I was invited to give a talk to some 250 people in a seminar for blogging and my topic, Changing the Socio-Cultural Mindset of the Mindanawan! I don’t have any Doctoral or Masteral degree relating to this or any graduate courses for this matter. All I am certain is I was born and raised in Mindanao that I had at least witnessed the unfolding of every dramatic triumph of its people, aggressive warfare and ceaseless effort to achieve peace. But I only got a view of all these events for only 20 years (I am 25 years old right now and I discounted my early 5 years since I haven’t had any clear memories of these times).
Now, I am faced with a challenge of digging up more substantial history, social practices and cultural outlook of myself and the people of Mindanao. How could had the conflicts started, who started it and for what reason had they started it? Certainly, all these conflicts have impacts to our present mindset, to our way of thinking and to how other people see Mindanao. Long before had I heard negative commentaries about Mindanao – how primitive life is, a war zone, haven of kidnappers, terrorists, etc.
As I am doing my research for this talk, I am moved to give something that is really substantial, something that could really change, something that at the end of my talk people would also dream of going to other parts of Mindanao just as they desire to go to America.
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