MANILA, Philippines?Family, friends, colleagues and supporters joined in a ?Celebration of Candidacy for Yasmin Busran Lao, a Woman of Peace? last Wednesday at the UP?s Balay Kalinaw. It was an event that was part-pep rally, part-tribute and part-reunion to celebrate the brave, daring and, some say, foolhardy decision of Yasmin to run for the Senate under the Liberal Party.

Yasmin is one of several ?NGO? candidates in the LP?s slate, chosen not so much for their public personas or vote-getting capability, as for their advocacies and proven commitment to peaceful change and non-traditional politics. Of the three women among the LP senatorial line-up, Yasmin is the least known, the other two being Sonia Roco whose offer of her Aksyon Party?s support for Noynoy Aquino resulted in her being drafted for the Senate; and Risa Hontiveros, who has served several terms as party-list representative of Akbayan and made a name for herself as a champion of human rights and women?s rights, specifically sexual and reproductive health and rights.

(The other LP candidates are Serge Osmeña, Frank Drilon, Brig. Gen. Danny Lim, Ralph Recto, Neric Acosta, Dr. Martin Bautista, Alex Lacson, Ruffy Biazon and TG Guingona.)

Yasmin has her roots in academe (at the Mindanao State University) but uprooted herself to enter the hurly-burly world of civil society, organizing community women and founding a foundation that seeks to examine the role of Filipino Muslim women in the context of the Koran and Moro culture.

She also plays a key role in giving voice to Muslim women caught in the crossfire of local conflicts, a strong advocate for giving women a role in conflict resolution and recognizing the ?special? needs of women refugees and evacuees.

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IT was Yasmin, in fact, who opened my eyes to think beyond the usual relief-goods packet when organizing drives for victims of calamities, including human-created ones like wars and conflicts.

?Aside from food, water and medicines,? she told us, ?women evacuees also need to preserve their dignity and keep their sense of self-respect.? This was why, she said, her women?s foundation put together a relief packet for internally-displaced women in Muslim communities that included, among other feminine needs, a malong that would serve as a garment, robe, sleeping mat, and even temporary shelter for them.

Since then, every time I?ve been asked to donate relief goods, I make it a point to include women?s needs like sanitary napkins, underwear, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes and feminine wash?items not usually part of the usual packet. A most valuable learning from Yasmin.

I was asked to give a ?tribute? to Yasmin during last Wednesday?s celebration. Here?s what I said:

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IT is difficult to think of Yasmin Busran Lao without recalling her life experience, so linked is her person with what she has gone through as a woman, a Muslim, a Maranao, a feminist and an activist.

What I find most remarkable about her personal history is how, from being a stranger, an outsider, marginalized because of her appearance, her dress, her origins and her religion?she used the experience of being an ?other? in the Christian society she encountered in Manila to transform herself into an activist and advocate for peace. Through the childhood hardships she faced down, Yasmin remained true to what she was and is: a woman of faith who dared question religious precepts and cultural practices; a daughter, wife, mother, sister, aunt and cousin who ?brought home? the issue of feminism and sought to bring liberation and autonomy to her Muslim sisters; and a Moro woman who sought way to bridge differences in ideology, class, belief and ethnicity to bring peace and real development to her land.

I am so gratified that in the years since she decided to leave the safe haven of academe to explore the then little-known terrain of community organizing, peace advocacy and feminist consciousness-raising, her work and her commitment have been recognized by many organizations and foreign governments. I remember meeting Yas at the domestic airport some years ago and asking her if she would agree to be nominated for The Outstanding Women in the Nation?s Service (TOWNS) award. She surprised me by turning me down, telling me that she was about to leave for Indonesia to engage in an inter-faith dialogue on peace and development. ?I?ll tell you what we accomplish there,? she said, ?and if something comes out of it, maybe I?ll consider the nomination.?

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WE never did get to talk about what happened in Indonesia or about the TOWNS award. But I?m guessing she never spent a moment regretting another award that got away. From what I know of Yas, I know that more important than recognitions or prizes, is the knowledge that she has accomplished something solid, something real to bring change to the lives of Muslim Filipinos, especially women.

So here?s to Yas, a sister in Pilipina, a colleague in the work of development, a dear friend. Once more, she is leaving the safe, the familiar and the comfortable world she knows to explore an entirely new and truly intimidating field, the field of national politics. She may not have the name and face recognition, the resources, the extensive networks that many deem to be essential in winning a seat in the Senate. All Yas has to offer is a compelling life story, and a record of service and selflessness in pursuit of peace, development and progress in Mindanao and the rest of the Philippines. That would be enough to get one elected, all things being equal. But we do not live in an equal society, and it is my hope and prayer that with Yas in the Senate, she can bring us one step closer to that dream of equity in every sense of the word.