Development and Peacebuilding: A Capacity Building Project

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A Project funded by the Philippines-Australian Human Resources Development Facility - an organisation created to administer aid projects between the Australian Government (AusAID) and the Philippine Government.

Background

Mindanao is the second largest island in the Philippines, with a population of 20+ million (including indigenous groups, Muslim groups (differentiated on basis of language, place and culture), and Christian settlers; and is associated with long-standing insurgency issues - MNLF, MILF and CPP/NPA.

Peace and economic development are regarded by the Philippine government as vital goals for the prosperity of the region.

As Mindanao is regarded as an island rich in natural resources including agriculture and extractive industries, there is an emerging tension within the diffierent communities around the issues of development and growth, particularly within those regions that experienced protrated conflict in the past.

MEDC's mission is to act as the catalyst in promoting, integrating and sustaining socio-economic development in Mindanao.

MEDCo was created in 1992 by virtue of Executive Order No. 512, signed by then President Corazon C. Aquino, to promote and coordinate the participation of all sectors to effect the socio-economic development of Mindanao through a wholistic and integrated approach.

In addition, MEDCo addresses the need to promote and strengthen interregional linkages to ensure the integrated viability of the programs and projects in Mindanao. MEDCo is also mandated to act as the official Philippine Coordinating Office (PCO) for Brunei Darussalam Indonesia the Philippines - East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

The Project

The project is an exciting venture for the Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies as we will be initiating dialogues between sixteen development professionals about the challenges and difficulties that different communities encounter when faced with certain types of development projects, particularly mining (ie. different cultural valuations of land and land ownership between indignenous groups and business; environmental degradation, social exclusion and increased inequality). These are very real tensions, with many communities living in situations of insecurity and fear.

Many of the issues being dealt with in the Philippines have echoes in Australia. While Filipinos would not be familar with Native Title, for example, they have engaged with somewhat similar issues through the conceptualisation of ancestral domain within government policy frameworks. The interface within and between indigenous communities re: development agenda, is compounded by municipal and provincial governments, national government and other local and international entities, including mining companies.

ACPACS, therefore, is well placed to provide a safe space for a joint exploration of problems affecting both development and peacebuilding in Australia and the Philipines. Lessons learned in the Australian context should be beneficial to MEDCo participants in enhancing their awareness of the impact of development trajectories on different communities and vice versa.

We welcome all MEDco participants to ACPACS, to Brisbane and to Australia and we thank Uniquest, Renie Allen, in particular for her work in bringing this project to fruition.

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