By BenCyrus G. Ellorin
“Because half a dozen grasshoppers under a fern make the field ring with their importunate chink, whilst thousands of great cattle, reposed beneath the shadow of the British oak, chew the cud and are silent, pray do not imagine that those who make noise are the only inhabitants of the field; that, of course, they are many in number; or that, after all, they are other than the little shrivelled, meagre, hopping, though loud and troublesome insects of the hour.” -Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797) -- Irish-born British statesman and political philosopher, Reflections on the Revolution in France
The 1986 People`s Power is an excellent case to argue that in a conflict, there are at least three main players - the protagonists and the people.
People`s views are often blurred into seeing only two main players in an armed conflict, i.e the Philippine Government versus the MILF, the Philippine Government versus the CPP-NPA-NDF. Both the protagonists are claiming that their fight “for the people.”
This presumptuousness may, by far, be the biggest anomaly in social reality. Wage your war not in our name please.
The venerable democratic icon Cory Aquino was quoted after the People`s Power revolution in the Philippines that the 23 year dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos was bloodlessly toppled because “the people for the first time in history came out to protect its military.”
In the conflict in Southern Philippines, in at least two occasions, the victims of war, the civilian internal refugees took to the streets and shouted at both the government and the MILF to stop shooting at each other and go back to the negotiating table. One was in 2003 and the more recent last July 2009. In both instances the shooting parties may have heeded and talked peace.
The People`s Power in EDSA and the peace protests by the Bakwits in Mindanao support the thesis that the people form the third force in a conflict. And that they have an ideology, although latent, based on the universal concept of PEACE.
Peace builders I think may need to take stock of these and start making a sustained people`s action for peace.
Political conscientization in the context of peace may be a very powerful tool in creating the awareness that the people`s silence and non-participation in social action are actually contributing to the shooting war.
Knocking on the people`s doors to ask them to go to the streets and block the armed groups from shooting each other and civilians may save the day for us. It`s time for us to arrogate on the main actors of the conflict, be it Joma Sison, Al Haj Murad or Gloria Arroyo that we are disinterested in their shooting war and vitriolic dialogue. That they should shut up and instead buckle down in the peace negotiating table.
This is most especially urgent now that even before they can sit down in Oslo, Norway, both the Philippine Government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) are seemingly agreeing not to see each other. And the recent slugfest claiming at least 45 lives in Basilan has again placed in critical balance the peace process between the Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
While many do share the advocacies and aspirations of communists and the Muslim rebels, majority I believe are no fans of the violent menu they are using in the name of the people.
My suggestions may sound simplistic. It should be. Armed conflict is nothing but complicated.
Let`s grab the bullhorn and tell the half dozen grasshoppers: STOP YOUR WAR, TALK PEACE!
__________
The writer is an environmentalist and peace advocate. He is currently a Peace Communication (PeaceComm) Fellow of Environmental Broadcast Circle. PeaceComm is supported by the Norwegian volunteer organization FredsKorpset. Comments can be sent to bency.ellorin@gmail.com
Source: http://www.mindanews.com
