2009.03.23: March 23, 2009: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Minda News: Samira Gutoc writes: In the 1970s, the Peace Corps were very visible around Marawi, particularly in the Mindanao State University
Peace Corps Online:
Directory:
Philippines:
Peace Corps Philippines:
Peace Corps Philippines: Newest Stories:
2009.03.23: March 23, 2009: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Minda News: Samira Gutoc writes: In the 1970s, the Peace Corps were very visible around Marawi, particularly in the Mindanao State University
Samira Gutoc writes: In the 1970s, the Peace Corps were very visible around Marawi, particularly in the Mindanao State University
Norkaya Muhammad, a women leader here, recalls that she used to await toys and chocolate gifts from her American friends every time they arrived from the US. The gifts are reminiscent of a past where Datus were supposedly granted tokens and positions in exchange for territorial space of colonizers.
Samira Gutoc writes: In the 1970s, the Peace Corps were very visible around Marawi, particularly in the Mindanao State University
MY, MY, MY MARAWI: Of Madonna, Obama and Moros.
By Samira Gutoc
Samira Gutoc/MindaNews
Monday, 23 March 2009 09:15
[Excerpt]
The Moros and Americans have had a love-hate relationship. The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is the biggest recipient region of US donor funding running by the billions annually. Yet the ARMM also hosted pockets of resistance to American presence in the past during the Bud Daho, Sulu and Bayang, Lanao massacres of sword-wielding Datus, chieftains and their followers.
While Moros are fans of American pop culture , they are deeply committed to Islamic ideals of virtue, shunning pork, alcohol and nudity. They can listen to Madonna but they would condemn American invasion of Iraq.
While Moros would question the ultimate agenda of the US in the South, some Moro intellectuals are looking to the US to provide recognition to the Moro claim for self-determination or governance. The US on the other hand would acknowledge the injustice of the past colonization of Moro areas and yet cannot act on any political claims of Moros.
I recall one USIP fellow tell a forum of young Moro leaders, Moros need the outside world, they need allies to champion the Moro RSD (right to self-determination). They need to tell their stories and with the American public relations and media grinding our airwaves and webspace everyday.
Look, Bangsamoro day last March 18 was major in Moro areas but look at its practical absence in the major channels and newspapers. Hello, no coverage means nada in the agenda. You’re of zero importance.
With a stalemate in the GRP-MILF peacetalks, it is not uncanny to look for other windows of conflict-resolution.
Maybe the facilitator Malaysia needs to become more creative, and techno-savvy in its approach, involving the communities affected so that there is popular participation after a botched MOA-AD in August 2008. Maybe we need to rethink American participation with its strength on public relations, where the major media networks are based – CNN and Fox.
A lot of maybe’s but really, thinking out of the box can uplift the stalemate and probably make peace nearer soon.
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Samira A. Gutoc is former secretary-general of the Philippine Muslim Women Council and former editor of the Moro Times.)
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: March, 2009; Peace Corps Philippines; Directory of Philippines RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Philippines RPCVs
When this story was posted in April 2009, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| Director Ron Tschetter: The PCOL Interview Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter sat down for an in-depth interview to discuss the evacuation from Bolivia, political appointees at Peace Corps headquarters, the five year rule, the Peace Corps Foundation, the internet and the Peace Corps, how the transition is going, and what the prospects are for doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011. Read the interview and you are sure to learn something new about the Peace Corps. PCOL previously did an interview with Director Gaddi Vasquez. |
Read the stories and leave your comments.
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
Story Source: Minda News
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Philippines
PCOL43549
24