Members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) recently took part in a two-day visit to Catalonia, organised by Conciliation Resources and the School of Peace of Barcelona.
The MILF and the Government of the Philippines are currently negotiating the provisions for a functioning self-government of the Bangsamoro peoples in the western part of the island of Mindanao.
The purpose of the visit to Barcelona was to share developments and learning from negotiating and implementing the Catalan autonomous institutions over the past 30 years.
Accommodating co-existence
Catalans are proud of their identity, which is based on centuries old distinct history, language, culture, and law. However, Catalonia’s self-governing institutions were dismantled under the dictatorship of General Franco (1939–75).
In 1979 the Catalan Parliament passed a Statute of Autonomy that was subsequently sanctioned into law by the Spanish Congress, allowing for the implementation of executive, legislative and certain judiciary powers. Political negotiations between the central and the regional government are a dynamic process. Discussions are currently focused on increased fiscal autonomy for Catalonia.
During the visit to Catalonia, MILF took note of a range of powers that can be exercised in an asymmetric arrangement between a central and a regional government, provided there is mutual acknowledgement and respect for dignity and identity.
'There are no short cuts'
MILF's delegation was composed of Mohagher Iqbal, Chairman of the MILF peace negotiations; Michael Mastura, former member of the Philippine Congress and also member of the peace negotiating panel; and a religious leader from the MILF Central Committee.
The delegation visited the Institute for Autonomy Studies; the UNESCO Center of Catalonia; the Catalan Ombudsman; and the Catalan autonomous police force. They also had meetings at the Catalan Parliament with the ruling parties in Spain (Partit Popular) and in Catalonia (Convergència I Unió).
Chairman Iqbal noted “there are no short cuts” in the quest for self-government; he highlighted the need for the new generations to play a leading role in the transition from armed to parliamentary struggle for the rights of the Bangsamoro.
Three key messages were reiterated throughout the meetings:
- the legitimacy of a regional government is reinforced by its performance;
- without a proper budget it is not possible to run the administration properly;
- the identity of a people is preserved and reinforced through the dynamic and creative engagement of its civil society, political parties, business sector and democratic institutions.
Supporting people to build peace
The Government of the Philippines was informed of the visit and have also been invited by Conciliation Resources and the School of Peace to participate in a similar visit.
The MILF and the Government of the Philippines are currently negotiating an end to more than four decades of armed conflict in Mindanao.
This ongoing dialogue benefits from the assistance of an International Contact Group composed of four countries and four international NGOs, including Conciliation Resources. The School of Peace is a pioneer institution in peace research in Spain and publishes a Yearbook on Peace Processes (http://escolapau.uab.cat/).
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