Northern Ireland mediators to share lessons

Sulu: Key players from both sides of the Northern Ireland Peace Process will meet with government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) negotiators to share their experiences in forging a peace agreement.

Jonathan Powell, chief of staff to former prime minister Tony Blair between 1997-2007 and lead negotiator on the talks in Northern Ireland, and Gerry Kelly, current member of the Northern Ireland Parliament and lead negotiator on the talks in Northern Ireland on behalf of Sinn Fein - the political wing of the Irish Republican Army - will meet representatives from both sides of the peace process in Mindanao.

Helping hand

The visit is being organised by the Jolo-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (CHD) in Sulu, where Powell serves as an adviser. CHD is an independent organisation dedicated to helping improve the global response to armed conflict.

It is involved in helping to mediate conflicts between warring factions around the world.

David Gorman, CHD mediation adviser said: "The purpose of the visit is to help the government and the MILF overcome current obstacles to resurrecting the peace process through exchanging ideas with the negotiators."