Some Final Thoughts

Starting in November I began contemplating just how I was going to go about summarizing my experience in the Philippines. What would be my "elevator speech?" How would I get people to care about what is happening in Mindanao, or peacebuilding, and perhaps even get involved?

I am still not sure what the answer is. It was for sure an interesting transition back to the U.S. though. It was strange in that it didn't seem too big of a change -- perhaps I wasn't being reflective enough? The two biggest adjustments that stuck out to me (aside from the weather!) were 1. I had to stop darting out into the road and start obeying crosswalks and pedestrian signs and 2. even thought there are malls and supermarkets in the Philippines I still felt overwhelmed by how much stuff is in the U.S. and how many shopping options I have.

Aside from my initial impressions upon coming home, I have now had a few months to reflect a bit more and I'm going to attempt to summarize my time in the Philippines in my concluding post.

First, there are the tasks I completed in my roles at the two organizations I worked at and for my Kroc schoolwork:

-Research on UNSCR 1325, or gender mainstreaming, in Southeast Asia. The collection of data I created was then used for a training I co-facilitated in Bangkok entitled "People's Diplomacy on Women's Engagement."

-Designed and began a major research project on the efforts of Catholic peacebuilders in Mindanao.

-And I completed my own research on the use of ritual in interreligious dialogue as a peacebuilding tool in the grassroots in Mindanao which will be used for my MA paper.

I learned a good bit from these tasks, but my proudest achievements or the events that helped me grow the most were from very different moments. Here are just a few reflections:

-Traveling around Mindanao, to Manila, and to Thailand, participating in peacebuilding workshops, speaking to Mindanaoans, my future in-laws, and women struggling to have their voices heard in their respective countries composed some of my favorite moments. I built friendships, learned new viewpoints, and was exposed to a whole other way of living. These conversations challenged me in my ways of thinking while also allowing me moments in which I could express solidarity with the struggles for self-determination and peace of my new found friends.

-Living in a place labeled a "Third World Country," an "undeveloped country," or a "conflict zone" opened my eyes to the fact that we have a very specific, and often untruthful and unhelpful, image that comes to mind when us Westerners apply these labels to other countries. We've been socialized and taught to imagine cities with starving children and dusty roads, little technology and uneducated people. We imagine constant and inhumane fighting. Sure, there are images such as these in Mindanao, just as there are in any country, including the U.S., but undeveloped countries aren't some distant "other" we assume can't handle anything without Western help. I'm particularly sensitive now to basically any commercial, ad, or documentary made by Westerners of such countries. I think they intend well by yanking at our heart strings, hoping we will get involved in a justice issue, but are we getting the real picture? Furthermore, why does it take us seeing pictures of bloated bellies or mutilated bodies to care? How can I get people to be interested in the conflict in Mindanao for more than ten minutes without sensationalizing the situation?

-For me personally, I also learned a lot about myself and my position as a peacebuilder abroad. I learned, finally, that while I must always work against my privilege, I can't let it control me. When you are genuine about building peace and not imposing yourself, people sense that and trust you, I don't have to go to great lengths to prove my dedication to promoting the rights and issues of those whose voices have previously been unheard -- these sorts of things just show themselves.

-Similarly, I gained in confidence while in the Philippines. First, I learned I don't need to let my privilege as a white American restrict my every move. Second, I gained some on the ground peacebuilding experience to back up my ideas and education. And lastly, when people stare at you all day, every day, you grow a thicker skin!

-The slow process of peacebuilding and NGO work frequently frustrated me while I was abroad. But, now that I am back home, I've been reflecting on the fact that seasoned peacebuilding practitioners frequently comment on the need to sustain long-term efforts for peacebuilding if they are ever going to stick -- they are talking about 10-15 years or more! I was there for six months -- of course I didn't see an incredible amount of change and programming!

-Relatedly, I need to learn to not get so frustrated when work doesn't move quickly. I'm a fast and hard worker, which usually means I get bored in internships, which then means I get frustrated. I've learned now the need I have for increased patience. If I'm truly dedicated to peacebuilding, this is a virtue I will need an incredible dose of.

-Lastly, I learned a ton about peacebuilding in general, all of which I could never summarize here. Just a few thoughts to highlight -- I think interreligious dialogue has an important place in peacebuilding in Mindanao. Dialogue can be done for dialogue's sake. But dialogue should also be done for the sake of working on the issues of the conflict. With either goal, if dialogues are to be used as a tool for peacebuilding, they must be used strategically -- that is with an awareness of and integrated into the holistic picture of a peacebuilding context (just read some John Paul Lederach...). I also think the situation in Mindanao could benefit from increased third party interest. Besides Malaysia (the third party neutral that leads the formal peace talks) and the U.S. (whose involvement is largely relegated to keeping "Islamic extremists" at bay and promoting their own economic interests) little is known about the Mindanaoan conflict abroad (and even in other parts of the Philippines outside of Mindanao) so there is little international pressure (and even domestic concern, outside of Mindanao) to attend to the needs of the Muslim, Indigenous, and Christian communities. Conversely, the peacebuilding processes going on in this country, while they may not have everything perfect (who does?), has a number of incredible lessons they could share with others facing similar struggles in their homes.

I am so happy with my field experience, it made me proud of my choice in going to school at the Kroc and in my choice to enter the field of peacebuilding. Peacebuilding is an interdisciplinary, uncharted, and sometimes hard to explain field, but that is what makes it so incredible. To be a part of a groundbreaking movement, one that seeks to uncover new forms of fostering "constructive human relationships (Lederach again)" in the pursuit of an end to violence and a promotion of peace, is an incredible blessing for me and I can't wait to continue on this journey, and hopefully be able to share those blessings with many, many more people and for many, many more years!

Thanks for being on this journey with me dear blog readers!

Me and the roomie say goodbye to Mindanao!