PEACE BY PEACE
(Part II)
When the Philippine government and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) issued a Joint Communique in Oslo, Norway on Nov. 28, 2023, peacebuilders across the nation rejoiced – and for good reason.
As members of the national government and CPP-NPA-NDF delegation shook hands and held up the signed document, it sent a clear and strong message to the world that both sides were willing to breathe new life into the peace process.
As part of the government delegation, I heaved a sigh of relief when representatives from both parties inked the Joint Statement. It was a remarkable culmination to months of informal discussions. A warm feeling enveloped me though the weather outside was freezing.
This is what happens when both sides are willing to go beyond their differences and find a common ground. When everyone presses forward under a common vision and sets aside their personal agenda, bottlenecks are resolved and impasses broken.
More than anything else, both parties were one in their belief that the nation must unite so that the national government can focus on addressing emerging socio-economic and political challenges, as the military can focus on dealing with external threats.
The issuance of the Joint Statement was truly a historic development, as this is the first time that the CPP-NPA-NDF leadership agreed to engage in future peace discussions with the government to address the root causes of armed conflict, ending armed struggle, and transformation.
It is crucial, however, to underscore that the Joint Communiqué signifies a shared vision or commitment by the parties to engage in exploratory discussions aimed at finding genuine solutions to the problem.
The Philippines’ warm relations with the Norwegian government reflect our government’s effective use of public and strategic diplomacy as a tool to push forward our country’s comprehensive peace process, particularly in dealing with communist rebel groups.
As explained in the first part of this column, public diplomacy is an instrument employed by nations to engage and build stronger relations with other countries with the goal of positively influencing international public opinion and promoting key national interests.
Strategic diplomacy, on the other hand, is more purposive, as it emphasizes extensive planning and collaboration to realize long-term objectives. It includes high-level negotiations, alliance-building and the establishment of strategic partnerships to protect national interests.
The use of diplomacy is a recognition by the Philippine government that despite the influence, mechanisms and resources it has at its disposal, it cannot do everything by itself. It still needs the support of stakeholders, such as the international diplomatic community, international organizations and the private sector.
For its part, Norway’s willingness to be a neutral ground for future negotiations between the Philippine government and the communist group demonstrates its desire to help bridge the gap between both parties and encourage them to reach a peaceful settlement. Norway’s rich experience, expertise, and contributions to global peacemaking can bring forth the possible final political settlement to one of the longest existing conflict in the world.
This is the strength and beauty of diplomacy; it gives a nation the ability to reach out to other countries not only to promote its own strategic interests but also to become a beacon of dialogue, mutual understanding and reconciliation in the global front.
As part of its public diplomacy efforts, the Philippine government is focused on building a robust peace constituency by actively engaging local government units, academe, civil society, and the diplomatic corps to ensure they are part of the peacebuilding process.
The support coming from local peace stakeholders has been crucial to this effort, as the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) carries out its Local Peace Engagement Initiatives (LPE) and Transformation Program.
LPE aims to empower LGUs and other members of the community so that they can directly engage with insurgents, encourage them to lay down their arms and return to the folds of the law, and facilitate their reintegration into society.
The OPAPRU, through LPE, has pivoted from the old security-based strategy to a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach that directly addresses the root causes of conflict — poverty, inequality, and gaps in governance.
More importantly, public diplomacy has enabled the government to communicate its unwavering commitment to peace through clear, impactful and inclusive messaging with the goal of rallying the people’s support behind its peacebuilding initiatives.
Meanwhile, strategic diplomacy has allowed the national government to leverage and maximize the assistance coming from its international partners in order to build on and sustain the gains of peace throughout the country.
International assistance include education, health, livelihood governance and infrastructure projects, which are helping to transform once underdeveloped, conflict-ridden areas into peaceful, progressive and thriving communities.
In his second State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said: “For us to move forward as a strong, undivided nation, the government will continue to pursue a principled and peaceful resolution to internal armed conflicts.”
President Marcos’ words serve as a challenge and an inspiration for us at OPAPRU that although the road to peace is a challenging one, each step that we take brings us closer to our shared vision of achieving a just and lasting peace to our nation and for all Filipinos.
(Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. is the presidential adviser on peace, reconciliation, and unity.)