Pagpati'ut - Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue

Mediating Violence In Sulu
consulted as regards their view on what is the right mix of an ‘effective and
just’ leadership and governance style.
to monitor the utilization of Barangay IRA. These measures must be
communicated to all Barangays. If ‘information facilitates power,’ then
informing the people on the amount of Barangay IRA, and providing them
with information on its proper utilization will give them an institutional
(4) Finally, a study has to be done to determine the best scheme for an
arms control and management program that is rooted on the political
Mediation is often looked within the frame of facilitating the settlement
considers the role of the ‘third wheel’ – i.e., the people affected by the
and assertion of this ‘third wheel’ in addressing and mitigating the effects
of violence. In other words, is really an attempt to
break-away from the violence victimization syndrome. As aptly put by one
civil society group, 33 indeed the
people have a vast array of mechanisms available to them to get out of the
‘victim-trap.’
The different Barangays have, in varying degrees, attempted to address
were more successful than others. Barangay Silangkan, a Peace Centered
Community, began with a simple but powerful agenda – to settle the
the hardest. But the people realized that once the momentum of moving
forward is achieved, the succeeding steps are no longer as painful.
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33 This byline was coined and popularized by the group, Balay Mindanao Foundation Inc., at the
height of the great flood that affected Cagayan de Oro in 2011