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UCCP PEACEMAKING and the MINDANAO CRISIS Dr. Victor Aguilan Divinity School Silliman University Dumaguete City vaguilan@gmail.com 47th Church Workers Convocation Interest Group 29 August 2008 The escalating armed violence in Mindanao (and other parts of the country) has brought the peace discourse to the center of the church ministry and mission. And the UCCP has been involved in the quest for genuine and lasting peace in Mindanao. The need to end civil strife and attain peace has become an urgent call of the Church. The topic UCCP Peacemaking and the Mindanao Crisis will revisit and discuss selected official Statements of the UCCP on peace and peacemaking which may have bearing on the going armed conflict and the search for peace in Mindanao. Thus the presenter will attempt to define and understand the term peace and peacemaking from the perspective of the UCCP. He will also highlight the key theological themes that justify the peacemaking ministry of the UCCP. In addition an attempt will be made to identify suggestions and recommendations found in the official documents that may help the local UCCP churches address the on-going conflict in Mindanao. UCCP Understanding of Peace In this study, the term peace includes both positive and negative meaning. The negative aspect of peace means the absence of armed conflict and human rights violations. It focuses on the reduction of the incidence of war and the prevention of deadly conflict. Negative peace refers to the absence of violence. When, for example, a ceasefire is reached, a negative peace will ensue. It is negative because something undesirable stopped happening (e.g. the violence stopped, the oppression ended). Positive peace is filled with positive content such as the restoration of relationships, the creation of social systems that serve the needs of the whole population and the constructive resolution of conflict. The concept of positive peace involves the elimination of the root causes of war, violence, and injustice and entails the conscious effort to build a society 1 that reflects these commitments. In the UCCP perspective on peace and peacemaking both positive and negative meaning could be found. In addition, the term shalom is used in the UCCP official documents to express this notion of peace based on justice. In the statement, Peacemaking: Our Ministry, based on the believers relation to Christ, the Prince of peace, the Bishops said: The ministry of peacemaking is an imperative of the faith we profess. The Statement of Faith of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines calls us to participate in the establishment of a meaningful and just social order. A significant point mentioned by the bishop in the Statement was the close connection between peace and justice. The Church declared that peacemaking was a
Johan Galtung, "Violence, Peace, and Peace Research," Journal of Peace Research 6, no. 3 (1969): 167-193.
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concrete expression of justice. It asserted that there can be no peace without justice. Justice was understood in terms of meeting the basic needs of people. For as long as peasants remain landless For as long as laborers do not receive just wages For as long as we are politically and economically dominated by foreign nations For as long as we channel more money to the military than to basic social services, For as long as the causes of social unrest remain untouched, 2 There will be no peace. 3 The bishops believed that the root of insurgency was the structures of injustice. However, the search for negative peace appeared to be the focus of the peacemaking ministry of the UCCP. Negative peace emphasizes steps that would reduce the level and effects of deadly violence. Many of the issues or campaigns of the UCCP were conflict de-escalation activities such as monitoring of, exposing, protesting against, and legal measures to address human rights violations resulting from insurgent and/or counter-insurgency operations; calling for the resumption of peace talks and forging of ceasefires; relief and rehabilitation for internal refugees and other victims caught in the crossfire; the establishment of peace zones or sanctuaries to demilitarize the armed conflicts; and the campaign to observe international humanitarian law in the conduct of the war. UCCPS APPROACH TO VIOLENCE AND WAR In the modern Christian tradition the issue of violent conflict, war and peace is usually approached from three paradigms: just war, pacifism, and just peacemaking. The just war tradition has become by far the most dominant approach. The intention of the just war tradition is to promote peace. It seeks to do this by establishing two sets of criteria namely: (1) criteria in going to war (jus ad bellum), and (2) criteria in the conduct of the war (jus in bello). Peace based on justice is the only goal to which conflict may be 4 oriented. Pacifism views war as contrary to the ethical teachings and moral example of Jesus, thus Christians should avoid war and violent conflict. Many Christians hold this view, especially those from the Mennonite, Anabaptist, Quaker, and Brethren traditions. And John Howard Yoder is the Mennonite theologian who may have significantly shaped peace theology and the ethics of peace in the second half of the twentieth century. Yoder placed Jesus, the nonviolent earthly Jesus, in the heart of the contemporary theological 5 agenda. And the challenge to the Church according to Yoder is to adopt a distinct
Council of Bishops, "Peacemaking: Our Ministry, 21 August 1986," in UCCP Statements and Resolutions (1948-1990), ed. Lydia N. Niguidula (Quezon City: Education and Nurture Desk, United Church of Christ in the Philippines, 1990), 148.
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Ibid., 147.

Oliver R. Barclay, ed., Pacifism and War, When Christians Disagree (Leicester: InterVarsity Press, 1984). See Paul Ramsey, The Just War: Force and Political Responsibility (New York: Charles Scribner& Sons, 1968). and John Howard Yoder, When War Is Unjust (Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2001).
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John Howard Yoder, The Politics of Jesus, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994).

servant lifestyle that is patterned after Jesus. When he called his society together Jesus gave its members a new way of life to live. He gave them a new way to deal with 6 offendersby forgiving. He gave then a new way to deal with violenceby suffering. The primary form of political involvement for the Church is sacrificial servanthood. Seizing the levers of power to enforce change does not cohere with Christs sacrificial 7 servanthood. This servant lifestyle entails the command for Christians to be ready to die but never to kill. Yoder asserts the centrality of non-violence as the hallmark of the Christian life. The non-violence of the Christian community is rooted in the loving character of God, who does not want mere obedience, but love and fellowship from His human creatures. Yoder claims that Christian love is willing to suffer any loss or 8 seeming defeat for the sake of obedience. Glenn Stassen is dissatisfied with the traditional Christian approach to war and 9 peace and has proposed instead a third paradigm called Just Peacemaking. Stassen writes, Just peacemaking theory is a new paradigm for Christian ethics alongside just war theory and pacifism. It answers a different question than just war theory and pacifism 10 seek to answer: not a question of justification, but prevention. The "new paradigm" consists of ten peacemaking practices, which are: support nonviolent direct action; take independent initiatives to reduce threat; use cooperative conflict resolution; acknowledge responsibility for conflict and injustice and seek repentance and forgiveness; advance democracy, human rights, and religious liberty; foster just and sustainable economic development; work with emerging cooperative forces in the international system; strengthen the United Nations and international efforts for cooperation and human rights; reduce offensive weapons and weapons trade; encourage grassroots peacemaking groups 11 and other voluntary associations. Just peacemaking focuses on actions which the congregations, local churches and individual Christians can do to prevent war or deadly conflict. He urges that Churches should consider seriously just peacemaking as a third paradigm. Just peacemaking is a citizen-approach to peacemaking with a religious (Christian) dimension. As an alternative to the previous paradigms, just peacemaking tries to concretize the shared Christian goal of pacifism and the just war theory, which is the evil of war. It encourages pacifists to get involved in concrete actions that could prevent wars. It calls just war theorists to make clear what means must be tried before trying the last resort and what the intention is

John Howard Yoder, For the Nations: Essays Evangelical and Public (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Co, 1997), 176. John Howard Yoder, The Priestly Kingdom: Social Ethics as Gospel (Notre Dame IN: Notre Dame UP, 1984), 163-165.
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John Howard Yoder, The Original Revolution (Scottdate PA: Herald Press, 1971), 56.

Glen H. Stassen, Just Peacemaking: Transforming Initiatives for Justice and Peace, 1st ed. (Louisville Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1992). Glen H. Stassen, "The Unity, Realism, and Obligatoriness of Just Peacemaking Theory," Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics 23, no. 1 (2003). See Glen Stassen, ed., Just Peacemaking: Ten Practices for Abolishing War 2nd ed. (Cleveland: The Pilgrim Press, 1998); also Glen H. Stassen, "Resource Section on Just Peacemaking Theory," Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics 23/1 (2003): 169-170.
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behind about restoring a just and lasting peace. The Peacemaking Ministry of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines is an example of just peacemaking. Just peacemaking can be located in the expanding conceptual terrain of citizen peacemaking. Christians are also citizens. Citizen efforts seeking to address deadly and violent conflict can now thus be seen as part of peacemaking. Several practitioners and scholars have developed overarching perspectives on the roles that citizens, which include religious people, can play to help ensure prospects for peace. John Paul Lederach, 13 for one, offers a model which he calls conflict transformation. It focuses on transforming negative or destructive interaction patterns into positive or constructive 14 relationships. It is a strategy that places an emphasis on conscientization and the need 15 for reconciliation and rebuilding relationships. Another scholar William Ury has developed systemic frameworks that map the overall collective potential of private humanitarian agencies, human rights advocates, and 16 individual NGOs. He develops the notion of the Third Side in the conflict. His concept of the Third Side places emphasis on the role of the community members with regard to steering conflicts away from violence and towards just and lasting peace. The Third Side does not seek to eliminate conflict. Conflict is an important aspect of social life. It brings about change and confronts injustice. The best decisions result not from a superficial consensus, but from surfacing different points of view and searching for creative solutions. If anything, we need more conflict, not less. What the Third Side enables us to do is to transform conflict, to change the form it takes from bitter arguments, power contests, violence, and war into dialogue, negotiation, and democracy. The Third side has ten basic roles which can act to reduce the destructiveness commonly associated with intractable conflict. The Arbiter - Whereas a mediator can only suggest a solution, this person can decide what is right. Resolving disputes, promoting justice, and encouraging negotiation are the arbiter's central roles. The Bridge Builder - The basic role of the bridge builder is to bring people together and help establish personal relationships. The Equalizer - The central role of the equalizer is to empower the weak and unrepresented so that they can negotiate a fair and satisfactory resolution. This involves helping to bring the powerful to the table, building collaborative democracy, and supporting nonviolent action.
Glen H. Stassen, New Paradigm: Just Peacemaking Theory(2003, accessed 20 March 2006); available from http://www.fullerseminary.net/sot/faculty/stassen/cp_content/homepage/Resource_files/1wha t_is_just_peacemaking_.htm. John Paul Lederach, Preparing for Peace: Conflict Transformation across Cultures (Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1996), John Paul Lederach, Building Peace: Sustainable Reconciliation in Divided Societies. (Washington DC: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1997).
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Lederach, Building Peace: Sustainable Reconciliation in Divided Societies., 24. Ibid., 64.

William Ury, The Third Side: Why We Fight and How We Can Stop. (New York: Penguin Books, 2000). William Ury, Getting to Peace: Transforming Conflict at Home, at Work, and in the World, (New York: Viking, 1999).

The Healer - The role of the healer is to help parties overcome their feelings of anger, fear, humiliation, insecurity, and grief. This includes listening to people's grievances, acknowledging hurt feelings, and encouraging parties to apologize and make reparations. The Mediator - The central roles of the mediator are to bring the parties to the table, facilitate communication, and help people to search for a solution. The Peacekeeper - The central role of the peacekeeper is to provide protection. This includes interposing between parties, enforcing the peace, and preempting violence before it starts. The Provider - The basic roles of the provider are to share resources and knowledge, give others a sense of security, and help ensure that basic human needs are met. The Referee - The referee establishes rules for fair fighting, takes away dangerous weapons, and strengthens defenses. The Teacher - Sometimes people fight simply because they know of no other way to react when a need is frustrated and a serious difference arises. The roles of the teacher are to delegitimize violence, teach tolerance, and expose people to practical ways of solving their problems. The Witness - The witness watches out for early warning signals, goes on patrol and reports violent incidents, and calls for the attention of other community members.

The just peacemaking ministry of the UCCP could be considered as third side approach to the ongoing conflict between the state and the non-state armed group and the UCCP is, therefore, in a better position to engage in intermediary peace building basically on account of her established neutrality, credibility and non-antagonistic relationship with the state and non-state armed actors. Theological Themes Furthermore the UCCP perspective on peace and peacemaking is rooted or justified by constant theological themes or warrants expressed in the official documents surveyed. These constant theological themes are Christology, doctrine of creation, imago dei, the Kingdom of God, and the nature of the Church. The foundation for the peacemaking ministry of the UCCP is Christological. It is faith in Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Church, of life and of history. He is the Prince of Peace who compels the Church to be a peacemaker. The peacemaking ministry of the UCCP is a response to a violent and sinful world specifically in Philippine context. It is participation in the ministry of Jesus Christ which is part of the social ethics of the Church as a body of Christ entrusted with Christs ministry. UCCP peacemaking is made possible by a community that teaches and affirms that this world is part of Gods creation and humanity is created in the image of God. The Church teaches that people are entrusted with the stewardship of creation. Wars and violence threaten Gods creation. Peacemaking can safeguard creation. And in the midst of evil and injustice, the peacemaking of the UCCP is sustained by the hope in the present and in the future coming of Gods kingdom. These theological warrants are a challenge to contemporary UCCP local churches as well as to other Christian communities.

UCCP Analysis of the Causes of Armed Conflict and violence in Mindanao The peacemaking ministry of the UCCP addresses the two on-going armed conflicts in the Philippines, namely: the communist insurgency and Muslim rebellion. Based on available documents, the Church views the armed conflicts as symptoms of unjust structures. Another important point emphasized in the various statements was the issue of militarization or intensified military operations which threatened peace and genuine search for peace. These operations have wrought havoc on the lives of our brother and sisters in the countryside, eliciting defensive responses from the 17 insurgents. To resolve these armed conflicts the government must address its root 18 causes. This is the position taken by the UCCP in connection with the Muslim rebellion. The UCCP believes that the conflict in Mindanao is not an inter-religious conflict. The Mindanao conflict has a historical development where the factors of politics and economics play the dominant and determining roles and bound intricately by cultural 19 and religious factors. To address the Mindanao conflict the Church has recommended the following: 1) to educate members of the UCCP regarding the complexity of the Mindanao conflict; 2) to identify with exploited and oppressed Muslims; 3) to stand firm in its concern for justice for both Christians and Muslims to pave the way for genuine development; 4) to promote dialogue between Christians and people of other faiths; 5) to participate in the celebration of Ramadan in the spirit of ecumenism; 6) to coordinate with other agencies 20 and institutions having goals of solving the Muslim conflict; and 7) to reject 21 militarization and military solutions in resolving the Muslim conflict. Three ethical issues This research has identified three ethical issues connected with the peacemaking ministry of the UCCP. These are human rights, militarization and violence. Human Rights. The UCCP has made human rights advocacy part of its ministry. The 1993 Constitution and By-Laws incorporated human rights as one of the UCCPs declared principles. It is the only Church in the Philippines that incorporated human rights instrumentalities and UN declarations as part of its ecclesiology. The protection of human rights is integral with the Churchs peacemaking ministry. The Church has called upon the warring parties, rebels and soldiers, to respect human rights of combatants and non-combatants, especially women and children. Moreover commitment to human rights serves as a plumb line for evaluating the behavior of governments, political movements and members of society. The Church is
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Ibid., 148.

Statement on the Mindanao Situation, Peacemaking: Our Ministry, Statement Against Violence, Peace and the Promised Land The Statement on the Minidanao Situation, GA May 21-26, 1978, Peace and the Promised Land, A pastoral Letter on the Peace Problem in Mindanao, Gen Sec, 28 May 2000 Statement on Cultural Communities Affairs, EC 19-20 May 1975, The Statement on the Mindanao Situation, GA May 21-26, 1978, Peace and the Promised Land, A pastoral Letter on the Peace Problem in Mindanao, Gen Sec, 28 May 2000
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expected to uphold the truth and fairness in human rights monitoring and reporting of HR violations whether perpetrated by rebels or soldiers. The Church as a credible third side must side with the victims of human rights violations. It must expose and denounce all those who violate human rights soldiers and rebels. Political Violence. The question of political violence as a method in the struggle for social justice and social transformation is another ethical dilemma. The peacemaking ministry of the UCCP addresses the two on-going armed conflicts in the Philippines, namely: the communist insurgency and Muslim rebellion. The Church views the armed conflicts as symptoms of unjust structures. Unjust structures and state repression are the causes of armed rebellion. The UCCP has officially rejected violent means in the struggle for justice. Militarization. Another issue is the role of the military in society and the danger of militarization or militarism. It is a political process whereby the military plays an active role in the formulation and implementation of national policies, thus undermining 22 civilian supremacy. Militarization destroys democracy, civilian rule and violates human rights. It siphons societys resources which are needed for social services. It prevents genuine peace-talks with rebels and insurgent groups to settle armed conflicts. Human rights violations, not ideology, recruit more people to support the armed rebel movements. But the UCCP recognizes the legitimacy of having soldiers and police in society. The fact that the UCCP has the biggest number of Protestant chaplains in the AFP validates this position. The Church recognizes the legitimate use of force by the State to deter lawlessness and to bring justice. The UCCP said in places where violence and armed elements frustrate the efforts for a peaceful and productive way of life, the State 23 should intervene to ease these problems and to bring justice to all. The Relationship of Church Peacemaking and Politics The UCCP has recognized that it is essential to maintain a church-world distinction. Existing 'church and state' discourses already imply a distinction and a potential conflict between two spheres. The church's loyalty belongs only to God who is revealed in Christ through the Spirit. Rightly understood this is a political declaration that relativizes the state and enables it to assume its appropriate place. The church must concern itself therefore with the proclamation of the Gospel. The church is not entrusted to seize political power. However the State or political order is necessary to sustain peace which makes the State power very attractive. The Church should be suspicious of worldly power because powers are fallen. Thus, the church should be critical of all groups engaged in partisan
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See the following: Mathews George Chunakara, The Militarisation of Politics and Society: Southeast Asian Experiences, Hong Kong SAR, DAGA Press Documentation for Action Groups in Asia (DAGA), 1994; Carolina Hernandez, "The Role of the Military in Contemporary Philippine Society," Diliman Review, Vol. 32, No.1, January-February 1984; Selochan, Viberto. [1989] Could the Military Govern the Philippines. Quezon City: New Day Publishers; and . Ecumenical Movement for Justice and Peace, Iron Hand, Velvet Glove: Studies on Militarization in Five Critical Areas in the Philippines (Geneva: Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, World Council of Churches, 1980) 1. Statement on Missionary Concern Law, Order and National Unity, Workbook Twelfth Biennial General Assembly, May 24-28, 1970.
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power struggles. This implies that the church should avoid any unqualified form of alignment with political authorities. Nonetheless it also affirms the necessity and legitimacy of the government in peacemaking. The role of government is to be an instrument of justice. It is to protect the innocent, the vulnerable and the oppressed. The State is to deter evil and lawlessness in society. Peacemaking theology acknowledges the need for someone, somewhere, sometime to use force and coercion to preserve order, maintain public safety and ensure security in a fallen world. In exercising its powers, the state could become dangerous and lethal thus it should be restrained and regulated. The power of the State is primarily to protect human rights and execute justice for all people at all times. For this reason Christians are to cooperate with political authorities. And the government is to provide genuine mechanisms for genuine peoples participation in government affairs. Intertwined with the Christians cooperation with the government is the Churchs prophetic duty. The prophetic witness of Christians can provide the critical dimension which is necessary for the preservation of the State as God's instrument of earthly justice in the Philippines. Christians must expose human rights violations, lies and deception, cheating and corruption in government. However, when a government habitually and wantonly violates human rights and oppresses its people, it loses its legitimacy. The Church realizes that genuine peace is not possible under an unjust and oppressive government. The Church is no longer be morally obliged to obey the government. But the UCCP rejects violent resistance against government. The UCCP affirms the view that the church as a peacemaker is called to reject violence. This needs to be asserted clearly and unequivocally. Violence, both state and non-state violence, has ethical and moral dilemmas. The church should neither legitimize the violence of armed struggle nor endorse State militarism. It is the duty of the Christian to work for justice and for the reduction of all forms of violence. As a peacemaker the Church is called to work for justice using nonviolent ways; to do otherwise, will only result in the Church promoting a fleeting peace.

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