Our Context: Complex Inequities

In the Philippines, the reality is that intractable poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, and armed conflict continue even as other countries have shown that peace and prosperity are achievable during one generation. Past efforts to resolve these societal divides could not be sustained because the stakeholders were not included in the process and gains of these programs. With differing levels of access to resources, power and consequently, identity and recognition, societal inequities have produced complex issues, many resulting in open conflict.
 
Faced with this complexity, the situation makes it impossible for solutions to be developed by one sector alone. Traditional forms of public sector leadership become ineffective in addressing the issues. A new form of leadership approach is needed –one that can bring out systematic, creative, and participative solutions.

Our Response: Developing Bridging Leadership for a Society Without Divides

Our mission is to develop Bridging Leaders who will address and diminish societal divides in Mindanao, the Philippines, and the Asian region. Pursuant to this mission, we will:

• Validate theoretical assumptions / hypotheses of bridging societal divides to contribute to theory development of Bridging Leadership as an emerging school of thought;

• Develop learning materials in the form of cases, teaching notes, framework papers, and the like to document the Bridging Leadership experiences; 

• Share Bridging Leadership-related research and publications to a broad group of academic stakeholders;

• Design and offer innovative programs on Bridging Societal Divides;

• Develop academic institutional partners to aid the spread of the Center's pursuits both in reach and in depth

• Establish and strenghten a network of alumni that could contribute to the Center's resources, body of knowledge, and activities;

• Illustrate the broad range of experiences of Bridging Societal Divides; and

• Build the brand of the Center and of Bridging Leadership as well as to generate awareness about both.