Zambo Siege and Food Sufficiency among ARMM Island Provinces

A lot of lessons unfolding out of the Zamboanga Crisis. Food sufficiency for ARMM island provinces is one. The 3-week siege tells us that the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi are significantly dependent on Zamboanga for foodstuff. This is not the first time. In fact this is the second time in less than two years. Who can forget the Sabah siege?

Sabah provides access to foodstuff at a cheaper price. Since we are just recuperating from the effects of the Sabah siege, free travel and importation are still not at its previous pace. So Zamboanga is our alternative.

Now we have the Zamboanga siege. Into it's 4th week, the effect is most felt in the hampered flow of goods and foodstuff to the island provinces. What is this siege telling the island communities is two-fold:

Firstly, whether we acknowledge it or not, we are now hook on consumerism, purchasing everything in greater amount than before. Something has been done on the level of education and attitude change. Attitude change in the sense that not all we eat or consume need to be purchased. Education that there are alternative and sustainable ways.

Secondly, communities can cut down their purchase by being responsible for some of the food they will consume through family/house and community gardening. 

Until we change our attitude and lifestyle, the food shortage with even worse repercussion will not be far-fetched in the future not just because of possible repeat of the present security situation. There is even a great matter of urgency - climate change and natural disasters.

When do we prepare? Now is the best time to sit down and act.

Home

The old green and blue span
Teeming with melodies of life
An organized chaos, organic
Of creatures and created beings.

Three weeks and counting.
This expanse is bathe in red and black
The sky in sorrow and grey
A chaos, a wasteland.

The moon is lonely and crying -
Where have the stars gone?
The eerie silence is haunting
The stench of burned lives teeming.

This is what has become
A place we lovingly call home
Where love was born
Where love abounds.

To which the Sun goes

To which the Sun goes -
Is it dawn or dusk?
I lost count of the time
Been living to the fullest
Until you took it over.

Is this going to be a dawn
Start of new beginning
A journey to new land
Of hope unfolding
Of dream coming true?

Or is this dusk
A farewell to a promise
The end of an era
The coming of uncertainty
Of dark days ahead?

True mercy

Is Arabization a prescription of faith?

We have influences all around us. As a Muslim society in a larger Catholic-dominated country, among the external influences are the following: Manila-centric influence either through the public school system, media and other government instruments; and Westernization that is the product of Western countries through such instrument as globalization, free trade and, global media.

There is another that is less political and controversial which deserve the same level of scrutiny. As a Muslim society, we look to Arabs as our (older) brothers and view their thinking, ways and values as (true) reflection or model of our faith. In doing so, we often accept them wholeheartedly. We look to certain Arab countries as our model of public welfare and governance. We look to their universities as the best to train our religious scholars. We appreciate their style of largess.

As a Muslim community in this part of the world, our faith is born out of our unique historical experience and geo-politics. We have traditionally followers of the Shafi-e School of Jurisprudence under the Sunni strand. The combination of Middle East oil monies, traditional charities and globalization, have created a new tension within our society.

Our scholars returning from their Middle East studies have brought a new and different interpretation, often radical from orthodoxy, and new belief system that is confrontational and divisive. Through their oil largess, religious schools, orphanages and mosques are constructed where their belief system are imposed and propagated freely. Our own overseas contract workers having experience the Arab life and living and equated it with faith, are bringing home Arab thinking, acts and attitudes to everyday life and living back in Moroland. Saudi Wahhabi doctrine vying with militant doctrines from Libya, Syria and Iraq.

This is a miniature example of this new phenomenon. Are we engaged in Arabization or Islamization of our way of life? Is Arabization necessarily Islamic? How much of their Arabic influence can be absorb by our society without necessarily becoming their clone? Is Arabization a prescription of faith? These are some critical questions we need to respond collectively.

Secretary Roxas "Mananakop" Puzzle

DILG Sec Mar Roxas participated in the press brief of the Zamboanga City Crisis Management Committee (CMC) regularly. I am  not sure if Tagalog or Filipino is his first language, but in his attempt to speak to the nation, he used the word and labelled the MNLF Misuari Group as "mananakop". This is uniquely Mar Roxas as most other government officials and media used the common words "rebels" or "rebelde".

"Mananakop"? Surprising!

When do we use this word? Looking back to our history and scanning through history books, we are made to understand that "mananakop" is associated with Spanish, Japanese and American colonial powers., i.e. "Ang mga Kastilang mananakop", "Mga mananakop na Hapon", Mga Amerikanong mananakop". In short, foreign aggressors.

Is he now implying that that the MNLF Misuari Group is a foreign aggressor? Is he inadvertently implying that the Bangsamoro Republik declared by Misuari group already a country? If not, Sulu and Basilan, from where most of the armed rebels came from, are they not part of the Philippine Republic? Therefore, Misuari's armed group in Zamboanga is a bunch of "mananakop" as in foreign troops invading a piece of our country?

Is Mar Roxas unilaterally abrogating the GRP-MNLF FPA and does not anymore recognize any of these rebels as citizens of this country? So why are we charging these them with rebellion and treason?  How can they be rebels when Sec Roxas view them as "mananakop"? How can they be charge of treason when they owe no loyalty to our republic? In fact, according to Mar Roxas, they are not "rebelde", but "mananakop"!

Even the rebels will be puzzled. How can they be "mananakop" in their own homeland? Perhaps old habits never die, Mr Secretary? Okey Mr Secretary, let us return all the "mananakop" to where they came from. Shall we now return these Spanish creoles to Spain? And these settlers and their descendants back your home place in the Visayas and Luzon?

Moro Ascription

When was the first time that we begun to accept the "Moro Identity" as our own?

Yes it was the Spaniards who first ascribed it on us, an umbrella of indigenous peoples largely in Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan who profess a faith similar to the Moors of Northern Africa and who as Al-Andalusian overlords enjoyed hegemony over the Iberian peninsula for more than 600 years.

However, such ascription as applied in Minsupala area later on gained negative meanings. The term became synonymous with "pirates", "barbarics", "heathen", "uncivilized", etc. It was also a term Spaniards used to differentiate the "Moros" from other indigenous but conquered people, "the indios".

The Spaniards came in 1521 and only 3-4 decades later came into contact with us. This means, Our ancestors prior to this period have no knowledge of "Moro", it was not in their consciousness, it was not part of their identity nor was it ever their rallying point. Nothing.

After the Sapniards, the term was later on used by the Japanese and American colonial powers. The American government even created a "Moro Province" with headquarters in Zamboanga City.

However, it was not until the secessionist movement of the MNLF in the 70s that this term gain ascendancy as a unifying factor for all Islamized indigenous population who felt unsatisfied with the treatment of the national non-Muslim government and its imperial policies that disadvantaged and minoritized these Islamized indigenous peoples in their own homelands.

From MNLF, the term morphed into "Bangsamoro", "Bangsamoro Republik", and these days into "Bangsamoro Juridical Entity", "Bangsamoro Political Entity" and so on. The ascription continues. However it is now stuck in the political arena. There is a very thin line that connects these so-called Islamized ethno-linguistic groups. While often united by an external threat, it will not take long before each take comfort, consideration and revert to their ethno-linguistic groups.

There is also now an emergent belief that a political solution is the panacea for the Moro problem. Both the ascription and this panacea belief are problematic. For one Moros are not even settled on the form of government. Royalists prefer the return of the sultanate, leftists prefer a republic, right wings prefer the status quo, the religious prefer theocracy, and so no. Moros are also divided as to pursue independence or some form of federalism and or expanded autonomy. All of these, peace and non-peaceful in the name of the "Moro".

Political Sketch of Historical Sulu

Note: This is a work in progress. Not to be cited.

Part 1: Pre-Rajanate Period

Part 2: Rajanate or Pre-Sultanate Period
2.1. The Beginning of the Eastern, Western and Native (Chinese: Dong) Kingdoms -We knew of these pre-sultanate kingdoms from the Ming Shi Lu or the (Chinese Ming Annals) as well as contacts and exchanges with Imperial China.
2.2. Diplomacy and Trade with Imperial China - Same source as above
2.3. Dimplomacy and Trade with other SEA States - There is an anecdote on the role of the Sulu Sultan in the preservation of the Javanese Pygmy Elephant, which was among the gifts sent to Sulu by a ruler from Java.
2.4. Influences of the Sri Vijaya Empire - No material encountered but possible connection existed.
2.5. Influences of the Madjapahit Empire - There is claim that Sulu maybe the Solot identified as part of this empire.

Note: Raja Baguinda is the last known pre-sultanate ruler whose daughter Paramisuli married Sayyid Abubakar (Shariful Hashim), the first Sulu Sultan.

Part 3: Sultanate Period
3.1. The Establishment of the Sulu Sultanate
3.2. Shariful Hashim Dynasty - Father to son succession
3.3. Brunei Interlude - claims that Sulu Sultan Maharajah di Rajah or Amirul Umara is Brunei's Sultan Bolkiah
3.4. Pangiran Bongsu Adipati Dynasty -
3.5. Kiram Dynasty -

Part 4: Post-Sultanate Period
4.1. American Colonialism
4.2. Japanese Colonialism
4.3. Filipino Colonialism

Learning through the University of Life

We are now entering the 3rd week of the Zamboanga siege. Schools outside so-called ground zero (Mariki, Rio Hondo, Sta Barbara, Campo Muslim, Sta Catalina and Kasanyangan) have opened today. Schools in some areas in Lamitan were disrupted. Certain areas in Maguindanao are also disrupted. Conflict here and there. If our concept of learning is based on the premise of the four-wall classroom, then our kids have just lost about ten (10) contact learning days.

Fortunately, learning is not limited to school. Unfortunately, few people realized this is so true. Learning does not stop once you leave school or outside school. Learning continues even outside the school premises. In this context, the parents and the community at large are also teachers of our children. This is one perspective about lifelong learning.

In areas where disaster, natural or man-made is frequent, parents as "primary teachers" should be ready to bridge the learning of their children in schools or provide stimuli that will allow them to understand "the university of life", build their set of "life skills" and deepen their set of values.

In a conflict situation, parents should be able to respond to their children's queries: "why are they fighting?", "what are they fighting for?", "can they not talk?", etc. Some kids would react in a way that is reflective of what they have seen on television, read on the internet or newspaper, or hear from adults and their peers. As they start to ask questions, they start to form their own opinion. How do we respond if their novice opinion is consistent or consistent with us?  

What do we do if they cheer on helicopters passing overhead or hide between our legs? How do we guide them in a situation where even we adults are puzzled ourselves? Are we going to talk for the moment or talk about the future repercussion of our opinion? 

These are responsibilities of parents and care givers in between school during a conflict regime. Remember in this situation, the world is the school, our daily life is the university, what and how we teach them will build the foundation of our children's life skills. It is up to us if we want to plant the seeds of hate and division? Or build the seeds of love, compassion and living together.  

Works of the late Prof Dr Mahmood Ahmad Ghazi

Remembering my mentor - He settled my heart on issue of Ijtihad, Mujahidah and Jihad. His articulation on these concepts will forever be etched in my mind. 4 days from now will be his 3rd death anniversary (He died on 26 September 2010 of cardiac arrest).

Dua for my mentor, the late Prof Dr Mahmood Ahmad Ghazi, renowned scholar, researcher, writer and academic of Islam. The first Khateeb of Faisal Masjid – Islamabad, Pakistan, President of International Islamic University – Islamabad, Pakistan, Judge of the Federal Shariat Court – Pakistan and Federal Minister of Religious Affairs of the Government of Pakistan.

Here's a link dedicated to his life, works and achievements. 

His life and contribution by Muhammad Junaid Nadvi (Academia).

Here's a link to a concise Wikipedia article.

Here are links to some of his great works that are freely available online:

1. "The Need of Introducing New Cosmopolitan Fiqh to Meet Challenges of Globalization", International Seminar on “Islamic Legal Thought and Institutions in South Asia”, organized by Islamic Research Institute (IRI), of the International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI).
2. "Islamic Shari‘ah and the Question of Minorities", Policy Perspectives , Volume 6 , Number 1, January - June 2009
3. "The Law of War and Concept of Jihad in Islam", Policy Perspectives, Vlm. 5, No.1, 2008
4. Other IPS published papers of the late Prof Dr Mahmood Ahmad Ghazi
5. "Need for dialogical reasoning ..." (2006), Roundtable on ‘Islamic Education: Continuity and Growth’ organized by the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI)
6. "The Role of the Judiciary in the Promotion of the Culture of Tolerance", Pakistan Supreme Court 

Death and soul

What made us humans rise above the common beasts is the soul ( روح - ruh). It is because of this nature that there is the akhirah (hereafter), the next life of reckoning. Yet there are in our midst who would take the importance of the human soul and call for the death of fellow beings.

Online materials on Sheikh Abdul-Qadir Jilani

Abdul-Qadir Gilani (Wiki) - "His father was Abu Salih Musa al-Hasani, a descendant of Hazrat Imam Hasan, the eldest son of Ali, Muhammad's first cousin, and the husband of Fatima, Muhammad's daughter. Al-Gilani's mother was the daughter of Abdullah Sawmai, a descendant of Imam Husain, the younger son of Ali and Fatima. Thus, Al-Gilani was both a Hasani and Hussaini Sayyid."

Abdul-Qadir Jilani (Sufi Wiki) - "His contribution to Sufism and Sharia was so immense that he became known as the spiritual pole of his time, al-Ghawth al-A'zam."

Shaikh Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani (Al-Baz) - "Step out of your own self and keep your distance from it. Practice detachment from your possessiveness, and surrender everything to Allah." - 7th Discourse from Futuh al-Ghaib

Manglaggui karayawan (Celebrating goodness)

Pagdaya kaw ha pagbulansang sin pagkahi mu,
Puklasi in pag-ambul da',
Pagkugkuyag kaw ha karayawan nahinang nila,
Lasa kaw sin sakusug-kusug pangatayan
Minsan pa in kaawnan niya wala' ini tindug sin pagkahi mu -
Ini in barakat di' magkabi sin pilak!

Be rich in admiration of others,
Free yourself from envy and despair,
Celebrate other's goodness
Love earnestly
Even if others do not and will not.
This is a blessing that money can't buy.

Love beyond

We love our selves, no question about it. We do the things we have done because we want to satisfy our selves. Whether good or bad, it matters not, as long as we satisfy our selves.

There are things we do for our family. Things we love to show, give and enjoy. We do things in life out of love for them, to generate their satisfaction.

No question about these two things.

But there is a big difference when we are already in public service. Can we hijack our "public service" task for them? So we argue that family first. This is our paradox.

When we do not have love for our fellows and passion for common good, it is heard to believe public servants talking about caring.

When we fail to radiate a degree of love to the institution that gives us work and subsume public interest to familial interest, isn't it selfishness?

Love is an ocean of goodness that touches every shore. Let our love radiate to others as well, not just to our family, our clan and our tribe!

Culture, common sense and criticality

We love our culture. We are proud to show them. We are so proud about it that it become our immediate recess when something new and different is introduced. We cling to it like dear life itself.

"Kasi ganyan na yan", "kasi ganito na talaga sa amin", "eto na ang aming kinagisnan", we become vulnerable to blind adherence.

There are a lot of good things in our culture. Yes we should continue them. But for the things that's inconsistent with 21st century enlightenment, we should be critical about them. Do they have a place in our contemporary society?

Shall we want to continue "rido", thereby threatening the very safety of our own family and public order?

Shall we continue to reason for those putting the law into their own hands for vendetta to satisfy their angst but diminishing our rule of law and public safety?

Shall we continue patronizing leaders based on familial and tribal affiliation with total disregard for competence and merit and what they can do for common good?

Shall we continue the social divide between blue-blooded and commoners that the latter will have to kowtow to the former all the time?

Shall we continue thinking of public coffer as a familial piggy bank and the institution of public service like a family enterprise?

Shall we continue rationalizing that bureaucrats stealing public funds are engaged in jihad, arguing that while rebels are fighting outside, these bureaucrats are fighting within by weakening government's public service deliveries?

Shall we continue to misuse religion for violence?

Shall we continue victimizing our sisters and daughters to polygamy and pawning them for political ends?

Without critical thought about them, we are doomed.

Differentiation

We are different from the rest.
The past tells us that.
We fought for that difference.

We fought to exist as different.
Different from the rest that dominates.
We want our own.

We defer to the past,
Even today and
As we move into the future.

Today there is a big difference with the past.
So we fought to bring that difference.
Different we shall remain.

But as we move forward.
How different will we be with the past?
How different will we be with the present?

The future beckons with opportunities.
To be different being one of them.
Different as we can be.

Seeing whole

Note: I wrote this article in the context of the "Sabah siege", now it appears relevant to what is going on in "Zambo siege" and what we are and are not doing to ourselves in view of this crisis.
_______________

We blame others for what we have become. We rant on what they did and didn't to make out lives better. We think we are in dire situation because of what they withheld from us. We become miserable because of what they did not allow us to become. Given this is true. Before these rants became "them" we ask, "where was we?", "what have we done to ourselves to make things better?", "Isn't it not our primordial responsibility to better ourselves?", etc.

The reality is our lives is now tangled together. The world we live in has become a global village. What happen to us will also hurt them and vice versa. "Them" is half of the coin, half of the truth. "We" are half of the coin, half of the truth. So long as we continue the divide in our mind and use it to continue the division, we will always be divided, hurting each other. The pain will proceed, the hurt will continue until all the blood there is has been spilled and watered the earth.

The pain need not proceed or the hurt to continue. We can start moving forward, together healing each other and making a promise that should we be in a situation of disagreement we prefer to sit around the table of peace to reconcile and resolve, rather than let our angst and pride dictate our action and unleash our fury, and turning our communities into battlefields.

This is the promise of seeing and keeping things whole. By seeing and keeping things whole, we taper our rights with responsibility. we recognize not only our own but also the right of others to live side by side with us. Let us reciprocate good deeds and let us not make violence and vendetta the inheritance of our next generations.

We live our lives fundamentally by our own doing. We are personally responsible. This is the obligation that came with our inherent nature and freewill. Those without are not held liable for any. Those with freewill are accountable for their action. We can not fully enjoy our rights if we do not appreciate well our responsibility. It is not a choice between the two, it is both and both are congruent with each other.

We make each other complete. We make each other whole.
___________________

Former Basilan congressman Gerry Ajul Salapuddin has this to say, "Whatever we planted is what we reap. Whatever befell us is a result of our action. We are responsible for our our fortune or misfortune. And only Allah can get us out of our own mess. All it takes is our strong faith, prayer, zikr and our supplication to Him. Allah is the Most Merciful and Most Forgiving God. While man has limitation on what he can give, Allah has limitless power and bounties."

Former ARMM ORG official Ross Alonto adds, "What went wrong" and "what must be done" are inseparable if we want to move forward and live a better life than we have today. It's "seeing whole" and properly responding to the needs of time. The ball is in our hands.

Water and the Bangsamoro: A discourse outline

Global Context
According to The Millennium Project, "Water should be central to development and climate change strategies. Over half the world could live in water-stressed areas by 2050 due to population growth, climate change, and increasing demand for water per capita."

"According to IFPRI this would put at risk approximately $63 trillion of the global economy just 39 years from today. By 2030 global water demand could be 40% more than the current supply. This could change with new agricultural practices, policy changes, and intelligently applied new technologies."

"Otherwise conflicts over trade-offs among agricultural, urban, and ecological uses of water are likely to increase, along with the potential for mass migrations and wars. Although waterrelated conflicts are already taking place, water-sharing agreements have been reached even among people in conflict and have led to cooperation in other areas."

Local Context
Water is crucial to growing population and economy. What are water issues in Moroland? What forestall and hasten these issues (contributing factors)?

Where and when are these water issues more prevalent and imminent in the Bangsamoro homeland?

Analysis
How water issues are connected with other global challenges manifested in the Moroland? Water shortage and climate change in insular ARMM? Flooding and Climate Change in Maguindanao plains? Water Shortage, power generaion and economic development in Lanao?

How do we mitigate water issues in the short-term? How do we sustainably response to these issues in the long-term?

How do we mobilize communities and institutions to respond to water's evolutionary (unpredictable) and developmental (predictable) challenges?

Noralyn Mustafa, A Muslim writer, opines in the context of Jolo Town, "first on the list should be the return of the squatters in the town of Jolo to their places of origin in the countryside where they can be as productive as before; second would be to thoroughly dredge all the waterways in Sulu, starting from the Jolo river. This is to avoid the unimaginable loss of lives when the Big Wave strikes (maybe tomorrow, maybe next year or five years from now, nobody can tell) that will drown everything up to the present town hall."

I agree. However, Jolo LGU can not solve this problem alone. It needs the participation (including IRA contribution) of other municipalities with significant population living in Tiyangge. What this situation telling us is that water and flooding issues are not anymore local problems, but trans-boundary problems requiring the collaboration of towns and similar geo-political entities.

On Islam, Shafi-e, Ash'ari and Tasawwuf

I'm a Muslim, adherent of the Islamic faith.

I am a Moro from Southern Philippines, and as such traditionally an adherent of Shafi-e school of Islamic jurisprudence and to the Ash'ari Theology.

Just like my Moro ancestors, I am not a religious type dedicated to daily rituals and routines; but a spiritual type whose overall life and way of living is define by Islamic spirituality.

I am a follower of Sufism and believes in the fact that truths can be found across religions and philosophies culminating in the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw). My God is not just for us Moros or Muslims, He is God of All - "There is no god but God, and Muhammad (saw) is His Messenger".

Shari'ah, anyone?

I'm a Muslim professional. Graduated primary education from a local madrasah, and took a short course training from the IIU-Islamabad Shari'ah Academy. Since then my interest on Islamic jurisprudence persists.

Islamic jurisprudence is my interest in general. In specific terms, on its contemporary application (and supports Cordova Institute's initiative on Shari'ah and Rule of Law Index); the evolution of Minority Fiqh, Shafi-e Jurisprudence, interface between Common Law and Shari'ah in minority Muslim communities and the application of the Rule of Law in Moroland.

Sinug and Sinama?

As a Tausug- and Sama-descent person, I am fascinated by the Sinug (Tausug Language) and Sinama (Sama Language).

While Sinug is largely spoken by the Tausug of Sulu, its language siblings, such as Butuanon and Surigaonon, can not be found anywhere in the Sulu Archipelago, but hundreds of miles to the Eastern region of Mainland Mindanao in Caraga.

Sinama is a language shared by several inter-related ethnic groups (e.g. Sama, Bajaw, Bangingi) spanning three countries in Equator Asia. Isn't it a surprise to learn that its northern speakers, the Abaknon, can be found in Samar in the Eastern Visayan Region of the Philippines?

Development Work?

This is my personal and professional accounts of working as an NGO and development worker.

Whole Moro Development

The terms "Moro" and "Bangsamoro" are very often associated with the Moro secessionist movement, autonomy, peace process; all political constructs.

This blog reckons there is more to being Moro than just a political construct or consciousness. Whole Moro Development is a holistic approach that recognizes the inter-relatedness of local politics, security, ecology, ethnolinguistic and culture,history, sociology, etc. The list is endless.

This is an attempt to look at Moro development not just through the politic lens, but beyond contemporary political discourse.

The Sama - Who are they?

The Sama of the Philippines are traditionally around the Sulu Archipelago; although the northernmost Sama community, the Abaknons, can be found in the areas of Samar and Leyte.

Linguists and language researchers have conveniently lumped all Philippine Sama under three (3) broad categories:

1. The southern Sama of Tawi-Tawi
2. The central Sama of Siasi and Laminusa
3. The northern Sama of Pangutaran

However, upon closer scrutiny, the Sama of Tawi-Tawi are very diversified too, falling into the following sub-categories:

1. The Sama of Sibutu and Sitangkai Islands
2. The Sama of Simunul and Nusa Islands
3. The Sama of Kapoan (Sapa-Sapa, Tandubas, Bellatan and Balimbing, South Ubian and Northern region of Mainland Tawi-Tawi)
4. The Sama of Buan (Boan) Island in Panglima Sugala are Sama Bangingi

Similar sub-categorization can also be undertaken for the Central and Northern Sama.

Sama Studies?

Descended from a Sama ancestor myself, the Sama of Tawi-Tawi represents a small group in the larger Sama-Bajaw cultural conglomeration in Equator Asia.

This blog represents a journey of discovery ...

Peace and development?

I would like also this blog to house some of my collection of PhD Peace and Development Studies materials as well as continuing personal and professional learning as a peace advocate and development practitioner. These are all explain in less than formal and less than academic tone because the idea is to share it online with common folks.

ABC of life

A
Arise, your Master is here,
free yourself from the bondage,
from that which holds you back,
follow your Master's way!

B
Behold, a new life is waiting -
it beckons, break free and fly
your future awaits
grab it it's yours!

C
Cease this mongering of 'can't be'
you make your future not them
own your fate, have faith
seize it from within and grow!

D
Dare is what you need
not progeny, not power nor pieces of silver
test the water, be not afraid of the waves
it's there to make you strong, not weak!

E
‎Ease your fear with faith
follow your heart, not the road traveled by all
create your own and lead the way
be among the pioneers!

F
Freedom is like the air you breath
you may not see it but it is there
essential like your existence
protect it or perish!

G
‎Grab it, or make one for yourself
you deserve it more than anyone
it's your future, it is your destiny
live to realize it!

H
‎Harness what you have
leave what is not around
multiply and share
realize your dream!

I ‎
Insist and initiate
nurture and grow
spread your wings
and find your happiness!

J
‎Jump off the stereotype
sense your true being
there is only one you
be a blessing to yourself and to all!

K
Knap that ill-feeling
you live only once
embrace the world
be happy!

L
Learn the basics early
found your life with simplicity
but steer it forward
there is more to it that living!

M
Moan not of the agony
you are not alone
it is not the absence of it
your courage will define you!

N
No one is spared of trials
like a rose full of torns
be careful, be brave
you are a solution!

O

Over time and space
you are merely a dot
but your goodness persists
like grafitti in ancient cave!

P
Pause if you must
rest if you have to
inhale and savour the cool air
be invigorated by nature!

Q
Quit not the race of life
you are more than you think
dare beyond the horizon
follow the ancient explorers!

R
Roar with your faith
believe and it shall come
be certain of what you need
be cautious of your wants!

S
Steer your boat forward
dare the giant waves
beyond are islands of opportunity
choose one it's yours!

T
Take your time
prepare yourself
pat your back
yes you can!

U
Usher in with positivity
this too will pass
like all that has come before
know that problem comes and goes!

V
Veer away from the convention
create your own success
you are made to lead
to become who you want!

W
Wane not in confidence
stake your future with it
armed yourself with ease
and enjoy the journey!

X
Xerxes thought he was a god
be not like him
but be like the 300
that dared to challenge him!

Y
Yearn for better things to come
act on it and make it happen
be patient and persevere
Rome wasn't built in a day!

Z
Zap out of complacency
even if you are right
if you don't act on it
you'll get run over with!

Imagine

Imagine a green Moroland -

A healthy marshland teeming with natural life
And Magindanawuns in tune with this marshland ecology.

A healthy lake teeming with natural life
And Meranaws in tune with this lake ecology.

A healthy river system teeming with natural life
And Iranuns in tune with this river ecology.

A healthy Sulu archipelago teeming with natural life
And coastal cultures in tune with this archipelagic ecology.

Imagine a healthy Moroland!

Circles of Sutainability

Source: Circles of Sustainability

Sustainable Living - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_living

Three (3) Pillars of Sustainability

Adams, W.M. (2006). "The Future of Sustainability: Re-thinking Environment and Development in the Twenty-first Century." Report of the IUCN Renowned Thinkers Meeting, 29–31 January 2006.

Look at these pillars and see how it is relevant to our Moroland? Sustainability in Moroland is not just about preserving and protecting our environment and unique lake, marsh, hinterland, river and insular ecological systems; it also about our social and economic situation. 

A call for smart choices

Links to Green Advocacy

Articles
10 Amazing Green Cities by Maria Trimarchi and Jacob Clifton
Amazing Malmo: City of Sustainability and Renewable Energy - by Coronare Modestus Faust.
EcoCity Malmo: Sustainable Urban Development by Greg Vendena
Sustainable City or Eco-City (Wikipedia)
The 10 Greenest European Cities

Websites
Auroville (India)
Carboun - Middle East Sustainable Cities

Center for a New America Dream - helps Americans to reduce and shift their consumption to improve quality of life, protect the environment, and promote social justice.

Center for Ecological Living and Learning (CELL) - a nonprofit educational organization inspiring students (our future leaders) to bring creative, systemic solutions and environmental stewardship to their individual lives and leadership positions.

City Mayors' Sustainable Communities
Ecotown Z

Environmentalist on a Mission - "the best way to promote a good cause is to provide a good example".

European Green Cities Network (EGCN)

Goodnet Planet - Doing good for the environment and living a sustainable life.

Green Living TV - Green Living-TV is the producers’ blog for the TV show Green Living. The show talks about living a sustainable urban lifestyle and airs every Tuesday at 9:30 pm on ANC (The ABS-CBN News Channel).

Green Living Online - Green Living is a powerful voice in the environmental media; it was even a founding member of B Corporation - the authority for social enterprises.

Green Living (Denmark)

Green Living (GreenPeace Philippines) - Ideas for how you, as an individual, can step a little lighter on the Earth.

Harvard City Center for the Environment

Huffington Post EcoFabulous - Dedicated to the stylish and sustainable, Ecofabulous is a treasure trove of inspiration for eco-friendly products that are also beautiful.

Inhabitat - A veteran in the field of environmental media, Inhabitat runs by the slogan - “Design will save the world.” The website offers a wealth of information about eco-friendly products alongside advice about green living, yet it’s best known for its expertise in design and architecture.

Leicester (UK) - Environment City

Malmo's Sustainable City Development
Masdar City (Dubai, UAE)
Songdo IBD (Korea)
Sustainable Cities Collective
Sustainable Cities EU
Sustainable Living Philippines (FB)
Terrain - A Journal of the Built and Natural Environments
The Dirt - uniting the Built and Natural Environments (American Society of Landscape Architects)
Tianjin Eco-City - A Model for Sustainable Development

Treehugger - Green living is the bread and butter of Treehuger - a website that hardly needs introduction. Determined to “drive sustainability mainstream”, Treehugger is chock full of practical advice and useful information alongside editorials about design, technology, energy and science.

The Daily Green - A consumer’s guide to green living, the Daily Green specializes in no-nonsense tips for easily adoptable green habits.

Green Moroland

My religion is Islam, and I learned that in Islam, creations are expressions of God's magnificence and presence. As a Muslim, we are taught that cleanliness is half of faith. The earth is an 'amanah' (trust) from Allah, not something to be destroyed, but to take from it sustainably and pass it on to the next generation.

I am a Moro from the Southern Philippines. My cultural identity and heritage are partly born out of the region's unique geography, flora and fauna and the rest of the natural world. When people talk about Moroland, they talk about the conflict, within and without; groups of armed people rebelling against the establishment; or its perceived 'recalcitrant' people, who are quite 'different' from the mainstream. So it will come as a surprise that someone like me or a blog like this is coming out of Moroland. And why not? There is more to Moroland than the stereotypes and prejudices. Few people realized that the root of its history, culture and people, is its geography, ecology and or environment. The environment, geography and its ecology to a certain extend influenced and continue to influence its people, culture and continuing saga for self-determination.

As a Moro, I am a cosmopolitan in blood and brain. Green and sustainable living is also about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, for ourselves and for the world. This is a personal chronicle about my journey and learning into green and sustainable living. This is my personal saga of my homeland's geography, environment and ecology - past, present and future. We know little how these 1G and 2E's influenced our past. We are taking them for granted at the present except to react when natural disaster strikes and forgotten overtime as we move back into our "normal" life. And certainly, we know little about how it will influence and transform our lives in the future.

Raindrop

The Parable of the Raindrop is a lesson on selflessness, benevolence and magnanimity - dropping from the sky, so that flora and fauna including humans may live.

Value of values

قيمة الإصلاح هو إصلاح قيمنا.
(Qayyimat al-islaha huwa islaaha qayyimana')

The value of the reform is the reform of our values.

Liberation Fronts and the Sultanate

The secessionist movement in Moroland was largely fueled by Moro leftists and religionists in the 70s. The Jabidah Massacre was just a trigger. Martial Law further inflamed the movement. 

While both the Moro leftist and religionists recognize and point to the sultanate as historical basis for the secession; both leftists and religionists were in no mood to revive it as advocated by the royalists. The leftists do not recognize class segregation and domination of one royal family and the privilege of one family to reign/rule a country. The religionists abhors any form of politics and governance beyond the four rightly-guided caliphs and supports theocracy, a government, naturally, ruled by them. 

Middle East politics and support somehow defined their position. The leftists like to point to Khadafi's Libya, Mubarak's Egypt, Saddam's Iraq and Assad's Syria as ideal set-up for their cause. In Libya, Egypt and Iraq, monarchy was abolished. The religionists see the Saudi model of Wahhabi ulama as their ideal. The unique role as head of the faith was wrestled by the foreign-trained ulama from the Sulu Sultan who was traditionally the leader of the faithfuls.

Therefore, all the moves that were taken that appear to support the sultanate was a tactical move to gain credence for the revolution. The consumated MNLF-GRP peace process and the on-going MILF-GPH peace process involved no Sultan nor is there any that favors the return of the sultanate.

The end of sovereignty?

The End of Sovereign Sultanate

The death of Sultan Jamalul Kiram II, without a male heir and the Bates Treaty, effectively ended Sulu's sovereignty. After him, came the period (to this date) of succession of pretenders from competing royal houses largely between the royal bastions of Maimbung and Patikul, all ineffective in quelling the growing civil government established under American imperialism and eventual inclusion of the sultanate into the current Philippine polity.

Post-Sultanate Period

This succession of pretenders can be regarded as Post-Sultanate Period. To this day, pretenders try to outsmart each other, even going to lambasting and demeaning each other's claims. they have forgotten the fact that the revival of this once mighty sultanate depends primarily on their coalescence.

Some have also introduced innovations based on their own viewpoints, such as "Islamizing" or casting the Sultanate as truly Islamic; "modernizing" it by adopting English title like "King" and, with heralds and chivalric orders; adding new selection criteria; or awarding the "datu" titles to non-royals (especially foreigners) in exchange for moral and monetary support.

Sabah claim, or more properly the North Borneo claim, continues to be another rallying point for royalists. Aside from territorial claim, there is a corollary issue or allegation about mounting or hidden wealth (a combination of cash and golds running into the trillion) deposited somewhere that can only be claimed by a true heir.

Links to Sufism

The Sacred Path of Love - FB Account, Website

Thankfulness (Shukoor)

"Know that thankfulness is from the highest of stations, and it is higher than patience, and fear, and detachment [of the world]."

- Imam al-Ghazali (RA)

Islam and Muslim

“I went to the West and saw Islam, but no Muslims; I got back to the East and saw Muslims, but not Islam.”
― Muhammad Abduh

Piety, not race

لا فرق بين عربي و لا أعجمي و لا أبيض ولا أسود إلا بالتقوى

There is no difference between the black, white, the Arab, the non-Arab except by the level of piety.
― Prophet Muhammad

Duty to community is duty to God

“[Islam] is the dynamic conviction that a person's spiritual and worldly responsibilities are one and the same, that an individuals duty to the community is indistinguishable from his or her duty to God.”
― Reza Aslan, No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam

Re-awakening

“The enduring life is the one that begins once we awaken from this world. And it is in that awakening that we realize… It was only a dream”
― Yasmin Mogahed, Reclaim Your Heart

The process to His Mercy

“In his mercy, He sent the storm itself to make us seek help. 

And then knowing that we’re likely to get the wrong answer, 

He gives us a multiple choice exam with only one option to choose from: the correct answer. 

The hardship itself is ease. 

By taking away all other hand-holds, all other multiple choice options, H

e has made the test simple.
It’s never easy to stand when the storm hits. 

And that’s exactly the point. 

By sending the wind, He brings us to our knees: 

the perfect position to pray”
― Yasmin Mogahed, Reclaim Your Heart

In His Own Way

“The lack of insight to reality, life and history as well as into God's ways, or sunan in His creation, some people will continue to seek or demand the impossible. They will imagine what does not or cannot happen, misunderstand occurrences and events, and interpret them on the basis of cherished illusions which in no way reflect God's sunan or the essence of Islamic law.”
― Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Islamic Awakening Between Rejection and Extremism

Happiness of wisdom or wisdom of happiness?

“Happy will be those who take a lesson and warning from the mistakes and misfortunes of others and seek, nevertheless, to adopt the good they offer. Wisdom, wherever he finds it, it's a believer's goal, because he is more worthy of it than anyone else.”
― Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Islamic Awakening Between Rejection and Extremism

السعادة من الحكمة أو الحكمة من السعادة؟

(As-sa'adatu min al-hikmah aw al-hikmah min as-sa'adah?)

Moro development

“Change, development and progress, according to the Islamic viewpoint, refer to the return to the genuine Islam enunciated and practised by the Holy Prophet (may God bless and give him Peace!) and his noble Companions and their Followers (blessing and peace be upon them all!) and the faith and practice of genuine Muslims after them; and they also refer to the self and mean its return to its original nature and religion (Islam).”
― Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, Islam The Concept of Religion and the Foundation of Ethics And Morality

Praising Allah

“I desired to praise the Chosen One and was hindered
By my own inability to grasp the extent of his glory.

How can one such as I measure an ocean, when the ocean is vast?
And how can one such as I count the stones and the stars?

If all of my limbs were to become tongues, even then –
Even then I could not begin to praise him as I desired.

And if all of creation gathered together in an attempt
To praise him, even then they would stint in his due.

I have altogether ceased trying – awestruck, clinging to courtesy,
Tempered by timidity, glorifying his most exalted rank.

Indeed, sometimes silence holds within it the essence of eloquence,
And often speech merely fodder for the faultfinder.” 
― Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi

Human knowledge and praise

“O Allah,
You know me better than I know myself, and
I know myself better than these people who praise me.

Make me better than what they think of me, and
forgive those sins of mine of which they have no knowledge,
and do not hold me responsible for what they say.”

― Abu Bakr al-Siddiq

التوبة والحنين

“Repentance (Tawbah) and yearning (Haneen), and yearning and repentance: this is the total harvest of life.”
― Khurram Murad, Dying And Living For Allah

Symbols around us

“The sun symbolizes the Divine intelligence; 

the empty vastness of space symbolizes the Divine All-Possibility and also the Divine immutability; 

a bird symbolizes the soul; 

a tree symbolizes the grades of being; 

and water symbolizes knowledge and rain revelation.”
― Osman Bakar, Tawhid and Science

Prayer and science

“It is a meaningful thing for a scientist of the stature of Ibn Sina, certainly one of the best scientific minds in the whole history of mankind, to often resort to prayer to seek God's help in solving his philosophical and scientific problems. And it is also perfectly understandable why the purification of the soul is considered an integral part of the methodology of knowledge.”
― Osman Bakar, Tawhid and Science

Insular Man

“Man is like an island set in isolation in a fathomless sea enveloped by darkness, saying that the loneliness his self knows is so utterly absolute because even he knows not his self completely.”
― Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, Islam and Secularism

Debt, repayment and return

“Seeing that he owns absolutely nothing to ‘repay’ his debt, ‘his own consciousness’ of the fact ‘that he is himself the very substance’ of debt, so must he ‘repay’ with himself, so must he ‘return’ himself to Him Who owns him absolutely.”
― Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, Islam The Concept of Religion and the Foundation of Ethics And Morality

Disobedience better than piety

“Ibn Ata' Allah said:

"God may open up for you the gates of obedience, 

but without opening up for you the gates of acceptance. 

On the other hand, 

He may Allow you to fall into disobedience 

which happens to lead you to the right path. 

DISOBEDIENCE that teaches you HUMILITY 

is better than PIETY 

that fills you with VANITY and ARROGANCE.”
― Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Islamic Awakening Between Rejection and Extremism

Learned about time

“Anyone who has learned the Quran 
and holds it lovingly in his heart 
will 'value his nights when people are asleep, 
his days when people are given to excess, 
his grief when people are joyful,
his weeping when people laugh, 
his silence when people chatter and 
his humility when people are arrogant'. 

In other words 
every moment of life will be precious to him, 
and he should therefore be 'gentle', 
never harsh nor quarrelsome, 
'nor one who makes a clamour in the market 
nor one who is quick to anger'.” 
― Ibn Mas'ud

A way of acting, doing and knowing

“Islam deals not only with what man must and must not do, but also with what he needs to know. In other words, Islam is both a way of acting and doing things and a way of knowing.”
― Osman Bakar, Tawhid and Science

Quicker

“To Allah belongeth the Mystery of the heavens and the earth. And the Decision of the Hour (of Judgment) is as the twinkling of an eye, or even quicker: for Allah hath power over all things. ”
― Qu'ran 16:77

The true test of religion

“Religion is never more tested than when our emotions are ablaze. At such a time, the timeless grandeur of the Law and its ethics stand at our mercy.”
― Timothy J. Winter

Who is who?

“I'm a fundamentalist in the true sense. That is to say, I follow the fundamentals of religion... But for over 1,400 years people have been interpreting and re-interpreting the religion to suit their own purpose! ... These [extremist and terrorist acts] are not Islamic fundamentals any more than the Christians who burned people at the stake are fundamentalist. They are actually deviating from the teachings of the religion!”
― Mahathir Mohamad

Worry (قلق?) Qaliqa?

“Worry is itself an illness, since worry is an accusation against Divine Wisdom, a criticism of Divine Mercy.”
― Said Nursi

The first Jihad

“Declare your jihad on thirteen enemies you cannot see -egoism, arrogance, conceit, selfishness, greed, lust, intolerance, anger, lying, cheating, gossiping and slandering. If you can master and destroy them, then you will be read to fight the enemy you can see.”
― Al-Ghazali

Sad days

“در غم ما روزها بی گاه شد
روزها با سوزها همراه شد”

"In the days when we were sad
Days was associated with two incinerators "

- Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi

Wise use of one's energy (طاقة)

Do not use your energy 

except for a cause 

more noble than yourself. 

Such a cause cannot be found 

except in Almighty God Himself: 

to preach the truth, 

to defend womanhood,

 to repel humiliation 

which your Creator has 

not imposed upon you, 

to help the oppressed. 

Anyone who uses his energy 

for the sake of the vanities of the world 

is like someone who exchanges gemstones for gravel. 

There is no nobility in anyone who lacks faith. 

The wise man knows that the only fitting price for his soul is a place in Paradise...” 

― Ibn Hazm

On Reflection (تفكير)

“Reflection is the lamp of the heart. If it departs, the heart will have no light.”
― Imam 'Abdallah ibn 'Alawi al-Haddad

True wealth

What has he found who has lost God?
And what has he lost who has found God?
― Ibn 'Ata' Allah Al-Iskandari

True strength

The strong person is not the good wrestler. Rather,the strong person is the one who controls himself when he is angry. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 73, #135)

Nothing to something

Knock, and He'll open the door

Vanish, and He'll make you shine like the sun
Fall, and He'll raise you to the heavens
Become nothing, and He'll turn you into everything.
― Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi

Scarcity or efficiency?

Before we can say that scarcity is the problem, we have to acknowledge that we have efficiently utilized to the max what we already have.

When we have shortage in one school and overflow in another of teachers, facilities and similar resource inputs, this is a question of efficiency not scarcity.

If we have no double shifts in the utilization of school building, less multi-grade classes, more duplication of kindergarten centers and more teachers doing non-teaching jobs, this is a question of efficiency not scarcity.

If we based our shortage on ghost, padded and fautly data, this is a question of efficiency not scarcity.

Mis-diagnosis

A doctor makes his diagnosis based on observable signs and expressed symptoms, a battery of laboratory and medical tests, and in some cases, peer review.

How about an education manager then? What can be had from 'tampered', 'doctored', 'ghost' and or 'adulterated' school data and subjective propositions? 

Who is the problem

If you have been leading an education bureaucracy for a decade and there is no improving trend in the student performance and the quality of education delivery, perhaps it's time to ask one critical question: Am I not the problem?

Beyond the status quo

We can't change the quality of our education by defending the status quo. We can't expect different result from doing the same thing again and again.

Online education resources

Education Graduate Schools
Harvard Graduate School of Education (US)

Education News 
Aljazeera America - Education
BBC Education
Education World
Forbes (US) Education
Huffington Post (US) - Education
New York Times - Education, The Learning Network
The Guardian (UK) Education
The Independent (UK) Education
The Telegraph (UK) Education
The Times of India - Education

Digital Libraries
Digital Libraries (Wiki)
University of Florida Digital Collections
University of North Texas Libraries
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries Digital Collections
Wikibooks
WordsValley

Educational Websites
Educational Websites (Wiki)

Ministries of Education
Australian Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations - Canberra (ACT Education and Training Directorate), New South Wales (Department of Education and Communities -DEC), Northern Territory (Department of Education), Queensland (department of Education, Training and Employment - DETE), Tasmania (Department of Education), Victoria (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development - DEECD),

Canadian Education - Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territories

Danish Ministry of Education
Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture (OKM)
Icelandic Ministry of Education, Science and Culture
Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST)
New Zealand Ministry of Education (Minedu)
Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research
Philippines Department of Education (DepEd)
Singaporean Ministry of Education (MOE)
Swedish Ministry of Education and Research, Policy Areas
UK Department of Education (DfE)

Open Learning
BBC Learning English
MIT Open Course Ware
Open.Michigan
OpenLearn - The Open University
Stanford Engineering Everywhere
TeacherTube
Teaching Channel
TED
UND Open Course Ware
Yale University Open Courses

Moro education?

Moro Education (MoroEd) exposes and expounds on what defines the education of the Moro people in the Southern Philippines, either government-run or privately-operated, secular or sectarian, full-week or week-day, from kindergarten to higher education.

This is in no way an exhaustive one as this is a one-person attempt to contribute to the on-going discussion as to what is really Moro education and current government and non-government initiatives, traditional and secular, integration and holism, toward this end.

One way to look at it, and in the context of the status quo, is to view Moro education as a sub-system on the Philippines' national education system. We will also look at Moro education in the context of its Islamic and cultural heritage; through the lens of fragility and education in emergencies (EiE); through a futures studies lens.

Similar to all other education systems in the world, the Moro education is also confronted with common issues of access, quality and equity; education finance, resourcing and sustainability; information and communication technology and other challenges of the 21st century education.

Nursing Links

Nursing Accreditation
National Board of Certification of School Nurses

Nursing News

CNN Nursing: News and Videos
Nursing Times

Nursing Research
British Journal of School Nursing

The Nurses’ Health Studies

Nursing Organization

US National Association of School Nurses (NASN)

School Health Nursing
California Department of Education - Health Services and School NursingCommunity Health Nurses in Schools (Western Australia)
Kansas School Health Resources

Maine School Health Services
Minnesota School Health Nursing Program
My Healthy School's School Nurse
Nurse Resource - School Nurse
Online Resources for School Nurses (New Hampshire)
Oxford Health - School Health Teams (UK)
Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Toolkit for School Nurses
School Health (Maine)
School Health Nurses (FraserHealth) 
School Health Nurses - Roles and Responsibilities (Health Authority Abu Dhabi)
School Nurse.com
School Nursing Reference

Schools of Nursing

Duke University School of Nursing

John Hopkins University School of Nursing

NYU College of Nursing

Penn State School of Nursing

San Diego State University School of Nursing

UMass Amherst College of Nursing

University of California @ San Francisco School of Nursing

University of Minnesota School of Nursing

University of Texas @ Austin School of Nursing

Virginia University School of Nursing

Yale University School of Nursing

Why Community and School Health Nursing?

I'm a Registered Nurse by profession and started nursing practice in the field of community and school health nursing. In this blog, I want to present my personal and professional take on what's going on these fields (general nursing, community nursing, school nursing, nursing profession).

Public sentiment gone wrong

What do we do with corrupted public sentiment?

Links on Public Administration

Ad Hoc Committees
United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA)

Institutes
Global Public Policy Institute
Public Administration Schools, (Wikipedia List)
Schools offering Public Administration Courses (Philippines)

Journals
Administrative Theory and Praxis (ATP)

American Review of Public Administration (ARPA)
Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory (Oxford Journals)
Journal of Policy Analysis and Management (Wiley Online Library)
Philippine Journal of Public Administration (PJPA)

Public Administration Review (Wiley Online Library)

Key Concepts (Wikipedia, unless specified)
Adhocracy - Opposite of Bureaucracy

Administration (Government)

Big Society - flagship policy idea of the 2010 UK Conservative Party general election manifesto

Bureaucracy - Opposite of Adhocracy. Bureaucracy and Adhocracy by Evan Sycamnias
Capacity Development (UNDP)

Civil Service

Civil Service Reform (In Developing Countries)
Democratic Governance (UNDP)

Government Performance Audit

Lean Government

Meritocracy - a political philosophy

Nationalization

New Public Management - coined by Hood, C. (1991). A Public Management for All Seasons. Public Administration, 69 (Spring), 3-19.

New Public Management & its Legacy (World Bank)

Policy Analysis

Policy Cycle (Visual)

Policy Studies

Political Economy

Privatization

Professional Administration
Public Administration
Public Administration TheoryPublic Management
Public Ownership
Public Policy
Public Policy Doctrine
Public Sector
Public Service
Regulation
State Enterprises
Technocracy - as opposed to Adhocracy and Bureaucracy. Technocracy: An Alternative Social System – Arvid Peterson – (1980) on YouTube

Societies
African Association of Public Administration American Society for Public Administration (ASPA)

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM)

Association of Administrative Professionals New Zealand Inc (AAPNZI)

Dutch Association for Public Administration

Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA)European Group for Public Administration (EGPA)
Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC)
International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP)
International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS)

International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI)

International Public Management Association for Human Resurces (IPMA-HR)

International Public Management Network (IPMN)

Korean Institute of Public Administration (KIPA)

NASPAA

Public Administration Theory Network (PAT-Net)

United Nations Public Administration Network (UNPAN)

Tools

Eightfold Path (Policy Analysis) - Assembled by Eugene Bardach, a professor at the Goldman School of Public Policyat the University of California, Berkeley.

Six Sigma

Texts
2013 Human Development Report

A Users’ Guide to Measuring Public Administration Performance (UNDP)

Developments in Public Administration in the Philippines (Francisco Magno, Director, La Salle Institute of Governance)

Public Administration Reform Practice Note (UNDP)

Why Public Administration?

I have always been fascinated by government, politicians and bureaucrats. If you listen to each one of them, things appear relative and justified. I was doing NGO work when I started by master's studies in a local graduate school. My NGO work propelled me to take on management tasks as an Administrative Officer. Since there was no generic management course, Pub Adm came as a second choice. The priori though is, either public, private of non-profit, certain management principles apply to all.

So off I went to Graduate School to learn. I was really an empty cup and was voraciously absorbing everything I can grasps, from printed materials and classroom discussions to personal and professional views of my classmates.

A word about my classmates - We were extremes, I was novice and greenhorn, they are agency leaders, experienced and seasoned. They talk about laws and regulations like its the air their breath, naturally. When they talk, there are lot of acronyms, short-cuts and terms I need to grasp fast or I be lost in the discussion.

When lost, I use my ears more than my mouth, which is very often in the first few months. What I lack in experience and training, I make up with reading. Because they are agency leaders, office deadlines come first. They do not have the luxury of time, which I have, to read books and do homework.

In less than 3 years I earned a graduate diploma and a master's degree at the top of my class.

I wanted to record my thoughts representing my formal and informal years, past and continuing learning and practice on public management with special interest on regional self-governance (autonomy), human resources management, capacity building, and change management.

Researches on Bangingi (in progress)

Research Texts (Culture and History)
Eunice Diment, "Sama Bangingi", in Comparative Austronesian Dictionary: An Introduction to Austronesian ..., Part 1

Research Texts (Health)

Hakim, Dreiza M, (2006) “Health Seeking Behavior ofthe Sama Bangingi in Manalipa and Tigtabun, Zamboanga City”

Research Texts (Language)

Blakely, John (2001), “Functions of demonstratives in Sama Bangingi' expository discourse” 

Gault, JoAnn Marie (1986), "Focal content in Sama Bangingi narrative discourse"Gault, JoAnn Marie (2003), "Pronouns in Sama Bangingi' hortatory discourse"

Why Bangingi Studies

I have a personal interest in Bangingi Studies (BS) being descended from one. Thus on a personal level, this blog is a journey of discovery into my Bangingi past.

In history, Bangingi represents the only group in the Sulu Archipelago that is openly acceptable across ethno-linguistic groups. Is this partly because, Bangingi has served well as the navy of the maritime Sultanate of Sulu?

We are labelled the "Moro pirates" and all its negative connotation by the Spaniards; and "privateers" in the service of the Sulu sultan. There are more to the Bangingi than these. What is their history, culture, heritage and so on?

Links on Futures Studies (In progress)

Institutes (Academic, Graduate Program)
ASF Graduate Foresight Programs

EBS Business School - Institute for Futures Studies and Knowledge Management

Futures Studies at Aachen University (The Netherlands)

Future Studies at John Hopkins University School of Education

Stellenbosch University - Institute for Futures Research (Zambia)

University of Hawaii - Hawaii Research Center for Futures Studies

University of Houston (MS Foresight, Cert in Strategic Foresight), Houston Futures Blog

University of Kerala - Department of Futures Studies (India)

University of Turku - Finland Futures Research Centre

Institutes (Research)

Center for Futures Studies (UK)

Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies (Denmark)

Estonian Institute for Futures Studies

FreedomLab Futures Studies (The Netherlands)

Institute for Futures Studies (Sweden)

The Millennium Project - Global Futures Studies and Research

Journals
Future Islam - "A journal of future ideology that shapes today the future of tomorrow"
Futures - Journal of Policy, Planning and Futures Studies (Elsevier) 
Journal of Futures Studies (Tamking University, Taiwan)

Key Concepts (Wikipedia, unless specified)
Ethical Obligations and Futures Studies (Jordi Serra, Spain)
Futures Studies
Futures studies Comes of Age (Wendell Bell)
Futures Studies - Timeline (Elon)
Futures Studies (Youtube)
Methods and Approaches of Futures Studies (Rutgers)
Personal
Joseph Coates - Resources and Weblinks

Societies
Finnish Society for Futures Studies

World Futures Society (WFS)
World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF)

Why Futures Studies

Futures Studies, Futurology or Foresight is a multi-disciplinary study of postulating possible, probable, and preferable futures.

In the Islamic academic circle, there are a number of intellectual whose interest centers around Islamic futures.

My interest is viewing FS in the context of Moroland.