Prepare to build

After the fog of rhetoric is gone, our angst simmers out, and our mind begins to understand/accept realpolitiks and the reality of constraints and interdependence, our quest for self-determination re-downs to two things: state- and nation-building.

• state-building - creation and sustaining democratic institutions and structures to deliver basic services, to uphold the rule of law, to promote people's welfare and security.
• nation-building - bringing together diverse peoples, to rally behind common goals, to chart shared futures; recognizing the cultural, linguistic and religious plurality.

Towards this end, state building needs strong political will, not politicking and nepotism; nation-building needs popular engagement (space and opportunity) to promote socialization and cohesion.

The rhetoric of hate (e.g. kuffar, dayyus, bugaan), exclusion (e.g. way lamud nila, paigun man sila, duyun man sila) and division (e.g. leader-follower, maisug-bugaan, tausug-samal) will not augur well towards this twin-goal of state- and nation-building.