In a largely
globalised world shaped by a myriad of different and constantly changing opinions
fed to us by mass media’s various manifestations, it still comes as a surprise
to me how certain indubitably significant events and places could possibly be
overlooked. I went to the Indonesian provinces of
North Sumatra and Aceh a little over two years ago and bore witness to the
effects of both past and on-going conflict between civilians, armed militant
groups and the government, and it baffled me how something as globally
attention-worthy as that could possibly have escaped me for the last 23 years
of my life. The only time Aceh was ever
in my face on a news item was after it was levelled by a devastating tsunami back
in 2004, but that was it. In part, I
could probably be blamed for not digging into the world of global concerns
enough, but, in my defence, not enough people and media are talking about it. And while I didn’t have any qualms about
learning of the stampede that happened in a temple in India or Iraq’s first
free parliamentary elections since 1958, it just struck me painfully how a
struggling place that could have used a little more attention from the world
was only afforded it when the worst possible thing happened and yet again
deprived of it when the world thought it was over.
I recently
visited the southern terrestrial lump of the Philippines called Mindanao to
visit the United Religions Initiative’s (URI) cooperation circles (CC) there
and to witness a culmination activity for the International Peace Advocacy
Month of September. Mindanao is another
place that has so much global attention-worthy on-goings yet is constantly
overlooked unless another American or European disappears there. I’m over giving analogies like “Aceh is to
Indonesia as Mindanao is to the Philippines.”
The two may have certain parallels but one can only derive so much
information by relying on them. Besides, they both lack attention on the
international stage, anyway.
Now, admittedly,
one can’t grasp what’s going on in an area unless they go there and listen to
locals' stories and immerse in local life, but wouldn’t it at least be helpful
if more people were to give the place a little more attention? I admit that I, too, was largely ignorant
about Mindanao. I live in the Philippines
and yet I know very little more than my foreign friends who only ever hear or
read the word “Mindanao” on their governments’ list of places to avoid. It’s sad but true. And I think this lack of understanding is the
reason why it’s so easy to make assumptions about the place. There’s a saying that goes, “A little
knowledge is a dangerous thing” and it’s true.
This little knowledge is what causes presidents to declare all-out wars,
armed independence fighters to be branded as terrorists, and certain people to
be collectively perceived as inherently violent simply because they profess a
particular faith that is different from that of the country’s majority. It’s sad, really.
