PAGBABAGO
(Part II)
An important lesson that Ed Garcia shares with us in his 260-page memoir, “Reinventing Resistance” is that “peacemaking is a task that never seems to end, and that therefore, one must find meaning in one’s work and one’s life,” quoting the much admired Vaclav Havel, former president of the Czech Republic.
In this opus, he takes us to various settings – at home, and in countries of several continents. Many of his recollections were written as diaries. The more than two decades of his work abroad included a stint at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International in London during the late 70’s, and as peace envoy and policy adviser with International Alert in conflict areas in Asia, Africa, the Americas, the Middle East and Europe. He was also a visiting fellow at the National Center for Peace and Conflict Studies in New Zealand, and conducted as well courses on human rights at universities in Spain and Italy.
In each of these settings, he narrates the obstacles and hurdles described by the phrase, “ploughing the seas” for peace in Latin America, as the tasks appeared to be impossible to achieve. But the peace advocates persevered even though it had taken them decades to achieve peace because they put people in the heart of the process. It was in Colombia where the, “Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established that came out with recommendations that included the victims’ right to the truth, the role of the US foreign policy, the drug war policy, and the next steps.”
In Palestine, what the peace advocates taught him was that “no matter how one gives one’s all, still one must learn to live with unanswered questions.”
Ed found parallels in the experience with Sri Lanka and the Philippines – the importance of respect for human rights, the search for alternatives and the role of third-party facilitation.
The important learning from Aceh which was devastated by tsunami was that tragedy is not a total disaster, and that the country can build a just, durable peace by putting people at the heart of the process.
“The peace process in Nepal defies the law of gravity,” was his observation together with other peace process observers who noted that the problem of the country is primarily political, the need to address the issues of inequality, the establishment of the rule of law, need for security reforms and measures to address accountability of governance.
All these experiences in Central and South America, Southeast Asia, Southern, East and West Africa, convinced him that only a thin line separates promise and failure in peace processes, that peace agreements do not automatically result in peaceful societies. Also, peace built on the principle of power may be possible but peace backed by viable mechanisms of implementation may be more sustainable.
Thus, the importance of critical awareness and educating people that their future depends on common efforts, by a common purpose built through education, dialogue, sensitive listening and sustained communication. A durable peace transcends the silencing of guns and that opportunities are created to improve lives of people, protect their human rights and care for the forcibly displaced.
In his address to the parliamentarians in Rwanda, he urged them to become practitioner and educator in identifying paths towards sustainable peace. And one step is to put an end to the culture of impunity. He cited the example of Nelson Mandela as an example of the importance of leadership by example.
At home, he put his attention into a number of peace-making and peace-building initiatives. In addition to his valuable contribution in the drafting of the 1987 Constitution , he worked with the Citizens Peace Missions with Senator Bobby Tanada at meetings with the Communist Party leaders.
One lesson he shares is that there are no short-cuts to a just peace: and that undertaking negotiated political settlements, though difficult and protracted, was the preferred path.
In “Courage!” a compilation of essays on “Overcoming the Politics of Hatred and Fear,” he wrote on the seven steps, among then, “Speaking Truth to Power.” He wrote about factors that explain the resurgence of populism – deep-seated poverty and inequality and moral deficit.
What is noteworthy is that his prescriptions are distilled from his experiences. In his Postscript, he recalls influences that shaped his life – as the eldest of seven children of a remarkable couple (his father, was secretary of health and his mother, a professor) as well as his Jesuit formation years. And the “woman behind the scenes,” his supportive wife, Bong. He acknowledges the valuable experience with local peace organizations and its leaders — Ging Deles, Miriam Coronel Ferrer, Jose 'Chel' Diokno, the Ateneo community and his fellow scholastics.
He campaigned for servant leader Leni Robredo in 2016 where she won as vice-president but expressed regret that it was Rodrigo Duterte who became president, describing the period of his rule as one “representing perilous times, one that brought about not only the ‘dumbing of politics,’ but a leadership that was both ‘boorish and dangerous.’” We look forward to a sequel to this book which is available from publisher, San Anselmo Press. (Florangel.braid@gmail.com)