1000 Women for 2005 Nobel Peace Prize (1)

Yesterday the names of the 1,000 women collectively nominated for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize were announced simultaneously in different parts of the world. Twenty seven, repeat, 27, of these women nominees are from the Philippines.

The nomination was submitted to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee in Oslo, Norway in Jan. 2005. In October we will know if these 1,000 women will collectively be named as this year’s winner of the Peace Prize which is often considered the plum of the Nobel awards. For sure there are other nominees (individuals, pairs or groups) in the peace category. The so-called ``1000 Women for the Nobel for the Nobel Peace Prize’’ is just one of them.

Behind this unprecedented global search for 1,000 nominees was the Association 1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005. The key words here are ``women’’, ``peace’’ and ``1,000’’.

The Association 1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Price 2005 was began in 2003 on the conviction that the commitment of women working for peace should be acknowledged and publicized. It started as a Swiss initiative but interest spread worldwide, thanks to the energy of coordinators and volunteers around the world who identified and documented the peace work of women in their regions. The project has the support of the Swiss Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheline Calmy Rey, UNIFEM. UNDP and UNESCO Switzerland.

The Nobel Peace Prize is not always free from controversy but a Nobel is a Nobel. Other fields like science, literature and economics will also have their nominees and winners. It is not rare that a category would have a couple of winners, but 1,000? And all women at that.

Who are they, where are they, what are they doing? (You can read their short biographies in http://www.1000peacewomen.org/.)

The nominated women were picked on the basis of their active commitment to the cause of peace and justice, often under the most difficult circumstances. The Association describes them thus:

``They call for reconciliation and organize peace talks, they rebuilt what has been destroyed in villages and cities, they fight against poverty and create new sources of income. They struggle for access to clean water, land and other resources. They care for those infected with HIV and give war orphans a home. They denounce violations of human rights and publicly condemn all forms of torture. They hold silent protests in public places and seek solutions to all forms of aggression.

``They work mainly in their own villages and regions, but many women are also in institutes and universities. Some of them are members of governments or are active in the international scene. The criteria for each nomination were, among others, sustainability, integrity, long-term engagement, the inclusion of all parties to conflict and a wide network. The 1,000 women are experts in their fields of work, they are beacons of hope for their local people, they are informed, demanding, and not accommodating!’’

There, I quoted even the exclamation point. I hope the ``not’’ in ``not accommodating’’ is not a typo. Uncompromising sounds better.

Regardless of whether the ``1000 Women’’ win the Peace Nobel or not, these women’s lives will not go unnoticed. A book on them will be out at the end of 2005. Written by hundreds of journalists around the world, these women’s mini biographies will serve as inspiration and reference for women, peace advocates, institutions and governments. A traveling exhibit will complement the book.

They come from 153 countries. The 1000 Women are actually 999 in real number. Reserve one for the unknown, undiscovered and those who have passed on.

I went over the list and picked out the countries with 10 or more nominees. India-91, China-81, Brazil-52, USA-40, Russian Federation-35, Pakistan-29, Philippines-27, Indonesia-23, China-Taiwan-18, Bangladesh-16, Sudan-16, Germany-15, Mali-15, South Africa-14, Colombia-12, Mexico-12, Sri Lanka-12, Thailand-12, Vietnam-12, Afghanistan-11, Burundi-10, Ukraine-10, UK-10, Uzbekistan-10.

Here are the names of the 27 Filipino women. Ma. Lorenza ``Binky’’ Dalupan-Palm, Cecil Guidote-Alvarez, Miriam ``Dedet’’ L. Suacito, Corazon ``Dinky’’ Soliman, Adoracion ``Dory’’ C. Avisado, Delia Ediltrudes ``Duds’’ Santiago-Locsin, Eliza G. del Puerto, Hadja Bainon Guiabar Karon, Haydee Yorac, Irene Morada Santiago, June Caridad Pagaduan-Lopez, Loreta Navarro-Castro, Sister Mariani Dimaranan SFIC, Marilou Diaz-Abaya, Mary Lou L. Alcid, Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, Myla Jabilles Leguro, Piang T. Albar, Pura Sumangil, Ana Theresia ``Risa’’ Hontiveros-Baraquel, Seiko Bodios Ohashi, Sister Mary Soledad Perpinan RGS, Teresa Banaynal Fernandez, Teresita ``Tessy’’ Ang-See, Teresita ``Ging’’ Quinto-Deles, Zenaida Brigida ``Manang Briggs’’ Hamada-Pawid, Zenaida ``Zeny’’ Tan Lim.

I am not surprised to see a big harvest of women peace advocates from countries with chronic peace problems. And the bigger the population the more nominees. Surprisingly, Norway, the Nobel’s homeland, has only one woman in the 1000 Women list. Ireland has none. Why? The Occupied Palestinian Territory has 8, Israel also has 8. Mongolia has 9. Bosnia-Herzegonia has 7. Croatia has 6. Laos has 7. East Timor has 3.

It’s interesting how all these women, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, find common ground in their work for peace. Some of them come from warring nations.

The world is so much better because of them. Hearken and heed.

(Next week: What the 27 Filipino nominees say.)

Wire tappers, come forth

``You think something this high just happens?’’ This was Deep Throat speaking to Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward in a dark parking area. Follow the money, Deep Throat urged.

The scene is from the movie ``All the President’s Men’’ which was about the Watergate break-in scandal that led to the resignation of Pres. Nixon after he was, to use Pinoy slang, nabuking (found out) wiretapping his opponents.

Deep Throat emerged last month, after 30 years of mystery, as former FBI agent Mark Felt, the deep source of Woodward and Carl Bernstein who would later win the Pulitzer for their investigative reporting.

You think something this high just happens? Follow the money. This could very well be good advice for those investigating the audiotapes of the alleged 2004 post-election conversation between Pres. Arroyo and Comelec commish Virgilio Garcillano. Now money is being followed on someone’s say-so and deposed Pres. Estrada’s mistress Laarni Enriquez is being drawn into the picture. The plot is getting murkier.

It’s been two weeks since the ``Hello, Garci’’ tapes have been thrust upon us and circulated through all forms of communications media and no one among the alleged suspects in the activities in question (the act of wiretapping itself and the wiretapped conversation that could mean election fraud might have been committed) has come out to own up to or deny with credibility anything that had been committed. Not the President, not Garcillano, not the wire tappers.



The heat from all sides has so far been on Mrs. Arroyo, Garcillano and the tape leakers. But where are the wire tappers, the ones who actually did it? T/Sgt. Vidal Doble could not have done it alone and now he’s claiming he had been terrorized into saying he had a part in it.

The President is still silent. But what do you expect? Silence is the last and only refuge other than telling the truth or telling a lie. As her body language shows she won’t be bamboozled into telling the truth or telling a lie.

One thing that could perhaps pin the President against the wall would be the wire tappers coming out to declare how, when, where and why they did it, criminal their deed might have been, in order to serve what they thought might be a ``higher cause’’.

Wasn’t that what Fr. Jose Dizon of the street-oriented Left was saying while seated beside tape leaker former NBI deputy director Samuel Ong (strange bedfellows, they) that while wiretapping was illegal there was a ``greater moral evil’’ that needed to be exposed. The end justifies the means, in other words. This is now part of the new Catholic catechism?

What if the wiretappers from the military intelligence, as the leakers said they were, found no ``greater moral evil’’ to show for their bugging expedition? If the buggers were from private agency Wiretap Co. it wouldn’t be so alarming. They had an illegal job to do and were being paid for it like guns-for-hire are. And as long as they didn’t get caught…

But a government agency tasked to look after national security? An agency that is not supposed to be used even by the President or by her opponents for their vested interests. Was there a clear and present danger? Perhaps a Hitler-like president gone mad who might open an anthrax bottle in the dead of night and there was need to record his ululation?

How I wish Ong and the wire tappers had leaked their recording after Mrs. Arroyo was proclaimed winner and while Fernando Poe Jr. was still alive to claim victory. When Ong called on FPJ’s widow Susan Roces to come see him at San Carlos Seminary where he had sought sanctuary she obliged.

``My candidate is dead,’’ Roces said when she emerged. With the recent turn of events Roces must feel FPJ has been vindicated. But smart that she is, there must be clouds of doubt in her mind. What if the buggers also bugged her husband to fish for anything for future use? Why didn’t they use the ``Hello, Garci’’ tapes, illegal these may be, to advance FPJ’s cause? Maybe they weren’t for FPJ either and they also planned to spring a wicked surprise during FPJ’s presidency.

Even while many are feasting on the tapes, the question ``Bakit ngayon lang’’ (why only now) is crying to be answered. Wire tappers, come forth!

Were the conversations authentic and were the things that were said concretized? Saying ``Kill Bill’’ is different from having actually killed Bill. But this does not mean you cannot be held liable for your criminal intent. Being caught saying it on a bugging machine is another story.

The wire tappers coming forward to own up might be legally useless and they will end up in jail. But coming forward is one sure ``patriotic’’ way to pin the President against the wall. If she were innocent she should dare them to come out. And then she should come out herself to confirm or deny. But what if the buggers called her bluff and came out indeed? Bugger and bugged will both be damaged goods.

Read San Beda law dean Fr. Ranhilio C. Aquino’s article ``Wiretapping law: How is it violated?’’ (Inquirer 6/19/05). It is very instructive.

There are those who think that a humble apology on Mrs. Arroyo’s part (if it was all a mere impropriety) would put her back on track. They really think so?

By the way, there is more to Doble and Ong’s seeking sanctuary in San Carlos Seminary than meets the eye, a church ``deep throat’’ said. How seminary authorities were caught by surprise, the role of Bishop Teodoro Bacani who apparently took in Ong. Bacani has himself been in a ``sanctuary’’ status at the Bahay Pari in the compound since two years ago when something rocked his bishopric.

Reminder for sanctuary seekers: Seek the one in charge.

Ruminations on `Aba’

This might sound petty when compared to the razor-sharp analyses and in-your-face fulmination of the countless political analysts who have sprouted like mushrooms under the political rain clouds of June. But I risk sounding petty.

I don’t know if this latest prayer spoof has the tacit ``imprimatur’’ of the Catholic bishops who either have jumped into or have been drawn into the anti- and pro-GMA fracas. One of the text messages that has been going around (I received mine from the head of a known PR agency) is a parody of the ``Aba Ginoong Maria’’ (`Hail Mary’) prayer which damns Pres. Arroyo and her family.

It starts off thus: ``Aba naman Gloria napupuno ka ng grasya…’’ I don’t want to run the whole ``prayer’’ here lest it offend the sensibilities of Marian devotees. I was surely incensed when I read the texted ``prayer’’ because I think there should be respect for what many consider sacred and profound. I texted back the PR lady to say that even Muslims would be offended by that spoof of a prayer because they also have great regard for the mother of Jesus.

Pres. Arroyo could be brought down to her knees or from her perch in whatever way for all I care if indeed she cheated in the last elections. But her detractors should leave the ``Aba…’’ alone. And if the president’s congressman son and congressman brother-in-law indeed accepted jueteng payola as their accusers have alleged--and these two presidential kin know they cannot lie to their consciences--then I say to them, gago pala kayo. If…that is. If you want to repeat history.

But if you didn’t do it and you can stand before your God and say you’re clean, I say, you’re not gago at all. The truth will prevail.



Also being spread around via text messaging is a joke about former Pres. Estrada and First Gentleman Mike Arroyo going to confession. It’s the sacrament of penance in this case.

You don’t have to be a Christian or Muslim or Hindu or Parsi or Jain or Buddhist to feel disgusted when something essential to your religious faith is made into a joke to maliciously smear someone. You can heap all the bad jokes on someone you consider obnoxious who might really deserve them, but leave the sacred alone.

This is not different from picking some racial attributes to describe something negative as is often heard in racist/religious jokes. In a lesser degree this is similar to naming certain animals to describe the worst in human beings. Fortunately for the crocodiles, snakes, crabs, wolves and vultures, they have no way of feeling offended. But the constant maligning has certainly led to the decimation of their species by ignorant humans.

And so now, even the sacred and profound are not spared.

The issue on the desecration of the Quran by US soldiers as wrongly reported by Newsweek worldwide (for which the magazine has apologized) and which sparked upheavals and caused deaths in some parts of the Muslim world demonstrated how reports about malicious disregard for what is held sacred (even if not proven true) could turn volatile. One has to be in the place of the maligned to understand their rage. But then one need not be one of them to fully understand, one need only understand the Golden Rule.

I did write a few weeks ago about the Muslims’ rage when they learned from a small erroneous Newsweek report about how their holy book was defiled (allegedly flushed into or placed on the toilet). I may not have agreed with how the resulting outrage was demonstrated and how things turned bloody in some places, but I cannot disagree with the how the Muslims felt. (One reader with an Arabic-sounding name wrote me to calmly point out that extreme reaction was demonstrated only in some parts of the Muslim world and that it was not correct to picture the entire Muslim world as having overreacted violently. I wrote back to agree.)

I read somewhere that one cannot just say that the Quran is simply words on paper and that nothing in this universe is altered when the holy book is left lying—either carelessly or deliberately--on the wrong places. That it’s just a book and what matters is the message it carries. It’s not as simple as that.

The same holds true with the Holy Eucharist for the Christians who are Catholics. The consecrated host is not just wafer made from wheat flour consisting of carbohydrates amounting to two calories. The moment the host is consecrated it becomes the body of Jesus Christ in substance and essence. That is dogma. Believe or not believe.

It is the embodiment of their faith, the sacrament Christ himself instituted at the Last Supper. The Eucharist is not a mere symbol, like the national flag is. But even flags are supposed to be handled a certain way. As Girl Scouts we were taught how to raise, lower and fold the national flag. The flag must never touch the ground.

Speaking of another, as Pinoys are wont to say, I caught former Pres. Ramos’ National Security Adviser Jose Almonte on ANC being interviewed by David Celdran and Karmina Constantino regarding the wire tapping of the alleged damning conversation between Pres. Arroyo and Comelec commissioner Garcillano. I thought Almonte explained it plainly: military intelligence gathering is supposed to be used for national security and not for personal or partisan gain. The president may not use it for her own self interest. Her opponents may not use it for that purpose either.

But as they say, and this applies to those who figure prominently in the unfolding political drama, it’s okay to steal, to bribe and be bribed, to cheat, to lie, to do something illegal as long as you don’t get caught in the act. You could always play victim or victor later.

It’s a toxic season.

Peace lessons in public schools

A fellow journalist and friend gave me a copy of the draft of ``Peace Education Teaching Exemplars for Elementary Schools’’ which, she said, will be published as a teaching guide for teachers. She told me that some peace-conscious parents who had read the draft were wondering whether this draft has passed scrutiny and will soon be used for the peace education of their children.

The book project is the joint initiative of the Department of Education (Deped) and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).

So concerned was this friend that she set a meeting so that she could show me what it was all about. She was worried that the book’s printing seemed imminent. I told her I was not an educator in the strict sense of the word but I have close friends in the Education Revolution and Mentoring for Mentors Program of the Foundation for World Wide People Power whom I could consult.

I promised to go over the draft (which has almost 50 lessons for Grades 1 to 6) with plain common sense and as if I were the pupil myself. The very first lesson for Grade 1 caught my attention. Here it is.



Pamagat: Ang Aking Mag-anak
Aralin: Makabayan (Sibika at Kutura)
Baitang: 1
Mensahe: May mahalagang ginagampanan ang mga kasapi ng isang mag-anak sa pagpapanatili ng kapayapaan sa tahanan.
Takdang Panahon: 60 minuto


I. Layunin:
A. Nasasabi ang kahalagaan ng pagsasagawa ng bahaging dapat gampanan.
B. Natutukoy ang mga salik/elemento sa pagkakaroon ng papayapang tahanan.


II. Nilalaman
A. Paksa: Ang Aking Maganak
B. Peace Concept: Interpersonal skills
C. Kagamitang Panturo: (blank)


III. Pamamaraan
A.Gawain:
Magpakuwento sa mga mag-aaral ng tungkol sa mga tungkulin o gawaing ginagampanan ng bawat miyembro ng kani-kanilang pamilya. Itala ang ilang mga sagot sa pisara.


Halimbawa:
A. Gawain
Tatay: naghahanap buhay
Nanay: namamalengke, nagluluto
Kuya: tumutulong sa paggawa ng assignment
Mag-aaral: tumutulong sa paglilinis ng bahay


B. Pagsusuri…


(More follow…)
The examples in the first salvo (page 1, Grade 1) just jumped at me. I do not mean to question the pedagogic skills of those who made the lesson. But I couldn’t help noticing the sexist slant of the halimbawa or example. The father is the breadwinner and the mother goes to market and cooks.

These are just examples, of course. A gender-sensitive teacher could always redirect the discussion toward a more egalitarian scenario and even stress that the examples given above are not to be the standard for normalcy. But how many teachers would go beyond the examples given if there are no suggestions for them to do so?

How many true stories have I heard about children complaining to their mothers (yes, their mothers) that when they recited and told the class that their fathers cooked and often stayed at home while their mothers went to the office every day, their families were looked upon as special cases or that their examples weren’t too correct?

Right now, I can count at least five married women I know who are main bread winners of their families. Their husbands earn supplementary incomes.

But I also encountered fathers who did so-called mother roles while their wives were abroad working. A couple of years ago I did a series on ``left-behind husbands’’ who had OFW (overseas Filipino worker) wives.

One husband took care of his two young children so conscientiously and his thriving vegetable farm as well. On a typical day, he cooked breakfast, drove the children to school in his owner-type jeep, went home to do work on the farm, did some washing (on scheduled days), cooked and brought hot lunch to his kids in school. He then went home to rest and do some house work. In the afternoon he fetched the kids. On Sundays, he and the kids would attend Mass and then go to a favorite fast-food joint for lunch.

This guy was as masculine as masculine gets and was a respected official in the barangay. His story was included in a book on families of Asian migrant workers.

I could see the value of starting with the family as the first setting where a child should experience peace, equality and justice. But the school’s teaching tools on the subject of peace must be sharp and reality-based.

``The main objective of the exemplars,’’ former Deped secretary Edilberto de Jesus wrote, ``is to expose the learners to life-related classroom experiences which require cooperative efforts and group dynamics in the application and demonstration of peace-building skills and conflict resolutions techniques.’’ This is in line with the government’s peace efforts, he added.

The effort is indeed laudable but there is a small group that wants the book to be reevaluated. These persons, if they have suggestions to improve the book, should get in touch with OPAPP’s Secretary Ging Quintos-Deles, herself a known peace and feminist advocate before she took on the peace post.

Deles said in her message included in the book: ``By institutionalizing peace education through our public school curriculum, we are called to ensure a genuine institutional response by disseminating these modules as well as providing the adequate resources and policy support to enable our public school teachers to carry these through.’’

Mosquito war

The rain clouds of June are hovering over us, every now and then releasing torrents to ease our parchedness. In cities, particularly Metro Manila, a thick brown gray soup will soon inundate low lying areas for days and even weeks and play host to deadly vermin, insects and bacteria that will cause health problems and even death.

Classes are about to begin and many young school children will wade into deadly mini-rivers and absorb much of the filth of the city. Meanwhile, drug companies make tongue-in-cheek warnings like ``Bawal magkasakit’’ (Getting sick is prohibited) as if getting sick is a sinful desire.

A few months ago, my friend’s niece died of dengue. She had just graduated from medical school. All it takes is one deadly mosquito.

I bring up the subject of mosquitoes because of what befell TV journalist Reyster Langit, son of broadcast veteran Rey Langit (both of the Kasangga Mo ay Langit docu-type TV program). Reyster was downed by cerebral malaria and is now in critical condition in the US where he was stricken ill. His camera man Arnold succumbed. (I didn’t catch his full name but may he rest in peace.)

Reyster’s team, a TV report said, went to the Palawan jungles a few weeks ago to document what was happening among the Tau’t Bato indigenous community there. Children were dying of something. Footage of the team traversing the wilds was shown on GMA-7 ``Beinte Kuatro’’ news program. Everyone looked strong and healthy. Little did Reyster’s team know that what hit the mountain community would also hit them.



GMA-7 has been following up the story the past two days, even getting in touch with Rey Langit who is with his sick son in the US. It has also provided informative material on what cerebral malaria is. (Say, se’reebral.)

I don’t know the Langit father and son or anyone from the ``Kasangga’’ team personally but I always feel bad and concerned when someone from the media gets struck down in any way, physically or emotionally.

Last week I attended a seminar on ``Vicarious Traumatization of Journalists’’ which dealt mainly on the psychological trauma working journalists go through. The effects of these negative experiences are often bottled up inside.

Realizing that journalists undergo not just vicarious trauma, but direct trauma as well (as in surviving murder attempts and being under constant threat), the seminar organizers expanded the discussion. (We will come out with a front-page Special Report on this.)

What the ``Kasangga’’ team experienced in the aftermath of their Palawan foray—death and disease—is certainly traumatic. There surely is a lot to be learned from this. Preparedness is one of them.

I’ve had my share of jungle journalism. I’ve had my share of drinking from forest springs, bathing in freezing rivers, slipping on a mountain slope and grabbing on to poisonous bulan-bulan leaves that left my hands burning, encountering a snake, prying away bloody leeches, meeting with armed men and women, interviewing a mountain tribal priestess on a lofty mountain top. But, thank God, I had never fallen ill. Maybe the right mosquito or parasite did not find me. All I went home with always was an aching weak left knee.

I did some research on cerebral malaria and found a lot. A map of the Philippines shows which parts are endemic to malaria. The caption says: ``This is only intended as a guide since mosquitoes do not respect boundaries…’’ Gee, I wish they did.

A malaria website says that approximately 300 million people worldwide are affected by malaria and between 1 and 1.5 million die from it every year. Extremely widespread many years ago, malaria is now mainly confined to Africa, Asia and Latin America. The problems of controlling malaria are aggravated by inadequate health structures and poor socioeconomic conditions. The situation has become even more complex over the last few years with the parasites’ increased resistance to the drugs normally used.

Malaria is caused by a protozoan parasite of the genus plasmodium. The four species of plasmodium that can cause malaria are plasmodium falciparum, plasmodium vivax, plasmodium ovale and plasmodium malaria. P. falciparum is the most widespread and dangerous of the four. It could cause fatal cerebral malaria.

Malaria parasites are transmitted from one person to another by the female anopheline mosquito. The males do not transmit the parasite because they only feed on plant juices and do not suck blood. Of the 380 species of the anopheline mosquito only 60 or so could transmit the parasite.

Anophelines breed in water. Each species has its preferred breeding grounds, feeding patterns and resting place. Their response to insecticides also vary.

Plasmodium develops in the gut of the mosquito and is passed on to the insect’s saliva during a blood meal. The bitten victims’ blood carries the parasites to the liver where the parasites invade the cells and multiply.

After about two weeks, the parasites return to the victim’s blood and penetrate the red cells where they again multiply. The infected person could have chills, fevers and anemia. In cerebral malaria, the infected red cells obstruct the blood vessels in the brain. Other vital organs could also be affected.

Anti-malarial drugs could kill the parasite. Unfortunately, some parasites have developed resistance to the drugs. In endemic regions where people are often infected, people develop immunity. But children and pregnant women are highly vulnerable.

The word malaria comes from ``mal air ia’’ or bad air from swamps.

Some journalists are now arming themselves against assassins. We should also arm ourselves against mosquitoes.