Book Reviews

The quest for sustainable peace and development lies in empowered citizens and communities that value justice, assert their rights, and take collective action for the common good. Attaining peace and development though continues to be a challenge, especially in Mindanao where human security is threatened by a fragile peace.
The Government of the Philippines and the United Nations saw the opportunity for moving peace in Southern Philippines brought about by the signing of the Final Peace Agreement between the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Government in 1996 through the implementation of the Multi-Donor Programme in 1997.

This partnership led to the evolution of a grassroots peacebuilding model drawn from the context and nuances of conflict-affected communities in Mindanao. Its implementation since 1997 has opened the framework to finetuning anchored on reflective peacebuilding practices by the ACT for Peace Programme. This evolved the Peace and Development Community (PDC) framework from a purely humanitarian response to a peacebuilding approach in transforming conflict-affected communities.

This document is a product of over a decade implementation of a humanitarian, rehabilitation, and peacebuilding program in conflict-affected, conflict-vulnerable, and postconflict areas. It is a collection of valuable experiences, lessons, and good practices, including challenges in grassroots peacebuilding from the accounts of the Peace and Development Advocates, local governments, and other key actors to peace and development in the PDCs. It provides practical, context-specific, and adaptable approaches that can spell a difference in transforming communities in conflict situations.

It is hoped that the rich experience of the ACT for Peace Programme in grassroots peacebuilding and its PDC framework embodied in this book Expanding spaces for change: Peace and development communities: A decade of building peace in Mindanao will serve as an effective guide among actors and institutions that implement peace and development programs in Mindanao.

Senator Nene Pimentel. 2008. Federalizing the Philippines: A primer. Manila: Philippine Normal University Press. xviii. 494 pages.

by Albert E. Alejo, SJ, PhD

Like the proverbial cat that has nine lives, federalism is in the air again, perhaps stronger this time, because of the failure of the central government to dissociate itself from high level corruption, or perhaps weaker, and for the same reason that the settlers in Malacañang simply want to survive by whatever means, including adopting federalism as a reason for charter change. Senate Minority Leader Senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, Jr. is aware of this argument...

Grace Nono, with Mendung Sabal, Henio Estakio, Baryus Gawid, Salvador Placido, Sarah Mandegan, Gadu Ugal, Florencia Havana, Sindao Banisil and Elena-Rivera-Mirano. 2008. The shared voice: Chanted and spoken narratives from the Philippines. Ed. Carolina Malay. Pasig City: Anvil Publishing and Fundacion Santiago. 248 pages.

by Albert E. Alejo, SJ, PhD

“My name is Grace Nono. I am a singer and a creator of songs.” That is how the author of this magical book introduces herself. That is also how she immediately connects her identity with the rest of the million “singing Filipinos” whose voices she celebrates in print. By voice Grace Nono means much more than a physiological function. “It is the summation of spiritual and sociocultural experience, of vision, and of creative imagination.” In the first few chapters...