LOCAL NETWORK

WE ARE WORKING WITH NATIONAL AND LOCAL BODIES

We seek to become deeply rooted in each locality where we are invited by genuine community leaders. Local contextualization is the only way we see the work of peace and reconciliation actually blooming where they are planted.

PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) is a Christian peace building mission affiliated with a national church — the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches. PCEC is the largest network of denominations, churches, mission groups and para-church organizations nationwide, presenting a distinctly evangelical voice and presence to our government and other publics, and engaging in ministries that help the poor and needy to become economically self-reliant and harmoniously related with God.

Through our PCEC membership, PBCI is an active part of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform. The PEPP is composed of members from the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC), Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Ecumenical Bishop’s Forum (EBF), National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), and the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP).

The Church leaders shall reflect on the prevailing situation of unpeace in the Philippines, the immediate need for creative conflict transformation and the urgent imperative for a political settlement to the armed conflict between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). The purpose of the PEPP is to have a compelling united voice of Church leaders, clergy and laity that will push GRP and NDFP into a continuing substantive peace dialogue. The PEPP shall articulate the urgent call for the resumption of the peace talks between the two parties focused on providing concrete and comprehensive solutions to the primary causes of the problems and renewed by the visions of a just peace which resonates among the various religious communities.

PBCI belongs to a Christian denomination called Integrated Mennonite Church. IMC belongs to a global Anabaptist family of historic peace churches based on Peace Theology. Jesus is the centre of our faith. Community is the centre of our life. Reconciliation is the centre of our work.

PBCI is a partner of Coffee For Peace. CFP is a community of conscientious individuals who are passionate to spouse business for profit and address social issues that concerns our farmers, our environment, and the peace situation in our land by advocating Fair Trade in the coffee industry. CFP sees Fair Trade as a business approach to achieve justice and peace in our society and in our environment.

PBCI looks up to Initiatives for International Dialogue as a mentor in people-to-people conversation. IID envisions a vibrant and sustainable global community of self-determining peoples and communities that are just, equitable, and peaceful, where women, men and children are equal and in constant dialogue, respecting and celebrating life.

PBCI is officially affiliated with Mindanao Peoples’ Peace Movement. MPPM is Mindanao-wide — it includes the participation of representatives coming from many different provinces and several cities in Mindanao. MPPM is grassroots-based — it is mainly composed of grassroots peoples whose active participation is considered the key in effecting and achieving lasting peace and sustainable development in Mindanao. MPPM is Tri-People — a recognition of the varied composition of the people in Mindanao (the Lumad, Moro and Settlers and their Descendants), whose diverse cultures, traditions, beliefs and aspirations should be respected.

PBCI is actively participating in Mindanao Peoples Caucus’ ceasefire monitoring work between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Two of our senior staff at PBCI are members of MPC’s Women Contingency of the Civilian Protection Component, International Monitoring Team. The Mindanao Peoples Caucus envisions a suitable and peaceful coexistence among Bangsamoro, Indigenous Peoples and Christian settler communities in Mindanao. It understands that the acceptability of peace will depend upon the mutual respect of these three groups; peace that seeks to resolve the root causes of the armed conflict; peace that allows full recognition of the tri-people who can develop and govern themselves in the economic, political, cultural, social and spiritual spheres of development.