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

By Admin1 (admin) (141.157.16.199) on Thursday, April 09, 2009 - 4:48 pm: Edit Post

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 RSS Feed

 Site Index Search PCOL with Google Contact PCOL Recent Posts Bulletin Board Open Discussion RPCV Directory Register

March 22, 2009: Special Envoy Date: March 22 2009 No: 1343 March 22, 2009: Special Envoy
Holbrooke is Special Envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan 26 Feb
Peace Corps Madagascar Program Suspended 16 Mar
Peace Corps Volunteer Murdered in Benin 12 Mar
Joseph Acaba Makes First Spacewalk 21 Mar
Michael O'Hanlon: Can Obama win in Afghanistan? 20 Mar
Dodd faces Rebellion in Connecticut 19 Mar
Mike Honda writes: Request for Internet Ideas 19 Mar
Laurence Leamer writes: Tragedy of the Peace Corps 16 Mar
Gaddi Vasquez at Annenberg Foundation Trust 16 Mar
White House defends appointment of Chris Hill 14 Mar
Ted Kennedy promotes national service bill 10 Mar
John Dunlop helps Iraq recover 8 Mar
Want a better safer world? Volunteer. 6 Mar
Guy Consolmagno writes: The Search for Earth-like Planets 5 Mar
Charles Murray to receive AEI Award 5 Mar
Sam Goldman started D.light to replace kerosene lamps 4 Mar
RPCVs apply Ideas To Hometown In Need 3 Mar
Senator Bond: Peace Corps and Smart Power 26 Feb
Bob Shacochis writes: Rebuild the Peace Corps 24 Feb
Stephen Andersen promotes Kenyan artisans 24 Feb
Francis Koster writes: A shard of glass 24 Feb
Read more stories from February 2009 and March.

PCOL's Candidate for Peace Corps Director Date: December 2 2008 No: 1288 PCOL's Candidate for Peace Corps Director
Honduras RPCV Jon Carson, 33, presided over thousands of workers as national field director for the Obama campaign and said the biggest challenge -- and surprise -- was the volume of volunteer help, including more than 15,000 "super volunteers," who were a big part of what made Obama's campaign so successful. PCOL endorses Jon Carson as the man who can revitalize the Peace Corps, bring it into the internet age, and meet Obama's goal of doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011.

Director Ron Tschetter:  The PCOL Interview Date: December 9 2008 No: 1296 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


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: