HUMANITY AMIDST CONFLICTS
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customary beliefs, maybein the form ofreligious
conflict would require an organized community,
beliefs, whether Islam or Christianity. However,
aware of their rights, because awareness is very
Sulong CARHRIHL does not really work in
important. Our communities have found that if
affected areas where the MILFoperates but on the
they ask the AFP or the NPA if they know of IHL
areas affected by the communist insurgency, or
or they know CARHRIHLthen that makes the
maybein Christian areas.
other party behave better. These people know that
that kind of knowledge already provide some kind
It is not difficult to create an appreciation of and
of a shield or protection.
adherence to CARHRIHLat the community level,
ie. where the armed conflictis taking place. One
This conforms with somefindings about rape. If
simply has to: surface the community folks’
a person knew that rape is wrong, andif you fight
customary beliefs, sense of humanity, and
it, then it is less possible that one will be raped.
experienceson violence; and, juxtaposethese with
Heor she can bekilled as well. As shared by her,
the ideals and principles of HR andIHL. One has
statistics showthatif you fightoff a violation that
to reframe the community folks’ deep-seated
is about to be committed against you, then you
beliefs along HR and IHL; thereby, establishing
will be able to somehowpreventit. So that kind of
commongrounds betweentheir cherishedbeliefs
awarenessin having the organizational structure
and the provisions of CARHRIHL. Andthat
to engage the twoparties is very, very important.
commongroundis easily formed and shaped by
partnerships on the ground.
Prof. Ferrer cited as an example the ceasefire with
the GRP and NDF. However,in the case of the
IHL Cannot be Advanced by Individuals
GRP-MILFceasefire, the same was broken down,
Working Alone
henceanall out waris taking place exceptfor the
The secondrealization is that IHL cannot be
fact that recently, the two parties have agreed to
advanced by individuals working alone. There
start negotiations.
must be community organizations to do this -whetheritis a tribal organization led by council of
CARHRIHLis Basically a Very Weak
elders; whether these are through people’s
Mechanism
organizations, sectoral groupsthatare also being
A third realization with regard to the CARHRIHL
formed,orprecisely the differentservice providers,
is - itis basically a very weak mechanism and has
NGOs and the church which have very strong
no political will to implement. For most part,
presencein the remote communities. She further
violations and accusations also assumea political
stressed that without said structures in place, it
character - meaning objectives based on
would be very hardto negotiate for what might be
propagandagoalsof either party. And for them,
very simple. In reality, the most common concern
they try to issue akind of approach whichis the
at the community level is whether a military
dialogical approach. Dialogical — meaning, the aim
detachment should notbe put up nearthe school
is to convince theparties to observe and betrue to
or even near the church or near public places
their commitments under the agreement they
where a lot of people converge. That kind of
signed and, under International Humanitarian
negotiating and engaging with the parties to the
Law andInternational HumanRights Laws.