IAG is participating in the fourth installment of Father Saturnino Urios University's "Mindanao Peace Studies Conference" happening in Butuan City on 20-21 November 2018. This year's conference will tackle the theme "Poverty Politics and Peace"

IAG Executive Director Benedicto Bacani will keynote the second day of the conference, November 21, with a talk entitled "Dynamics of Poverty, Politics and Peace: Mindanao and Beyond". Atty. Bacani's keynote address will explore the dynamic relations between poverty, politics and peace in Mindanao that reflect emerging national and global trends. His talk will emphasize peacebuilding as a process of addressing structural violence in our socio-economic and political systems. Economic, political and security reforms to be sustainable must take on a peace lens. Non-violent and democratic process may be slow, frustrating and incremental yet this is the only way where the dignity of every human being is at the center. Peace is not just peace for the privileged few but for all humanity. 

Enpold Bangsamoro's Hazelyn Gaudiano will also deliver a presentation in one of the breakout sessions of the conference on November 20. Her talk will focus on "Examining the Local Government Units’ Inclusive Participation in the GRP-MILF Peace Process Towards Local Peace Policy Formulation". IAG is the lead implementer of Enpold Bangsamoro, an arena for political dialogue to build multi-stakeholder consensus and ownership of the political reforms and peace process as key to sustainable and inclusive peace.

Organizers said the fourth Mindanao Peace Studies Conference will be a dialogue and discussion among scholars, academics, students, minorities, and government and non-government actors with regards to the Philippines' poverty situation, current state of politics, Martial Law in Mindanao and where peace lies amidst all these concerns.

The full conference program is posted below.