Interfaith Prayers and Solidarity for Mindanao Youth Peace Caravan in Manila (March 17, 2008)

On March 17, 2008 (Monday) around 70 youth leaders from all over Mindanao were welcomed to Metro Manila at the Peace Bell monument of the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City by several Manila-based peace organizations and youth partners in support of the Manila leg of the first Mindanao Youth Caravan for Peace.

Spearheaded by the Mindanao Peoples’ Caucus (MPC), the Peace Caravan is the launching program for a one-year peace advocacy campaign plan with the theme to: “Resolve the Mindanao Conflict, Sign and Implement the Peace Agreement Now!”

The welcoming program was jointly organized by the Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute (GZOPI), Generation Peace Youth Network (GenPeace), Balay Rehabilitation Center , and The Peacemakers’ Circle Foundation, Inc. (PCFI), Citizens’ Peace Watch, in cooperation with the Quezon City Parks Development Foundation, Office on Muslim Affairs – NCR, and several other faith organizations.

Arriving at dawn that day at the port of Batangas Province, the contingent first made a courtesy call to the Governor Vilma Santos in the morning before proceeding to Metro Manila. Despite a two-hour travel delay, the welcoming party of about a hundred peace advocates, youths and faith representatives patiently waited at the venue and had to eat ahead their packed lunch before their guests from Mindanao arrived.

When they arrived the group gave an impromptu musical welcome to the delegates. The cultural group, Sanghabi, distributed indigenous musical bamboo instruments for everyone to jam while they met and escorted the visitors to the program venue.

As the guests took their lunch, they were serenaded with peace songs performed by local youth bands, Urban Musicians and Kikospectus, who are members of the GenPeace youth network.

After the delegates had their lunch, the program formally began with the Interfaith Prayers lead by The Peacemakers’ Circle. In preparation, everyone was led to a Qi-Gong meditation for inner peace and harmony to the tune of live bamboo flute music. This was followed by prayers individually offered by youth and adult faith representatives from the MPC (a Muslim and an Indigenous from the Manobo tribe), Salesian Youth Movement of Don Bosco (Catholic), Christian Peacemakers Team (Protestant) , the Hindu community, Shumei – Phils. (Japanese spiritual organization) , and Sanib-Dasal (interfaith) .

This was followed by a Press Conference facilitated by the MPC leaders. Everyone was later engaged in a symbolic activity of printing one’s hands on a canvass with colorful paint to express unity and solidarity in working together for peace in the country and all its regions.

The GenPeace youth network then facilitated a Panel Discussion and learning interactions then between the Mindanao youth delegates and the Manila-based youths.

Capping off the afternoon was another symbolic activity of writing aspirations and dreams for peace in the broken pieces of a jar and then re-forming and gluing these together to make it whole again. This was to represent the collective effort of healing the disunity and disharmony in our land. It also symbolizes that the dreams of the people in Mindanao for peace can only be completed if the rest of the Philippines dream with them for peace.

For decades peace has seemingly remained elusive in Mindanao . One after another, peace talks have not yet led us anywhere. Now the youths of Mindanao have stood up, spoken, and are now crying out to their non-Mindanaoan brothers and sisters for support. Since the Metro Manila is where the country’s lawmakers and political leaders are, it is hoped that their journey through this Peace Caravan would resound their campaign to raise the Mindanao conflict as a national issue.

The Peace Caravan culminated on following day (18th March) with a Bangsamoro solidarity program in the morning, held at Corregidor Island to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Jabiddah Massacre, and a kanduli (feast) at the Maharlika Village , in Taguig City .

We look forward to more journeying together with our Mindanaoan brothers and sisters in solidarity for peace in the land of promise.

URI INTERFAITH YOUTH ORIENTATION HELD AT THE PEACEMAKERS' CIRCLE (Feb.9, 2008)

On February 9, 2008 (Saturday) the United Religions Initiative Southeast Asia-Pacific (URI-SEAP) Regional Office, in cooperation with The Peacemakers' Circle Foundation, Inc. gathered 18 youths from different organizations, schools and faith backgrounds for a Youth Orientation on Creating a Culture of Peace through Interfaith Friendships.

The Peacemakers' Interfaith Dialogue Center played host to the meeting attended by representatives from the Catholic Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Wiccan and Indigenous faiths, and belonging to various organizations and institutions, namely: Y4U (Youth for Unity) interfaith circle; Generation Peace Network; PeaceTech; Xaverian Missionaries; Young Peace Society; Phil. Wiccan Society; St. Scholastica's College; New Horizon Integrated School, and the Youth Peace Camp.

The afternoon started with a showing of the URI introductory video while participants came in, registered and waited for others to arrive. The program then opened with silent prayers and a warm welcome by URI-SEAP regional coordinator, Dr. Shakuntala Vaswani. This was followed by viewing of some short video clips courtesy of URI. These focused on Religiously- Motivated Violence, Hope, and the work of URI as a global interfaith grassroots community.

After watching the videos, the participants got the chance to introduce themselves one by one as they also shared about what struck them most about the films they viewed. As always, the most favorite and striking for them was the seven-minute, semi-animated film entitled "Hope". The young crowd agreed that it is a creative and captivating production that, despite the absence of words, it has expressively put across profound messages of universal wisdom for peace and healing of the world.

While having snacks the group was treated to another video on the 2002 URI Rio de Janeiro Assembly and a slide show of the first interfaith youth encounter of 2006 held in Manila which gave birth to the Y4U (Youth for Unity) interfaith circle.

Having seen enough videos for the afternoon, the participants were then engaged in a processing/planning on what to do next. This was led by Peacemakers' Circle member, peace educator and youth peace camp facilitator, Ms. Angge Pacifico-Herrera, who animated the discussion. Starting with limbering exercises to warm up the body and perk up the mind, she invited each one to draw images on the white board to illustrate: one thing that they wanted to change or remove from the world, and one thing they wanted to see in the world. Next, she asked the group to think of a step or action one could take in order to realize that which each one aspired for. The enthusiastic youths were then invited to share their passion and talents to create a culture of peace through interfaith friendships in the global URI network .

Since it was the first meeting the group did not expect to immediately lay out big projects but at least the seeds of inspiration and hope were planted in the hearts and consciousness. So much so that the next gathering was already set up for next month which the group decided to hold outdoors (amidst nature) with the theme on: Relaxation and Unwinding while planning for the whole year's program.

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