wfn.org | UMNS# 327-United Methodists sponsor Filipino women at U.N. forum

["NewsDesk" <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

United Methodists sponsor Filipino women at U.N. forum

Jun. 1, 2005

NOTE: A related article, UMNS #328, may be used as a sidebar to this
story.

By Linda Bloom*

NEW YORK (UMNS) - A young Muslim woman and a Roman Catholic nun, both
from the Philippines, were able to network at the United Nations with
others involved with indigenous issues because of assistance from the
United Methodist Church.

Both women were among the 1,500 participants at the Fourth Session of
the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues May 16-27 at the United
Nations. The forum examined various situations faced by indigenous, or
native, peoples around the world, with a particular focus on the
Millennium Development's goals to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
and to achieve universal primary education.

Another United Methodist participant was the Rev. Yngvar Ruud, a pastor
from Norway.

"I feel that we are partners in promoting justice and peace," said
Sister Celine Cajanding, a member of the Religious of the Good Shepherd
(RGS), about her sponsorship by the United Methodist Board of Global
Ministries and Board of Church and Society in Washington.

Zaynab Ampatuan also expressed appreciation for the opportunity provided
by the United Methodists and added that such interfaith work can help
erase prejudices and biases.

Liberato Bautista, a Church and Society executive, said the sponsorship
is in response to a conference he and Mia Adjali, an executive with the
Women's Division of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries,
attended late last year in Davao City, Philippines.

The event, "First People's Forum on Peace for Life," had a focus of
Christians acting in solidarity with Muslims and "called for an
interfaith collaboration in addressing issues of justice and peace,"
Bautista said.

Both Ampatuan and Cajanding are involved with InPeace Mindanao, a
grassroots movement linking Muslims, indigenous peoples and Christians
in actions for peace and justice on Mindanao, the second-largest island
in the Philippines.

According to InPeace Mindanao, "Mindanao has been recently thrust into
political turbulence with the recent spate of bombings that have rocked
major cities, the on-again/off-again peace talks between the government
of the Republic of the Philippines and the NDFP (National Democratic
Front of the Philippines) and MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front), the
all-out war and militarism that has victimized civilians and displaced
hundreds of thousands, especially in Moro-dominated areas, the
development aggression against indigenous peoples and the escalation of
violations of human rights in both urban and rural areas."

Ampatuan, who is the spokesperson for the League of Moro Youth and
active in the United Voice of the Moro People, said there is a long
history of struggles on the island.

The losers in the Mindanao situation are the indigenous peoples and
other farmers and their access to land, according to Cajanding, who runs
a center for Filipino migrant workers and their families.

"It is the intention of the transnational corporations, with the
permission of the government, to exploit the remaining lands," she
explained.

The current Filipino government has basically instituted "undeclared
marshal law," according to Ampatuan. Deregulation has caused economic
turmoil and the number of human rights violations has intensified since
the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Those violations include the
illegal arrests or abductions of Maro people and others, the "massive
militarization" of communities and the outright killings of activists
and journalists.

As the two women learned through their experience at the United Nations,
indigenous peoples in other countries have similar concerns. "It's very
evident that we all share the same common problems," Ampatuan said.

Those problems include ownership of land, constant violations of human
rights, and the encroachment of multinational corporations. In many
countries, indigenous peoples are asking for the right to
self-determination, she added.

A common thread among indigenous peoples "is the effect of the World
Bank and IMF (International Monetary Fund) projects on their lives,"
Cajanding said. In her opinion, despite the participation of the World
Bank in the Philippines for the past 40 years, "we are worse off than
before."

Both women said they were pleased to have the opportunity to present the
situation in Mindanao in a forum at the United Nations. As a networking
tool, the forum was "an avenue to widen our links and networking with
other organizations," Cajanding added.

Ampatuan also noted that she now has a better understanding of
international laws that could be used to help protect people in
Mindanao.

On May 27, at the conclusion of its session, the Permanent Forum on
Indigenous Issues recommended that the United Nations, its member states
and other intergovernmental organizations ensure the participation of
indigenous peoples in the design, implementation and monitoring of
strategies to reduce poverty.

Those strategies also should clearly identify rights to indigenous land,
forest, marine and other natural resources, the forum said. Food
security and water protection also are needed for indigenous peoples.

In terms of education, states should guarantee access to free primary
quality education for indigenous children and develop bilingual and
culturally sensitive education to reduce dropout rates, the forum
document said.

*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York.

News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.

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United Methodist News Service
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