Upgraded Functional Competency of Peace Building Operators of the AFP ‘The Author About Former activist, ideologue, Philosopher and scholar, his Islamic studies, Poltical movements and strategic studies Biography Former activist, ideologue, Philosopher and scholar, Prof Roque Santos Morales is known {as Sir Yusuf to his students, Yusuf or Roy to comrades in the Philippine progressive movement. Prof Morales has been one of the Muslim intellectuals in the Philippines who has been ‘espousing an alternative philosophy in looking at Islam, and is one of the contemporary ‘Muslim intellectuals in the Philippines espousing Religious Pluralism , Intrafaith cialogue between Muslims of diferent sects and beliefs. He is also one of the few Islamologists ‘who fully understand the context of the Balik Islam Radicalism perspective from an insider's viewpoint. ‘Currently believing that change can only come after a moral and spiritual reformation, Prof Morales believes that politics can never become an agent of change if the leaders ‘and the masses are corrupt. Believing that the country now is being governed by Mob-rule; he personally believes that we need strong leadership the likes of Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore or Dr. Mahathir Of Malaysia respectively. He also believes that we must have an ideology one that traverses poltical boundaries in support of a national identity. Understanding that Philosophy is one of the key elemenst in a global intellectual reconstruction, he repeatedly emphasizes the role of Philosophy both in Islam and in the field of education ‘a8 a prerequisite for intellectual development. Prof Morales is currently a member of the School Forge Educational Consortium, Ubuntu Educators Forum, Strategic Research Institute, the Sufi center of the Philippines ,Young Moro Professionals Network, the Interfaith conference an Religious Understanding and the Philosophical Society of the Philippines. Prof Morales also currently serves as one of the Board of Advisers for Al-Qalam Institute for Muslim identities in Southeast Asia of Ateneo de Davao University Philippines, and Senior felow for Islamic studies and contemporary movements at the Philippine Institute for Peace Violence and terrorism research (PIPVTR) headed by Prof Rommel BBanlaoi and Senior fellow of the Institute for Comparative and Advanced Studies (ICAS Phils), all of which are research institutions focusing on Islam and the Muslims. Most of His works focusing on spirituality, sufism, Islam, Philosophy and other topics can be found at vaww.scribd.com/queroph and his blogs Mafatihul Hikmah ‘vew.mafatihulhikmah, blogspot.com and flicker of light... thoughts in seconds ‘http: //nihmat wordpress.com! 10 Discussion Brief by Dr. Yusuf Morales | National Commission on Muslim Filipinos