Quote:
|
Originally Posted by wilked aka Khun Deng
Magabani, you make good points about previous US involvement in Mindanao, I just gave a short class to my guys that are scheduled to rotate down there about the proud history of the Mindanao peoples and the complicated interactions of all the stakeholders down there. I can only hope that it prepares them to be sensitive to all sides of the issues that they will have to deal with. The trepidation of US involvement, due to past history, was evident in most conversations I had with local officials. My dearest hope and the goal of our involvement there is to help create stable economic development and convince everyone (local and AFP) that a government responsive to the needs of its people is a must regardless of who's in charge.
Of course I always threw in references to the incomparable craftmanship found no where else in the world, in the hopes that the old traditions and weapons will not die out.
I found in all my conversations that the history I learned through this forum and simply knowing the correct terms for things immediately elevated my credibility both with the locals and the AFP. Thank you all for that.
Dan
|
When I was there the university held a tour of US historical sites within and around the city, the main resort there had planned to use the route to attract Americans if the political climate ever stablized. I remember a base from almost a hundred years ago still standing and used as offices. An interesting fact as the US neared the end of its occupation and readied the Philippines for independence was that there were Moro leaders whom protested to the US Congress and wanted the Morolands to remain part of the US rather than controlled by Filipinos. Its true as we go back into history we begin to gain a deeper understanding of current circumstances and how to resolve issues. Thanks for listening.