Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Forging Partnerships for Peace Conference

RATIONALE

After the successful staging of the first Forging Partnerships Conference for Mindanao in 2005 that looked closely at the status of service provision for IP’s (Indigenous Peoples) and studied where the gaps and overlaps existed to maximize the service providers’ resources, the second Forging Partnerships Conference is set in August 2007 for the Luzon-Visayas IP organizations and service providers.

Officially entitled, Forging Partnerships for Peace (FPP), this conference came about from a participatory planning process in 2006 initiated by PERSEPHONE (IP women’s organization in Baguio), the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the KASARIAN-Gender studies program of the University of the Philippines-Baguio, with eight (8) IP communities from Bontoc, Mt. Province, Bamban,Tarlac, Nagtipunan,Quirino, Boracay,Aklan, Upi,Maguindanao, Bislig ,Surigao, Luba,Abra and Siocon,Zamboanga.

Extractive development projects and land & armed conflict remain as the foremost issues confronting peace and development realities of the Luzon-Visayas IP communities. There is a need to address them and their core problems identified in the planning process: Conflict over land and its resources; IPs, especially women, lack the capacity to engage the state, corporations and civil society organizations due to low level of social capital; Lack of access to basic social services and livelihood; and, Erosion of indigenous socio-political and cultural institutions.

Adding to the IP difficulties are their displacements due to armed conflicts and the lack of solid representation to GRP-MILF peace talks.

In December 2006, at the “Waging Peace in the Philippines Conference,” the workshop group on Indigenous Peoples’ Participation came up with a plan of action that included a need for a conference for IP organizations and IP partner organizations in 2007 and a full campaign for IPs possibly in 2008.

The FPP intends to be an initial response to the challenge of consolidating various initiatives for IPs as it looks into IP issues with adverse implications to peace and security. It will also provide the indigenous organizations in Luzon and the Visayas with a venue for partnerships and collaboration of efforts towards meeting their common needs and hopefully pave the way for the formation of a genuine National Consultative Assembly of IPs as mandated by law.

With the Indigenous Peoples Republic Act (IPRA) marking its 10th anniversary, the conference endeavors to assess its implementation vis-à-vis specific themes, and present an IP peace agenda in the form of policy recommendations and resolutions to the government.

As such, a two-day Conference for Luzon and the Visayas IP organizations and service providers is organized to form a functional peace network to supplement the existing Mindanao one.

The conference will be held for two days on 7- 9 August 2007 at the Sacred Heart Novitiate, Km 23, Quirino Highway, Quezon City. The United Nations Development Programme and the Assisi Development Foundation support this conference.

OBJECTIVES

The conference provides a venue to work together in the future and forge partnerships. The conference will enhance the knowledge of each participant’s role in the development of IP’s in Luzon and the Visayas as this gathering will:

1. Identify issues and realities of various IP communities with adverse implications to peace & security.

2. Make a decade-assessment of the Philippine IPRA (Indigenous Peoples Republic Act) and its implementation with focus on specific themes.

3. Create an IP peace agenda to be presented to the Executive branch of government and the Philippine Congress.

4. Forge partnerships between and among IP service providers and IP communities where experiences are shared towards the promotion of peace and the development of the IP communities.

5. Form a functional Luzon-Visayas peace network of IP service providers as a supplement to the existing Mindanao network.

6. Pioneer an IP service provider databank accessible to all.

THEMES

The Steering Committee has identified various themes for the conference as topics for the breakout sessions. A briefer will be presented regarding the topics mainly to jumpstart the workshops. These themes have been chosen as the most pressing issues surrounding the indigenous peoples that must be given focus.

1. Kapayapaan (Peace and Conflict Management, Social Justice)

2. Karapatan sa Lupa (Land Rights)

3. Kalikasan (Environment, Resource Use & Management, Livelihood)

4. Karunungan (Knowledge and Education)

5. Kultura at Kasarinlan (Cultural Integrity & Self-Governance)

Participants

The following are invited to join the conference as:

  1. Core Participants – delegates and leaders belonging to various IP communities and the indigenous peoples’ organizations from Luzon and the island groups.

  1. Strategic Partners – these are support organizations and interested individuals in the Luzon-Visayas area. These include donors, local NGOs, international agencies, and dignitaries.

Conference Program (tentative)

DAY 1: August 7

AM Arrival and Exhibit Set-Up

11.30 – 12.40 PM Lunch

1PM Opening Ritual

1.10 PM Welcome Remarks and Introduction of Participants

Gilbert Hoggang

1.25 PM Keynote Address

Vicky Tauli-Corpuz

Chairperson, UN Permanent Forum on IP

1.50 PM Cultural Presentation

2 PM Conference Overview and Bulletin Board Posting

Miks Guia-Padilla

2.15 PM Plenary Session

Short Opening Discourse on the Themes

Kapayapaan by GZO Peace Institute

Karapatan sa Lupa by LRC

Kalikasan by PAFID and NTFP

Karunungan by Assisi Development Foundation

Kultura and Kasarinlan by AnthroWatch / KASAPI

3.30 PM Break

3.45 PM Open Forum

4.30 PM Opening of the Exhibit

DAY 2 : August 8

7 AM Breakfast

8.30 AM Opening Breaker and Cultural Presentation

9 AM Workshop 1: Issues and Concerns

11 AM Plenary Reporting

12 NN Lunch

1.30 PM Overview of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA)

by Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center

2 PM Workshop 2: IPRA Assessment and Recommendations

4 PM PANLIPI’s Decade Assessment of the IPRA

6 PM Solidarity Dinner and Cultural Night

DAY 3 : August 9

7 AM Breakfast

9 AM Plenary Session

Presentation of the IP Agenda

9.50 AM Responses

National Commission on Indigenous Peoples

House and Senate IP Committees

International Agencies

10.20 AM Databank Search Engine Presentation

10.30 AM Closing Remarks

United Nations Development Programme

IP Leader

Assisi Development Foundation

10.45 AM Thanksgiving Ritual

11.30 AM Early Lunch

1 PM Departure to UP Bahay Ng Alumni

Exhibit Set-Up

3 PM World Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration*

Dialogue

Exhibit and Cocktails

7 PM Departure

* Co-organized by the European Union, International Labour Organisation, Embassy of Canada and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples

Exhibit Specifics

Each exhibitor must prepare an Organizational Profile and flyers/leaflets for the gallery. Exhibit Space is limited. All are encouraged to have minimal paraphernalia for the exhibit.

Venue and Dates

Title: IP Forging Partnerships for Peace

Date: 7 – 9 August 2007

Venue:Sacred Heart Novitiate, Km 23, Quirino Highway 1117 Quezon City

ADMIN ARRANGEMENTS

The Assisi Development Foundation will shoulder the travel expenses, board and lodging of the participants during the whole duration of the conference. Incidental expenses such as laundry, phone calls, mini-bar outlays, hotel shopping and the like will have to be borne by the participants. The first free meal will be served as refreshments during the first day, while the last free meal will be the luncheon during the closing ceremonies, unless otherwise indicated for some participants.

Conference Steering Committee Members

Philippine Association for Intercultural Development

Cordillera People’s Forum

Balay Rehabilitation Center

GZO Peace Institute

AnthroWatch

Inter-Peoples Exchange

Koalisyon ng Katutubong Samahan ng Pilipinas

Cartwheel Foundation

Non-Timber Forest Products-Exchange Programme

Assisi Development Foundation

Secretariat Headquarters

503 Prestige Tower Bldg, Emerald Avenue, Pasig

T: 6321001| F: 6327844 (look for Jasper or Adet)

Email: ip_conference@yahoo.com

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