Guns, Guerillas, and The Great Leader: North Korea and the Third World By Benjamin R. Young. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2021. 218 pp. $28 (Paper), $90 (Cloth).

Unpacking peace and order in Mindanao, Philippines using a peace psychology framework.

“…While Peace and Order Councils as local government unit-led platforms follow a legal template, their presence and functionality in some areas in the country, such as in Mindanao, are nuanced by the seriousness of security concerns and previous conflict episodes within or nearby locations (Hall, 2015). Some parts of Mindanao, particularly in the Bangsamoro region and some communities adjacent to it, are fraught with territorial conflict and factionalism (Paredes, 2015), communal violence (Hall, 2017a), and clan conflict (Rood, 2005).…”

“…These conflicts are caused by the area’s complex clan relations, authoritarian leadership, weak local police, and illicit economic activities (Hall, 2017a). Security within these areas is unpredictable, especially with its various armed groups which may team up or disband at critical moments (Hall, 2015).…”

“…To reduce direct armed confrontation or prevent escalation of violence and to protect the ordinary people, security provisioning in some areas in Mindanao has become diverse, hybrid, pragmatic, and unique to a specific context, instead of being strictly played by the book (Hall, 2017a). This mechanism for security provisioning now involves not only formal (e.g., police, military) but informal (e.g., civil society group affiliates) actors as well (Hall, 2015). For instance, the local government unit of Upi, Maguindanao, created a council whose membership consists of Muslims, Christians, and Indigenous Peoples to settle differences arising from the various sectors of the community and to resolve intergroup conflicts (Baquiano, 2017).…”