Too often, the world seeks to end a conflict and rebuild war-torn societies without addressing the very reasons that make reconciliation so difficult and that contribute to renewed violence.
There is a touch of irony in the fighting in Sabah where Malaysian forces, using eight fighter jets, laser-guided bombs, artillery and hundreds of troops, have failed to subdue a handful of Filipino Muslims from Sulu.
If we were hoping for peace in our time, 2012 did not deliver it. Conflict grew ever bloodier in Syria, continued to grind on in Afghanistan, and flared up periodically in West, Central and East Africa. There were multiple episodes of ethnic, sectarian, and politically motivated violence in Burma (Myanmar), South Asia, and around the Middle East. Tensions between China and its neighbors have escalated in the South China Sea, and between China and Japan in the East China Sea. Concerns about North Korea’s and Iran’s nuclear programs remain unresolved.
IT IS with great sadness and foreboding that we watch the news from Syria. The civil war has already claimed over 44,000 lives, and even though it seems to be entering its final phases it looks set to consume many more. The latest developments are worrying, precisely because they show steady but incremental rebel advances; [...]
Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM) condemns Israel’s air strikes on Gaza, which resulted in the death of more than 70 civilians, including children.
The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress. (Job 37:23) In a span of 10 months—from October 2011 to the present, three incidents of pointless ambushes were reported in the island of Basilan. These claimed a total of 17 precious lives and [...]
It’s “All quiet on the western front.” This phrase taken from a movie title denotes lack of visible change in the war front.
The sound of what seemed like thunder wakes me up at 3 a.m., Monday, a few hours after I arrived in Damascus on my mission to assess the situation on the ground as head of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Overseas Workers’ Affairs. Storm coming, I think, and my jetlagged brain plunges back to sleep.
As Christians all over the world celebrate the advent of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace who came so that all may have abundant life (John 10:10), the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP), the largest ecumenical formation of church leaders in the country, reiterates our call for the resumption of the formal peace talks between the government of the Philippines (GPH) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in accordance with their prior bilateral agreements.
Ending the armed conflict in the Philippines may be a pipe dream to cynics, but it is always worth a try, especially for those who genuinely desire peace and reconciliation. The latter desire is what impels the cautious optimism that has greeted President Aquino’s ambitious Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (Pamana) program. The budget department has [...]
Was it, indeed, a victory for President Aquino’s “all-out justice” campaign in Mindanao? That’s how the Armed Forces of the Philippines is characterizing the fall of a rebel stronghold in Zamboanga Sibugay province a few days ago.
The Nato bombing of the cities of Sirte and Bani Walid teared the mask off Nato’s claim that it intervened in the Libyan conflict in order to “protect civilians.” It goes against reason that Moammar Gadhafi’s die-hard defenders would be killing the very people loyal to them and, apparently, fighting to the death in support [...]
