Institute for Peace and Development in Mindanao

The institute for peace and development in Mindanao (IPDM) was created by the MSU Board of Regents during its 182^nd Meeting on December 7, 2001. The institute assumed the functions of two defunct units: the Muslim Christian Center for Peace Studies and the Muslim Mindanao Development Institute. It is now the central coordinating unit for all existing peace and development programs of the campuses of the University.

MSU was established on 1 September 1961, as one of the government responses to the so-called “Mindanao problem.” The problem includes a violent struggle of segments of the Filipino Muslim population to redress long-standing grievances and assert Muslim selfhood and identity in the face of real and imagined threats of cultural and spiritual assimilation by the majority Filipino Christian population.

The University was mandated to accelerate the “integration” of the cultural communities in Mindanao into the mainstream body politic and to accelerate the development of its service areas through instruction, research, and extension. In the pursuit of these objectives, the University also seeks to infuse spiritual and moral values, national consciousness and solidarity, and mutual understanding among Filipinos, which are necessary for peaceful coexistence and sustainable development.

IPDM was therefore, created with the expectation that it would contribute to the easing of tensions and the promotion of justice and peace between Filipino Muslims and Christian by expanding knowledge, improving understanding and heightening sensitivity in relations between the peoples of Mindanao in particular, and the Philippines in general.

Vision

A progressive Mindanao, where people live with social justice and harmony in diversity, towards peace and sustainable development.

Mission

IPDM commits to attain a just and sustainable peace and development by way of collaborative efforts in the promotion of culture of peace through peace education, peace research and peace action that link the University System with multi-sectoral stakeholders in Mindanao and the global community.

Goals

1. Generate and disseminate relevant information needed in peace and development through collaborative work among the different units/campuses of the MSU System and other stakeholders on the following issues, among others:

a. Peace study and conflict resolution;
b. Causes and drivers of violent extremism;
c. Promotion of sustainable development;
d. Advocacy of the interest of internally displaced persons;
e. Promotion of basic human rights;
f. Root causes and alternative solutions to poor governance;
g. Ancestral domain issues;
h. Peace negotiations between GRP-MILF;
i. Indigenous systems and mechanisms of conflict resolution/mediation;
j. Deteriorating quality of education; and
k. Alternative technology systems that can contribute to sustainable development.

2. Operationalize and sustain the promotion of the Culture of Peace through the integration of peace and development education/studies at all levels and units of the University System (per BOR resolution no. 224, Series 2001).

• Programs and Activities

            The institute became operational in January 2002 and organized itself to carry out its ambitious purpose through the following programs and activities:

1. PEACE EDUCATION

1.1. Introduce and integrate peace studies at all levels of education in the university.
1.2. Develop teaching modules/materials on some post-settlement peace building themes such as mechanism for transitional conflict management, economic reconstruction, and transitional justice.
1.3. Build a library through a collection of resource materials on peace and peace building themes, justice, development, and Muslim history.
1.4. Raise awareness on the root causes of conflicts, violence and peacefulness at the community, regional, national, and international levels; and
1.5. Develop values and attitude, which will encourage people to move to action for building more peaceful individuals, communities, societies, and ultimately a more peaceful world.

2. PEACE RESEARCH

2.1. Explore innovative, nonviolent approach to conflict management at all levels.
2.2. Investigate causes and possible solution to economic and social problems.
2.3. Study and publicize concerns for human rights.
2.4. Understand and improve majority-minority ethnic relations.
2.5. Seek ways to utilize law more fully, medicine, politics, religion, culture, international relations, commerce, media, etc. in promoting peace.
2.6. Examine and share possibilities of non-military national defense.
2.7. Determine advantages of revival of traditional mediation and conflict management.
2.8. Determine relationships between local, national and global problems.
2.9. Seeks linkages for cultural and economic development with other Asian neighbors particularly Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

3. PEACE ACTION

3.1. Offer venue for scholars, students, and other advocates for peace building in the region who could utilize resource materials for their research, teaching, and advocacy.
3.2. Offer short courses, lectures, seminars, and workshops in peace studies for religious, private and government personnel as part of peace advocacy.
3.3. Invite peace scholars to offer courses, lectures, and seminars on human rights, non-violent conflict resolutions, modulations, and disarmament, gender issues, environment and sustainable development, ethnicity, social justice etc.
3.4. Establish a network linkage, exchanging information, and cooperation with other peace institutions through out the world.
3.5. Promote peace thinking and action through effective use of various organization, media and fora.
3.6. Encourage possibilities for nonviolent alternatives.
3.7. Implement traditional and other effective practices of mediation in family, community, and labor dispute.
3.8. Participate in worldwide, nonviolent publication and correcting human rights abuses.
3.9. Engage in interethnic dialogue.
3.10. Assist government, religious and private sectors to correct misunderstandings and discriminations found in minority-majority and ethnic relationships.
3.11. Encourage self-critical understanding, responsibility in finding solutions to family, community, national and global problems.
3.12. Institutional Transformation Towards Building a Culture of Peace (the community in this case should be given greater role in the achievement of sustainable peace through the participation of the traditional leaders).
3.13. Strengthen the linkages and implement traditional and other effective practice of mediation in family, community disputes.
3.14. Initiate conferences, seminars and other community activities relating to human rights, peace building and conflict resolution.
3.15. Maintain programs and activities in the radio station and two-way radio to inculcate in the minds of the people the importance and beauty of peace.

Policies and Activities

            The institute activities and policies are under the guidance of the University Peace and Development Council with members selected and confirmed by the Board of Regents. The council composed of both Muslim and Christians meets twice annually. In case of urgent matters, the Executive Director can request for special meeting.

Administrative Structure

            In July 2007, the Institute administrative structure and implementing strategy was expanded by BOR Resolution No. 107. The policies and activities of the Institute is under the guidance of the University Peace Council headed by the University President as Chairman, the Executive Director as Ex-Officio Vice Chairman and the Campus Chancellors/ Campus IPDM Directors as Members.

            The Executive Director at the Main Campus is the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute. Along with his campus Directors, they are assisted by a Secretary and three (3) Coordinators on Peace Education, Peace Research and Peace Action.

Peace and Development Plan and Strategies

IPDM’s plans and strategies centered around contributing to peace and development in Mindanao through the three-core mandates of research, actions, and extension services. The complexity of the current situation of peace and security in Mindanao stems from the multiplicity of threat factors as well as the way these factors feed upon one another and create cyclical conflict.

Conflicts often arise from the lack of good governance linked to struggles for power and resources.  Poor governance results in economic difficulties, high rates of unemployment, lack of social services, etc.  Some governments feeling threatened will focus on conserving power rather than delivering services to the population. Conserving power is done through a variety of mechanisms including removing term limits, confiscating power at all levels including the judiciary and legislative, rigging elections to the point where they become power conservation tools, etc.

To make these power conservation mechanisms effective, governments will use ethnicity, religion, violence, electoral fraud, etc.  This will result in large groups in the population feeling disenfranchised and marginalized, creating fertile ground for recruitment by groups who have chosen to fight with arms. The presence of such groups will further threaten the government which will crack down with increased violence and the cycle continues.

Due to prolonged conflicts, today some states have large ungoverned spaces lacking in government security, basic services, and administrative institutions, therefore opening the way for all manner of illegal activities. Armed groups as well as government factions illegally exploit mineral resources, levy illegal taxes on commercial activities and extort the population to finance themselves and enable a steady stream of weapons into the continent. The illicit circulation of these weapons together with criminal activities continue to fuel insurrections and rebellions. It is the complexity of this context which requires that we look again at the strategic planning tool for peace and security programs on the continent.

National governments, state agencies, international organizations and NGOs all try to find solutions at sub-national, national, and regional levels to the complex situations described above.  For institutions and organizations trying to build peace, regularly assessing the situation on the ground, and developing or adapting approaches and programs to end conflict and build peace is a challenging, complicated endeavor.