I could do one.  I was inspired with what PeacTech is doing and I think as a cosplayer I could do something to promote the advocacy of PeaceTech.

This I Inspire proposal is simple, “We Need A Hero” means we need to create a hero in all of us and simply we can do that by creating a representation of what PeaceTech is doing through the creation of a character that specifically represents Peace and PeaceTech.

The Project

Character Name: Kapayapaan

International Name: PeaceTech Warrior

Origin: Philippines

Insignia: PeaceTech logo

Powers:

• Mental Telepathy – to prove and change minds of people and promote understanding.
• Precognition – to see the future and help create a better one.
• Flight – to see the world from above.
• Teleportation – to transfer from one place to another.
• Langauage Expert – to understand every culture and promote better respect and understanding.

Pet:  Kapayapaan has a dove which always accompany him/her.

Weapon:

• Staff with peace signs in different colors to represent equality
• Shield for protection

The character will carry no gender since it has to represent gender equality which PeaceTech also promotes.

Kalayaan will also have a Facebook fan page and can communicate through the use of social media.  Beside Facebook he would also be online via twitter.  No one should know the true person who plays as Kalayaan this way curiosity and even excitement will remain.

Objectives/Goal

The purpose of Kapayapaan is to promote PeaceTech and its advocacy to the youth.  He can easily join cosplay conventions and other pop culture events and advocate the advocacy to a wider audience.

Kapayapaan could also be the visual representation of PeaceTech that could be easily understood and can connect to the younger generation.

Timeline of Project

So how will this I Inspire project be implemented?

• Phase 1:  Character Creation
• Phase 2:  Cosplayer selection
• Phase 3:  Creation of the cotume
• Phase 4;  Birth of “Kapayapaan”

If this will be selected Kapayapaan can attend cosplay events and other pop culture events beginning July 2011.  Our target is for the character to attend at least 5 events.  After that we can surrender the costume to PeaceTech or we can continue partnership for “Kapayapaan” as our way of contributing to PeaceTech.

We hope that this I Inspire Project will be selected.

Thanks!

Charmaine Zao Kawatsu
PeaceTech Facilitator
Cosplayer
Member – Naruto Cosplayers PH

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Project Proposal

RATIONALE:

Mindanao is a place where we can experience rich natural wonders and observe various cultures. But today, its good descriptions are becoming unnoticed because of the land armed conflicts and prejudice that create negative impact to Mindanao itself. With this negative impact, children are drastically affected like in their psycho-social character. Likewise, prejudices among Tri-people (Christian, Muslim and Lumads) are expected to be repeated all over again unless peace initiatives intervene.

KaliPAte is a project design that generally promotes peace through technology. Eventually, it will empower tri-people students (Christians, Muslims and Lumads) by exposing them to a dynamic team-work atmosphere. KaliPAte will make these tri-people students realized peace as an important way of living and encouraged as well to be a model of peace and do at least casual teachings to friends, classmates, families and especially younger sisters and brothers. KaliPAte will serve as an inspiring window for Ates and Kuyas to educate their younger sisters and brothers regarding the matter. Thus, spreading the good news.

LEVEL OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• 1^st Level – develop understanding among tri-people cultures and differences
• 2^nd Level – creating a core group for KaliPAte and do Leadership Training
• 3^rd Level – conferencing through technology like Skype for peace discussions
• 4^th Level – orientation to the core groups and launching of Facebook Fan Page: KaliPAte
• 5^th Level – at least 10 million Facebook Likes

Methodology:

1.  Pre-Implementation Phase:

• Ask assistance from target cooperation agencies
• Coordinate with School Heads / Student Affairs Directors
• Posting of invitation to interested students (e.g., campus bulletins, websites, fun pages)
• Select and Organize students from campuses for a core group.
• Orientation of the core group

2.  Implementation Phase:

1^st Saturday

• Culture of Peace Seminar to invited students and the core group
• Following Friday Night – Videoconferencing / Communications

2^nd Saturday

• Leadership Training to the core group
• Orientation of the nature of KaliPAte Facebook fan page and its target number of likes and objectives as well.
• Launching of KaliPAte Facebook Fan page and start sharing

3.  Post-Implementation Phase:

• Updating the fun page and communicating with the core group
• Meeting for incase there is a follow-up activities

Proposed by:

JORDAN G. DAGANATO

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

Twenty four (24): that is the number of consultations that our panel has done in the past few months–not 2 as often mistakenly reported. Counted here are the many informal meetings with various sectors that we chose not to make public so that we could truly have a frank and candid exchange of hopes and aspirations, ideals and pragmatic results, ideas and approaches that can help validate our position on countless issues. Counted here are consultations which are necessary to discharge our duties the way we should–that is, with the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate and some local government officials.

Not counted on the 24 are the many one on one conversations that panel members have had with key individuals. I have even sought to meet some journalists for a sit down to pick their thoughts on some issues which I feel they may have some knowledge. Not counted here are the meetings of cabinet clusters and of course our meetings with the President. The day before we left for Kuala Lumpur, we even had an initial meeting with leaders of the Liberal Party itself. I can only describe it as a candid yet interesting meeting yet I remain hopeful.

And our schedules are full the next few weeks: meetings which range from command conferences of the area commands in Mindanao, consultations with local government officials, to meetings with legislators, former justices, cabinet clusters and of course with our direct principal, the President.

We have no illusions that our own requirements for consultation will be easy. But if we are to truly learn from the mistakes of the past, we do need to have the patience to deliberately seek out many groups, receiving and discussing their sentiments in many different types of forums, many times clarifying perspectives. Of course, we do not seek universal consensus. What we are trying to achieve after all is a political settlement which should embody what we in government can deliver.

We applaud the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s decision to conduct consultations with non-Moro groups including indigenous peoples and business groups. We understand that you have schedules with the Makati Business Club and many other prominent Manila based organizations after this round of talks. As I have stated informally with some members of civil society, this decision to come out publicly with the contours of your proposed Comprehensive Compact should cause a national discussion on a national issue: how to solve the Bangsamoro problem. It can complement our efforts. It will also help us–and our direct principal–to gauge the public pulse on political decisions that need to be taken. Your consultations are complementary to ours.

We want to bring some outcomes of these consultations directly in this 21st Exploratory Talks.

First, we were handed the results of extensive consultations with Indigenous Peoples by the Mindanao Peace Caucus. We are making this paper available to the parties as a non-paper. To us, a non-paper is a document which may be of direct relevance to the negotiations. It may contain ideas authored by them or by some other third party or groups of parties but does not necessarily reflect the current position of either the GPH or the MILF. We invite our counterparts to study it closely as an aid to understanding what some organized groups of Indigenous Peoples expect from these negotiations.

Second, there were suggestions made that we do joint forums. We feel that this is a good idea at some point in the negotiations perhaps, when we (and our principals) achieve some clarity in our fundamental agreements and right before we mutually make the final commitments. I understand that there is precedent for this in this negotiations as there was some form of joint advocacy group in the past. We will take this up again in future negotiations.

Third, so that we can more easily communicate progress in these negotiations to our publics, we are requesting that our panel be allowed to have a maximum of four observers apart from our panel and our secretariat. The observers may be members of our advisory committee or key members of Congress or even individuals who we need to consult time and again. We may need to invite personalities who sit in the other tables that the GPH has set up, i.e. the talks on the implementation of the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF. The observers will be here only to watch and see the progress of the discussion (inclusive of all its passion) in real time. They will come at our own cost and they need not join all the agenda items. Who will sit as observers will be up to our panel to decide. To us, this will hasten consensus building. We have raised this already as part of the pre-meeting and there was some sort of consensus.

Most of these related matters can be easily disposed of if the MILF reconsiders its current position not to table for discussion our earlier proposal to convene a technical working group that will meet in between our meetings to work on these administrative matters. As we have indicated in the past, an articulated and written Agreement on the Conduct of Talks will not only clarify how we work in the framework of these negotiations it will also help us communicate to our constituencies the ground rules in the negotiation. We have made all of our agreements public. It was made possible because all of them were articulated and written. The only exception to this is what remains in oral tradition: the conduct of our talks.

We thank you for allowing us in this round of talks to query you on the Revised Comprehensive Compact that you submitted as a statement of your position. We hope that you would take our questions in the spirit in which we have to make them: to elicit your interpretation so that we or our principals will not second guess what your initial positions are. You will see in our questions the levels of detail we went as we combed through your proposals. We have put into it the diligence that it deserves knowing the kind of work that you have already put into it. Please understand that we too have been working on our own proposals at many levels of our bureaucracy.

Except for extraordinary reasons, our ideal for a final agreement is that it is brief but clear and determinate as to what our principals promise. We should always be on guard for text that may contain different meanings to both parties. They may just be pitfalls for future misunderstanding and more serious conflicts. After all, we share with you the hope that we do not sign an agreement solely because we want an agreement. We want an agreement that is workable on all levels while addressing most of the fundamental interests in a principled way.

The workability of any final agreement hinges on many things. Let me just, at this time flag two of them:

One. We all know that the government has signed a Final Peace Agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). Over much of the same ground and in representation of the same peoples, government is now purposely and seriously negotiating with a different movement. Our task is to come to a final agreement with the MILF. However, as early as this round, we hope that the MILF can consider the offshoots of this situation as a problem that we can also mutually address. On our end, we hope that a final negotiated political settlement with the MILF is not mutually exclusive to a convergence of government’s commitment to both MNLF and MILF. Also, we hope that the MNLF and the MILF’s commitment, both representing the Bangsamoro peoples, should not be at cross purposes with each other. We know that the solution to this lies both with government and with the MILF’s dealings with the MNLF.

Two. It is safe to say at this point that it would, most likely, be difficult to get the needed political critical mass to implement an agreement of the magnitude that is implied your Revised Comprehensive Compact if there are unaddressed splinter groups from your movement. The questions that we have had to answer these past few months are: “After the GPH signs an agreement with the MILF, will it then have to set up another table to negotiate with the BIFF? Is the BIFF still part of the MILF? If it is, which has the true command over the MILF’s coercive forces, the BIAF or the BIFF? What assurances do we have that the BIFF, if no longer MILF, will respect our ceasefire with the MILF? Or, do we have to set up a separate ceasefire infrastructure for the BIFF? Which has the greater constituency, the MILF or the BIFF in the areas of operation of Ustadz Amiril Umra Kato? These are questions that were asked of us and I am just summarizing it here.

We are aware of an independent report on Kato that have been provided to both parties. Sadly, they do not address these concerns. We hope that in this round we can have a full satisfactory answer.

We are here to negotiate ways to solve problems. That principally requires that we are open to seeing the problem realistically. Each of our sides can see portions of that reality. Let us reconstruct and review it in this table, candidly and always with an eye to what we mutually aspire: meaningful freedoms within a just and democratic society. Our peoples deserve nothing less.

Thank you.

PeaceTech

PeaceTech is an organization whose mission is to promote the use of technology and dialogue in building respect and understanding between groups of people. Through the use of technology to bring people from different groups together across large distances, they build bridges of understanding, reduce ignorance, and, ultimately, lessen conflict.

PeaceTech is looking for dynamic young advocates from Metro Manila in the fields of peace building; Information and Communications Technology (ICT); social entrepreneurship; and sustainable development. This program offers you an opportunity to work alongside young leaders who are committed to change and who are dedicated to being that change!

The 2010 Peace through Technology Training is a nationwide program for Filipino youth. This training program has already connected youth from Zamboanga City with Metro Manila, Iligan City with Metro Manila, and General Santos City with Metro Manila.

The fourthbatch will complete the program cycle and PeaceTech is selecting 20 youth leaders from Cotabato City and connect them with 20 youth leaders from Metro Manila for a training that would provide them with skills and theory in key areas of Peace and Technology.

To register and know more about the Peace through Technology Training visit http://bit.ly/peacetraining.

Searching for answers on how the Philippines can be a testament to doing post tyrannical regimes right, I turned to undersecretary Louie Montalbo of the Office of the Presidential Advisor on the Peace Process for answers. As closed door bureaucratic as his work sounds, Montalbo gave an unexpected response to resolving this issue. He says that the “the hunger for peace has to be palpable. It cannot be abstract.” This is surprising when the words “peace process” or “negotiations” are words that I usually associate with buzz word headlines worth yawning at. And these words spark an enlightening discussion that brings me to a Philippines that can be a road map for Middle eastern countries to aspire for after they have settled down.

Beyond Headlines

As cerebral as these talks are between the government and these groups, Montalbo adds that the issue is real, especially for the conflict areas of Bicol and Mindanao.

OPAPP has been spreading the word by putting a face to the peace process and making it more effective. On their own, they have set up a college tour on talking about peace with Ateneo Professor Jennifer Santiago Oreta, that they plan to bring to Visayas and Mindanao. They were also able gather a massive crowd together for their candle light vigil for peace in Quezon City Circle and Bicol last February.

Simple Questions

One of their grander projects is collaborating with PeaceTech Inc, an NGO for peace building through technology. OPAPP currently funds PeaceTech’s classroom video conference that links schools in Manila, Zamboanga, Iligan, and General Santos, to create a tangible dialogue between these cities. While Louie Montalbo actively participates in PeaceTech’s Mass Video Conference, a massive AusAid funded event gathering at least 6,000 students in Manila and Mindanao to talk about religious conflict. He appeared, last February, as a resource speaker for PeaceTech’s second conference between Manila students gathered in the college of PUP in Manila and Iligan students in Mindanao State University IIT.

USEC Montalbo relates that his video conference experience, talking to Manila and Mindanao, was a fruitful exchange with the youth because the PeaceTech event was hitting them more on the level of their hearts more than their heads. The stories of prejudice and discrimination moved some kids to tears and brought some to reflect on their behavior.

Let’s Keep On Talking About It

As we part ways, Montalbo’s final message is that the way to keep peace is to continuously talk about it and clamor for it. We can’t let it be an annual commemoration of Edsa alone. As our leaders grow weary of a tense and complicated dialogue, it is the people, according to USEC, that will keep them accountable. As such, we have to keep on holding them up to their promise for a world where we don’t live in fear of sitting in a bombed bus.

More importantly, Montalbo adds that Filipinos can help make the country more peaceful by being more concerned about the issues in Mindanao and Muslims. It is because we should care for them as a minority as he points out that our country is a minority in Asia itself as a Christian nation. If we take care of them as a Muslim nation, the whole of Asia will offer us respect and protection in return.

Thus, leaving me with a sign post on where the Philippines can be as role model for peace as light for other conflict areas. It all starts with respect for our fellow- man and with this alone we can start a people power dialogue for progress. So, let’s keep talking.

* * *

E-mail me at readnow@supreme.ph

* * *

PeaceTech is funded by AusAid, British Embassy, the newly formed German organization GIZ, and OPAPP. Thanks to Titon Mitra of AusAid, Caroline Sperling of GIZ, Akiko Abe of UNDP for attending PeaceTech mass video conference. Visit them online at facebook’s peacetech kabataan and peacetech.net.

* * *

Visit OPAPP website at http://opapp.gov.ph to learn more about the peace talks.

I see you — One of the mass video conferences Peacetech conducts every few months, links thousands of students in Metro Manila and in Mindanao.

MANILA, Philippines — Religion has always been a contentious issue in the country. And because 90 percent of the country’s population are Christians, while only 10 percent are Muslims, the majority has always associated the minority with terrorism and conflict.

Conversely, younger Muslims admit that their elders have always taught them that the Christians are the enemy.

Blame all these on ignorance.

Fortunately, there is one organization that aims to break this cycle of ignorance and misunderstanding, using technology as a tool to bridge young Filipino Christians and Muslims. Peacetech Inc. links up students of Metro Manila to the students of Mindanao and create a dialogue between the two groups.

“I recognize the potential of technology, specifically the video conferencing format of building, as something that can help bridge people who are separated by distance and by background. The whole idea is to leverage technology, as a means to build understanding and reduce the incidence of discrimination between Muslims and non-Muslims,”explains Peacetech founder and executive director Robin Pettyfer.

Peace + Technology

Pettyfer, a Canadian lawyer and a former TV reporter, says that he specifically chose the Philippines to conduct the program because the country is close to his heart. “My family used to live in the Philippines. My mother, grandmother, and my uncle were all prisoners of war during World War II. They were incarcerated in a Japanese prison camp. I love the country; I have an emotional attachment to it,” Pettyfer says.

He started Peacetech in 2006 aiming to teach Peace Education to students of Metro Manila and Mindanao through technology. The program specifically focuses on the young and underprivileged Filipinos who are at the age when they are most vulnerable.

Under Peacetech, programs — such as classroom video conferencing, mass video conferencing, workshops and fo-rums through blogs and social network¬ing sites — are being promoted to high school students from partner schools in Metro Manila and Mindanao.

For instance, Peacetech matches two public high schools in Metro Manila and in Mindanao to open direct communication between the two through video conferencing. Here the students discuss specially-designed modules on peace education that tackle issues on racism, discrimination, prejudice, conflict, and how to overcome them.

Peacetech also trains teachers in each school as facilitators of the video conference and on peace education as well.

So far, around 15 high schools and colleges from different cities in Metro Manila, Zamboanga, Iligan, and General Santos City have been linked with their respective partner schools.

Another program is the mass video conferencing where they gather 1,000 to 2,000 students in one area in Metro Ma-nila and in Mindanao to promote peace education among the youth. Around 50 schools have already participated in this event.

“The idea is for young people to continue learning online and sharing among themselves. We’re building a community in the Philippines and around the world to come together and relate to issues,” Pettyfer shares.

So far Peacetech has engaged around 15,000 students nationwide. They are also working closely with the Department of Education and Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process to bring more students together.

Peace projects

Then they have the weekend workshops for youth leaders of Manila and Mindanao. They gather them in one venue on a Saturday and train them in Peace Education and how to use technology in peace building. In this program, they also encourage students to create their own “peace projects” for their community.

The online program, on the other hand, encourage the students to engage with other students through moderated forums and through blogs, and social networking sites. They have their own website (www.peacetech.net) where students may communicate in chat rooms.

Targetting high school students

“There is more emphasis on the high school students because we want them to discover the right path early. We like to go to areas where students are a little bit more underprivileged. Ideally, it’s even more interesting for us to work with a school that has a lower income environment,” Pettyfer says.

The organization is funded by the Australian Government overseas aid program (AusAID), OPAPP, British Embassy, and GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation).

“The great thing about technology is you can reach a billion people with a snap of your finger. And that’s what we’re doing, we’re leveraging technology not to sell an item but to build understanding and reduce conflict. In some cases like the Middle East, they use technology to create conflict. In the Philippines, what we’re doing is use technology to reduce conflict,” Pettyfer explains. “By bringing people together a lot of them realize that they have less to fear of what they are being told, a lot of them will realize that they have a lot in common than what they are being told.’’

Peacetech Inc. also provides internet connection to schools that hardly have access to the internet.

No anger, no difference

Despite the lack of information between these young people from different backgrounds, there is no hate at all. Pettyfer says this is because when students communicate directly with one another, they find out that they have more similarities than differences. After all, they are of the same age and have the same interests.

“What really hits me is just the fact that there is little anger there’s not really animosity between the masses. These young 15 to 16-year-old people, there’s complete openness and willingness and the desire to connect and build and get on with their lives. All these animosity and anger that we hear and read about is among a huge minority. It’s amazing! So we’re just making that point and demonstrating to the rest of the country that all of this that we have in the peace process that’s a tiny minority. By allowing these people to come together, they are making that point,” Pettyfer stresses.

Peacetech’s executive assistant Jan Vincent Ong, shares that it’s actually even easier to get support from students in Mindanao than in Metro Manila. “What surprised us is the ability of the students in Zamboanga and Iligan to help. When we call out, people come, there’s no limit actually, so it’s not a problem.”

Peacetech plans to reach out to more students outside Metro Manila and more conflict-stricken areas in Mindanao like Cotabato, Marawi and even Basilan. They even plan to mainstream the project to all DepEd schools.

Pettyfer says that this is the start of something big. “We are aiming for the international arena. That’s what we want to do, we want to work in between nation states so we are building up a model and build up our experience within the Philippines for the time being.”

On Tuesday, 6,000 Christian and Muslim students and out-of-school youths from Metro Manila and Mindanao came together “face to face” for a videoconference, in a revolutionary use of technology that allowed them to build bridges over the gulfs of ignorance and discrimination.

“Building Understanding through Technology” is a series of mass videoconferences organized by the Philippine-based PeaceTech, a nongovernment organization that is leveraging information communications technology (ICT) to educate, unite and reduce conflict. It is supported by the Australian government’s AusAid and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).

It is aimed at building understanding between young Muslims and Christians who are divided by geography and background. The idea is to link up youths from a city in Luzon and the Visayas with those from a city in Mindanao.

Tuesday’s event, one of the biggest to have been staged so far, involved Metro Manila and General Santos City. It brought together approximately 50 high schools, dozens of colleges, out-of-school groups, police, military, government, civil society and the private sector.

Attitude-altering experience

For many of the participating high school students—like Sandra who has never traveled outside of Metro Manila—it was the first time for them to communicate with people in Mindanao.

Kimberly, a college junior, attended her first videoconference only because it was a class requirement. But what she discovered has changed her attitude and made her understand how easily discrimination, if left unquestioned, can be passed down through generations.

“I have an auntie who dislikes Muslims. She hates mess, dirty things. She hates Muslims because she says they live in dirty places. And so of course, because I respect her, I unconsciously got that perspective. I tell other people the same thing. Whenever I encounter a Muslim, I would say to my classmate that Muslims are messy people,” she said.

Romanne Posadas, Chief of the Policy Unit Division - Office of the Presidential Advisor on the Peace Process (OPAPP) talks about how prejudice and discrimination can affect the youth.

These unfounded judgments can easily be magnified, she said.

“When we Manileños encounter them in Manila, we always avoid them. This is so unfair. Now I see Muslims as intelligent, I don’t see them differently and I really think they are happy people,” she said.

Resembling a talk show

At first glance, a mass videoconferencing event resembles a talk show. It uses moderators and guests in each city, along with entertainment, games and singing to bring people together. Unlike the typical talk show, however, the objective is serious—to use technology to educate, empower and unite.

Singer Gary Valenciano shows his automatic insulin pump saying that we all have our own battle to win. This is the second time that Gary V. is a guest in the PeaceTech Mass Video Conference series.

Singer Gary Valenciano, one of the guest performers, explained why he will continue to support PeaceTech.

“This has been very powerful. Just when you think you have your own story to tell, you hear the stories of those down south. You realize how fortunate you are to not face the same problems. To be able to bring people together in this way using technology, I think this is the way it was meant to be used—it’s a great opportunity for young people to see the other side of what technology can bring,” Valenciano said.

Participants from one city can ask questions of anyone on the other side. Participants in the “facing” city then stand up and respond. Some could be seen wiping tears from their eyes as they talked: “What can we do to treat you better? What do you think about Muslims? Why do you not like us?”

Social outcasts

The guests were Christians and Muslims alike, who were victims of prejudice and war. One guest, Jamail Kamlian, a professor of history at the MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, sat with more than 3,000 young Filipinos in a gymnasium in General Santos City. He related how his Christian wife was barred from purchasing a house by a property developer because her husband was a Muslim.

“I was not the buyer. My Catholic wife was the buyer. We were going to pay cash, not even installment. And then they find out that her husband was Muslim. They said, ‘Ma’am, we will return your money’. Even if you’re Christian but have some connection with a Muslim, you become a social outcast,” he said.

Kamlian worries for his children: “In 20 years, they will be taking employment in a Christian-majority community. What will happen to them if they are not hired for the same reason?”

From talk to action

The ignorance and conflict are just the starting point at this mass event. It progresses to look at commonalities and then concrete solutions, which the audience propose to implement themselves. In this way, the event is not just talk. It becomes action.
Already, participants are beginning their own peace-building projects: virtual puppet shows, mini-video documentaries about prejudice, online forums and youth videoconferences.

Louie Montalbo, an undersecretary at OPAPP, explained the rationale for the event.
“One of the first things that we had thought of as far as the peace process was concerned was how to involve the youth. To involve them you cannot use traditional media outlets. You needed to use the new technology, the Internet in particular. And PeaceTech’s using interactive media is the perfect opportunity. It allows us to tap into thousands of students to basically do what we had thought of doing on our own,” said Montalbo.
He explains how this could also attack the roots of extremism.

A personal story

“Part of extremism is depersonalizing the enemy, so giving them a face, a name, a personal story, helps. To have a positive or at least neutral experience can help. You never know what ripple effect this can have,” he said.

Montalbo admits that although government has a vital role to play, there are limits to what it can do in its peace efforts, and changing attitudes is the hardest.

“You cannot legislate these things. It really has to happen from the ground up,” he said.
Last week’s videoconference is not the only way PeaceTech is helping to effect change at the grassroots. It acts as a catalyst with its array of programs.

Pairing classrooms

At the core of PeaceTech is the Classroom Videoconference Program. In coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd), it pairs classrooms throughout Mindanao and Metro Manila. Students learn about discrimination and prejudice, what they mean, and how to identify and overcome them.

Classroom Video Conference between Lakandula High School in Manila and Iligan City National High School in Iligan City, Mindanao

Training sessions are also held for teachers, mostly from DepEd high schools. All programs are done with support from AusAid, OPAPP, the British Embassy and GIZ of Germany.

A multiple series of weekend workshops teach young people project management and Internet skills. They learn how to use the Web to research, make new contacts and find answers to their questions.

Beyond social networking

The common denominator of all PeaceTech programs is to use technology in innovative ways to communicate and build understanding. This is where Montalbo sees the potential.

“There’s a digital divide in the Philippines, but I believe in using technology to go beyond social networking or chatting. We’re divided by seas. Technology is a way of bridging that particular geographical gap,” he said.

Founder Robin Pettyfer chose to begin PeaceTech in the Philippines partly because his British family were prisoners of war in Manila during World War II.

“Unlike previous generations, young people today have an opportunity to connect with other people anywhere. Had this existed before, it might have slowed down the propensity for misunderstanding and war. Today, it is so much simpler to go over the heads of the few in order to reach the many, to question whether what we are being told about the ‘other’ is in fact true, and to learn that maybe we are more alike than we are different,” said Pettyfer.

The crowd cheers during the 3rd Mass Video Conference at PUP Sta. Mesa, Manila

There is no doubt that the road towards more understanding is a long and complicated one. PeaceTech’s programs have so far reached only 20,000 people out of a population of 95 million.

But sometimes hearing that one voice in the crowd makes all the difference, said Pettyfer.

He told of how a teenage boy wearing broken shoes approached him after a videoconference in Mindanao.

“Thank you very much for giving me a voice. I never felt that I would have one. I come from nothing and for the first time I speak with people on the other side of this country, I never thought they would be like that. Today you made me feel that I came from something, and that I matter,” the boy told him.