51³Ô¹ÏÍø

51³Ô¹ÏÍø-IIT academic wins international book prize in the United States 

Mar 30 2026

Dr. Primitivo III Cabanes Ragandang, a faculty member of Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology (51³Ô¹ÏÍø-IIT), was awarded the 2026 Best Global South Scholar Book Award by the Peace Studies Section of the International Studies Association (ISA). The award recognizes outstanding scholarly contributions that advance peace and conflict studies, particularly from Global South perspectives.

The recognition was given for his book, Peacebuilding and Transgenerational Resilience: Peacebuilding and Memory, published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2025. The work examines how communities affected by conflict sustain resilience across generations, with a particular focus on memory, storytelling, and youth agency in the Bangsamoro region.

According to the award selection committee, the book stood out for its originality, empirical depth, and conceptual contribution to the field. In its official citation, the committee described the work as “an original contribution that sits firmly within Peace and Conflict Studies,” noting its focus on an understudied case and its emphasis on the transgenerational transmission of memory. The citation further highlighted how memory is used as a lens to explore agency, resilience, and meaning-making, grounded in extensive fieldwork that offers nuanced insights into the local context. The committee also commended the book’s clarity and its focus on communities as central actors in peacebuilding.

The award was conferred during the 2026 ISA Annual Convention in Columbus, United States. The selection committee is composed of leading scholars in peace and conflict studies, including Roger Mac Ginty of Durham University and SungYong Lee of Soka University. 

At the heart of the book is a deeply personal and analytically rich narrative that bridges lived experience and scholarly inquiry. One of its most compelling stories recounts how Dr. Ragandang’s grandfather, in the aftermath of the Second World War, saw a Japanese bomb nozzle in an abandoned military headquarters in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. Years later, when drought struck Northern Mindanao, his grandfather repurposed the object through a local practice of adaptation, transforming the bomb nozzle into a lusong, a traditional mortar used to mash bananas and sweet potatoes. This act, locally described as a form of “ayóm-ayóm” (making use of what is available), captures the ingenuity and resilience of communities in reworking remnants of violence into tools for everyday survival. It is through such stories that the book illustrates how memory is preserved and actively reshaped into practices of resilience.

Dr. Ragandang’s book challenges dominant approaches in peacebuilding that often prioritize top-down, institutional interventions. Instead, it foregrounds community-based knowledge systems and highlights how stories, memories, and lived experiences are central to how peace is understood and practiced at the local level. By situating resilience within intergenerational narratives, the book contributes to emerging debates that seek to expand the conceptual boundaries of peace and conflict studies.

For 51³Ô¹ÏÍø-IIT, the recognition affirms the university’s role as a hub for research, which, as 51³Ô¹ÏÍø-IIT Chancellor Alizedney M. Ditucalan emphasized, “contribute to the global knowledge economy while serving the unique needs of our region.” As Director of the Office of Research Dissemination, Dr. Ragandang has been actively promoting a stronger research culture within the institution, supporting faculty and students in publication, mentoring early career researchers, and expanding the university’s presence in international academic platforms.

The award also reflects the broader contributions of scholars working in and on Mindanao, whose research continues to engage with complex issues of peace, development, and social transformation. In a context where research resources remain unevenly distributed, such recognition highlights the importance of sustained support for knowledge production in the Global South.

Dr. Ragandang is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Office of Research Dissemination at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø-IIT. His scholarship focuses on youth, memory, and transgenerationality. He earned his doctorate from 51³Ô¹ÏÍø-IIT and a PhD at The Australian National University.

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