Sihaya Ansibod is our new PAR Field Facilitator and Inclusive Development Worker for Central Mindanao. She belongs to an Indigenous Peoples community in North Cotabato called Erumanen Menuvu.
The PBCI leadership introduced our field staff, Sihaya Ansibod, to various communities in Central Mindanao with whom we have been working as peace and reconciliation partners. Sihaya was warmly welcomed as a second-generation field worker of PeaceBuilders Community – Central Mindanao. She recently completed a two-year leadership program from our PeaceBuilders School of Leadership. She’s now serving as PAR Field Facilitator and Inclusive Development Worker for Central Mindanao.
Last week, Sihaya went to the same MILF community for her first field work with the accompaniment of our partner, Ustadz Abdulkadir Abubakar and his family.
Sihaya obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree in Community Development from Southern Christian College. Prior to coming to PBCI, she served as a psycho-social worker in an organization advocating and working for children’s rights. She has good working skills in dealing with various kinds of situations, proficient in working with computers, works effectively with PBCI office and field teams, and flexible in adapting changes in new settings.
Sihaya’s main objectives in Central Mindanao are as follows:
- To listen to leaders and members of various communities as they assess their needs in terms of inclusive development and social transformation;
- To bridge the connections between the communities and the various sectors of the society who would appropriately be responding to the assessed needs of the people, by the people, and for the people towards inclusive development;
- To collaborate with various peacebuilding networks in Central Mindanao in facilitating interfaith dialogue and cooperation.
With regards to interfaith dialogue, Sihaya will be guided by our current principles and guidelines.
PBCI GUIDELINES FOR COORDINATING A DIALOGUE
1. What is the intention for this dialogue? Is this part of both parties’ spirituality or merely a strategy by one party? If strategy, for what purpose? Can both parties be transparent about the real intent of the dialogue?
2. Is the dialogue agenda-generating or agenda-generated? Will both parties have equal voice in the agenda generation? Or, is one party merely doing this dialogue for an agenda-generated activity?
3. Who will set the program? Who will coordinate the program and activities? What responsibility and authority would the coordinators have?
4. Who will set the budget? Where will the budget come from? Who will be authorized to manage the budget and make decisions for the purchases of goods and services needed for the dialogue?
5. What’s the time frame for this from the beginning to end? Who will manage the calendar and schedule? What responsibility and authority would the calendar manager have?
We, the leaders at PBCI, are confident that Sihaya has been well-equipped for this critical peace and reconciliation mission in Central Mindanao.
