Conflict, Identity and Governance in Muslim Mindanao: The State of Play Before the 2025 BARMM Elections
Organizer: NYSEAN
Type/Location: Hybrid / New York, NY
Description:
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), established in 2019 as the result of the lengthy peace process between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Philippines government, was based on four premises. The first was that the constructed Bangsamoro identity would be a critical factor holding the region together. The second was that meaningful regional autonomy could be achieved in the context of the existing Philippine constitution. The third was that the introduction of a parliamentary government for BARMM, never before attempted in the Philippines, might change Mindanao’s traditional political culture. And the fourth was that the newly peaceful MILF, given a chance to head a transition government, would likely win the first direct elections to that parliament, now scheduled for May 2025.
Sidney Jones and David Timberman will examine how these premises have fared as elections draw closer. Timberman will assess the performance of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) as an interim regional government trying to assert Moro autonomy within the confines of the Philippine state and constitution. His presentation is informed by a study of the topic he is conducting that has involved numerous interviews and several trips to the BARMM during 2014. Jones will examine the lead-up to and consequences of the Supreme Court’s bombshell ruling on September 9, 2024, that Sulu province was no longer part of BARMM. The decision immediately changed the election dynamics, undercut the MILF’s opponents, and undermined, if not destroyed, the whole notion of “Bangsamoro” as an identity.
About the Speakers:
David Timberman is an independent analyst who focuses on politics, governance and conflict in the Philippines and elsewhere in Southeast and South Asia. He has held positions with Freedom House, Management Systems International, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI).
Sidney Jones is the Senior Adviser at the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC), which she founded in 2013, and teaches at NYU’s Program in International Relations. She previously directed IPAC from 2013 to 2021 and worked with organizations such as the International Crisis Group, Ford Foundation, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch. An accomplished author, her publications focus on human rights and conflict in Southeast Asia, appearing in major outlets like The New York Times and Foreign Affairs.
About the Moderator:
John Gershman is a professor at NYU Wagner, specializing in international relations, public policy, and social justice. With extensive experience in both academia and practice, he has contributed significantly to research on democratic governance, conflict resolution, and development policy. John Gershman is a Co-Founder of NYSEAN and former Co-Chair of Sulo: The Philippine Studies Initiative at NYU.
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