The imperialist colonizers have a common set of infamy — ethnic cleansing and genocide. The mindset of Spain and the United States of America considered our lands as resources to be exploited and our peoples as obstacles to be removed. This mindset laid the foundation for the systematic marginalization, oppression, and violence against the Indigenous Peoples of our archipelago. Driven by the pursuit of power, wealth, and territorial dominance, these empires embarked on expansive conquests that often involved the subjugation of indigenous populations in our country. Through our similar experiences of historical injustice, we see through the American and British instigated and perpetuated Israeli occupation of Palestine. Our on-going response to these historical injustices is justice-based peacebuilding.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/11/justice-based-peacebuilding-in-the-face-of-ethnic-cleansing-and-genocide-a-perspective-from-mindanao/
Last 12 October to 12 November, Joseph “Boyet”Ongkiko, Tala Alngag Bautista, and I went through a cross-Canada tour, sharing the story of PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) and Coffee for Peace (CFP). It was a time of face-to-face visits with our friends and supporters, celebrating our accomplishments together as partners in the work of PBCI and CFP. It was also a time to share the vision of establishing a permanent home of PBCI and CFP in one location we refer to as Malipayon Peace Hub. We started in Eastern Canada, then westward to Central Canada, and concluding the tour in British Columbia. Our message as a team is threefold: I presented the journey of PBCI-CFP from 2006 to the present. Boyet shared the new vision of educating young leaders from Indigenous Peoples’ communities through IncluDev. Tala shared her vision for the next generation Peace and Reconciliation initiatives framed in decolonization.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/11/our-speaking-and-meeting-tour-across-canada-was-enriching-and-energizing/
Christian Zionism is a war-mongering theology which was originally taught to early Filipino converts by fundamentalist American missionaries who, wittingly or unwittingly, were supportive of the colonial interests of their imperialist country, the United States of America. This ideology, wrapped in war-oriented American geopolitics, is still perpetuated among many fundamentalist and conservative evangelical churches in the Philippines. I pray that Filipinos would be healed from this blindness and see what Israel really is — an illegal occupation force in Palestine, oppressing the Palestinians for the past 75 years.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/10/christian-zionism-is-complicit-in-the-75-year-oppressive-israeli-occupation-of-palestine-2/
Last Wednesday, 05 October, our team visited the Malipayon Peace Hub construction site for an exciting update! The owner of the 3A Modular PreFab, the company entrusted with this project, joined us to provide a comprehensive technical overview of the construction’s current status. We are thrilled to report that the progress is right on target and is comfortably staying within the allocated budget. This inspiring journey of building a hub dedicated to justice-based peacebuilding and reconciliation is progressing smoothly, thanks to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved, especially our impact partners.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/10/the-malipayon-peace-hub-construction-is-on-target-and-within-budget/
The West Philippine Sea, referred to by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the South China Sea, has become a focal point of geopolitical tensions, primarily between China and the Republic of the Philippines. This maritime dispute has wide-ranging implications for regional stability, international law, and the pursuit of economic interests. Locally, our fisherfolks are struggling as Chinese Coast Guard vessels prevent them from their basic livelihood. Nationally, this is a challenge to our sovereignty as a nation against a superpower. As the two nations grapple with conflicting territorial claims and overlapping interests, the world watches closely, concerned about the potential for escalation and the impact on global trade and security.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/09/navigating-troubled-waters-philippine-china-dispute-on-west-philippine-sea/
In a world grappling with pressing environmental challenges and deep social divisions, we seek a dialogical harmonization between the worldview of PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) and the worldviews of various Indigenous People’s (IP) communities who welcomed us to journey with them. We seek to learn with them through equal partnership and mutual learning experiences. These learning processes reminds us that harmony is not an abstract dream but a tangible and achievable goal. It’s a call to action, beckoning Settlers and IPs to converge in fostering a more compassionate, sustainable, and harmonious local and global community. It’s a promise that by listening to the land and each other, we can find the path to a brighter, more harmonious future for all. Let us heed this call and embark on this transformative journey together.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/09/harmonizing-pbcis-worldview-with-indigenous-peoples-sustainable-and-regenerative-way-of-life/
The Inclusive Development Team of PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) and Coffee for Peace (CFP) is exploring a partnership with People in Need (PIN) in doing peace and economic development initiatives in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The PBCI-CFP IncluDev Team is composed of community development and social entrepreneurial advocates and practitioners. They also provide training on peacebuilding and conflict resolution. “A partnership between PBCI-CFP IncluDev Team and PIN would be an energizing servant for good in BaSulTa,” says Joji Felicitas Pantoja, President and CEO of Coffee for Peace and a 2020 honoree of the Oslo-based Business for Peace Foundation. “The two organizations,” adds Ms Joji, “would be able to combine our expertise and resources to help the people create a more sustainable and peaceful future for their Island Provinces within the BARMM.”
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/08/pbci-cfp-includev-team-explores-partnership-with-p-i-n-in-coffee-social-enterprise-basilan-sulu-and-tawi-tawi/
Davao City, August 24, 2023 — The Kapehan Sa Davao Network (KSDN) hosted a seminar titled “Building Sustainable Peace and Gender Responsive Coffee Industry” at Sebastian’s Restaurant in Barangay Baganihan, Marilog, Davao City. The event witnessed the participation of 36 prequalified individuals hailing from the Matigsalog Indigenous People, including farming cooperative leaders, youth leaders, spiritual leaders, and tribal leaders. The central theme of the seminar was conflict transformation in the workplace, with a specific focus on coffee farms and companies.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/08/matigsalog-ancestral-domain-seminar-promotes-sustainable-coffee-industry-and-peacebuilding/
PeaceBuilders School of Leadership, the multidisciplinary mentorship program of PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI), has been successful in their leadership training initiatives. Many individuals who have gone through this program have witnessed positive transformations in their lives and have become influential peacebuilders in their communities. In light of this success, the Board of Trustees (BOT) of PBCI has decided to institutionalize the said leadership mentoring school by offering a Certificate Program on Inclusive Development (IncluDev). IncluDev aims to equip individuals and organizations with the necessary knowledge and skills to engage effectively in transformative social change.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/07/includev-is-set-to-prepare-peace-and-reconciliation-leaders-of-the-21st-century/
The Principles for Peace (P4P) Southeast Asia launch took place on 11th July 2023 in Davao City, Philippines. Organized by the Principles for Peace Foundation in collaboration with the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID), International Center for Innovation, Transformation, and Excellence in Governance Inc. (INCITEGov), and GZO Peace Institute, the event aimed to redefine and rejuvenate support for the Bangsamoro Peace Process. Lakan, our PBCI President, co-led in the interfaith prayers. Joji, CEO of Coffee for Peace, was one of the speakers. The event became a festive reunion of most peacebuilding organizations and leaders in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/07/we-participated-in-the-launching-of-principles-for-peace-in-southeast-asia/
Last 06-07 July 2023, the Kapehan Sa Davao Network launched the Social Impact Business Incubation Program (SIBIP) for eight coffee enterprises in Region 11. It was held at Coffee For Peace Café in Davao City. I’m so inspired by the enthusiastic participation of Kape Ora, Kepeweñoz Specialty Coffee, Peding’s Café, Kape Maddiger, Gré Coffee, Tres Rosas Coffee Farm, Tribung Kape, and Kapeyapaan Farmers’ Association. These Incubation Sessions were facilitated by Upgrade Innolab Inc. This program is funded by Asian Development Bank’s SUNPh Program, to whom I and the whole Kapehan Sa Davao Network are grateful. I look forward to seeing the positive impact that the SIBIP will have on the coffee industry in the provinces of the Greater Davao Region.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/07/im-happy-to-see-the-launching-of-kapehan-sa-davao-networks-incubation-program/
Joseph “Ka Boyet” Ongkiko started his field work in his new capacity as PBCI Executive Vice President for Institutional & Program Development. This position involves developing and sustaining the organizational structure and expanding the stakeholder base of PBCI. He is now beginning to seek partnerships with other organizations, and keeping abreast of the latest developments in peacebuilding. Soon, his team’s tasks would include leading periodic reviews of institutional strategic plans, developing inclusive programs for the coconut industry, and institutionalizing a school of inclusive development. Ka Boyet and his staff will also be responsible in solidifying the sustainability and communication strategies at PBCI.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/06/ka-boyet-starts-with-his-field-work-as-evp-institutional-and-program-development/
