MANILA – The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is adopting a “positive peace” framework, signifying a paradigm shift in its peacebuilding efforts amid the declining threat of communist insurgency.
NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. said there is a need to acquire “new lenses” in the pursuit of peace, noting that it should not be seen as merely the absence of conflict or violence.
“Peace encompasses the integrity of the social, political, and cultural superstructure; and the economic base of a society,” he said in a news release Wednesday.
Torres, who spoke before participants during the “Positive Peace” training at the Sheraton Hotel Manila on Tuesday, said such perspective signifies a paradigm shift in the NTF-ELCAC’s approach to peacebuilding.
He cited the need to move beyond traditional security measures and adopt a more holistic approach that considers the social, political, cultural and economic factors contributing to a peaceful and prosperous society.
“As peacebuilders, we need to acquire new lenses in our collective effort to attain a just and lasting peace, and inclusive development for a united people,” Torres said.
The one-day training, hosted by the non-profit think tank Institute for Economics & Peace in collaboration with the NTF-ELCAC, equipped participants with tools and strategies to integrate “positive peace” principles into its cluster action plan. (PNA)
