Category: INTER-FAITH DIALOGUE

AS A NATIVE OF BANAO TRIBE, I WAS EMBRACED BY THE TAGABAWA BAGOBO TRIBE

I am humbled by this embrace by Bae Jerlina Owok who adopted me as her daughter. This gift of relationship with the Tagabawa Bagobo people became possible only by the Creator’s grace. I pray that this connection would help bridge the Indigenous Peoples of the North and of the South towards a solidarity of all the aboriginal peoples in this whole archipelago. May my life be one of the funnels of this blessing that would unify our multicultural peoples in this rich and beautiful land.

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2019/09/as-a-native-of-banao-tribe-i-was-embraced-by-the-tagabawa-bagobo-tribe/

PBCI-CFP INCLUDEV CONSULTANT PARTICIPATES IN FOSTERING SOCIAL ENTERPRISE IN BARMM

Last 15-17 August 2019, our Ina, Joji ‘Lakambini’ Pantoja, represented the Inclusive Development Team of PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) and Coffee for Peace (CFP) at a social enterprise policy forum held at the Office of the Chief Minister, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Cotabato City. Ina made a presentation before key members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), other social enterprise practitioners, and academicians.

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2019/08/pbci-cfp-includev-consultant-participates-in-fostering-social-enterprise-in-barmm/

PLEASE RESPECT THIRD WAY BRIDGE-BUILDERS IN OUR DIVIDED SOCIETIES

Third Way communities are usually called to be mediators and must be faithful to provide a safe space and a neutral team of facilitators for both sides of the parties-in-conflict to engage in authentic dialogue. Please do not shoot the bridge-builders! Please respect the calling of the bridge-building Third Way communities.

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2019/07/please-respect-third-way-bridge-builders-in-our-divided-societies/

THE CANADIAN SCHOOL OF PEACEBUILDING INVITES LAKAN TO SHARE PBCI-CFP STORIES

At the 2019 Canadian School of Peacebuilding (CSOP), Dr. Gordon Zerbe and Lakan Sumulong teamed up in teaching “Justice, Peacebuilding, and a Theology of Struggle.” Dr. Zerbe provided the theological and theoretical frameworks and analyses. Lakan shared his peacebuilding field stories. Their 12 students, who came from 8 countries, gathered in Winnipeg last 17-21 June.

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2019/06/the-canadian-school-of-peacebuilding-invites-lakan-to-share-pbci-cfp-stories/

I PARTICIPATED IN THE ‘GLOBAL CONFERENCE OF HUMAN FRATERNITY’ IN ABU DHABI

Last 03-05 February 2019, I attended the Global Conference of Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi by the invitation of Dr. Sultan Al Rumaithi, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Elders. A historic document, Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, was signed by both His Holiness Pope Francis (Pope of the Catholic Church) and His Eminence Dr. Ahmer El-Tayeb (Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif) during this conference.

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2019/02/i-participated-in-the-global-conference-of-human-fraternity-in-abu-dhabi/

MINDANAO PEACE ADVOCATES GATHER FOR HOLISTIC HEALING

The Mindanao PeaceWeavers (MPW) and the All-Out Peace (AOP) Network, with the leadership of the Initiatives for International Dialogue(IID), spearheaded a solidarity gathering of Mindanao survivors, defenders and healers last 23-25 January 2019 in Davao City. Dubbed as Healing the Past: Mindanaw Survivors Solidarity Assembly, the invitation states that this is “a solidarity gathering and consensus building exercise of Mindanao survivors of the armed conflict and human rights violations — past and present.”

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2019/01/mindanao-peace-advocates-gather-for-holistic-healing/

RESPONDING TO EO 70 WITH OUR IMAGINATION OF ‘INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE PEACE’

Executive Order 70 will surely affect our active, nonviolent field operations as Peace and Reconciliation (PAR) workers. EO 70 uses novel terminologies such as ‘whole-of-nation approach,’ ‘inclusive and sustainable peace,’ ‘end local armed conflict,’ and ‘national peace framework.’ And yet Martial Law in Mindanao continues. How do we proceed with our work in the context of an increasingly militarizing PAR mission field?

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2018/12/responding-to-eo-70-with-our-imagination-of-inclusive-and-sustainable-peace/

‘CHRISTIANS FOR PEACE’ INITIATE MORO-CHRISTIAN LEADERS’ DIALOGUE

High-level Bangsamoro and Christian leaders signed a Manifesto calling for — inclusive peace and development; denunciation of violent extremism; sustained peace education and dialogue among grassroots; institutionalization of political dialogue in the context of inter-faith cooperation; ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law; and, local governments’ initiative towards effective information dissemination of the BOL.

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2018/09/muslim-and-christian-leaders-call-for-inclusive-peace-development-in-mindanao/

I WAS INVITED BY IID TO JOIN A SEGMENT OF A COMMUNITY-BASED PEACE PROCESS

The indigenous peacebuilding approaches of the Aromanen Ne Menuvu and the Maguindanawon first nations enriched my life and insights as a peace worker. I saw in these peacebuilding events what John Paul Lederach describes as “innovative approaches to create a time and a place to address, to integrate, and to embrace the painful past and the necessary shared future as a means of dealing with the present.”

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2018/09/i-was-invited-by-iid-to-join-a-community-based-peacebuilding/

INTERFAITH PEACE GROUP EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR THE PASSAGE OF BBL

Rev. Dr. Adrin Peñamora (white shirt) of the Commission on Justice, Peace, and Reconciliation of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) is accompanied by his Muslim counterparts who are members of the Joint Working Group of Religious Leaders for Peace (JWGRLP). Their group submitted a letter of support for the passage of BBL. Dr. Peñamora is also a co-convenor of the JWGRLP along with Sheik Abdulhadie Butuan Gumander III of the Cotabato Islamic Heritage Center, Inc.

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2018/07/interfaith-peace-group-expresses-support-for-the-passage-of-cab-compliant-bbl/

PBCI-CFP INCLUDEV WORKS WITH SCC TO ORGANIZE COFFEE FARMERS’ COMMUNITIES

Our PBCI-CFP IncluDev Consulting Team in Central Mindanao, led by Sihaya Ansibod, will be committed to a one-year coffee business training program for a community of farmers in Barangay Pacao, Alamada, North Cotabato. The training series shall be an integration of technical skills on coffee production and values enhancement. We are happy to be a partner of the Southern Christian College (SCC) in the implementation of this project.

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2018/06/pbci-cfp-includev-works-with-scc-to-organize-farmers-communities/

IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE PALESTINIANS, PRAYING FOR THE PEACE OF BOTH JEWS AND PALESTINIANS

This is where I part ways, theologically and ethically, with many of my Christian Zionist friends, many of them happen to be my ministry colleagues in the evangelical community. Standing up with the Palestinians. This is also a proper time to reaffirm my solidarity with my Palestinian sisters and brothers in Christ who are suffering under the …

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2018/05/i-stand-in-solidarity-with-the-palestinians-i-pray-for-the-peace-of-both-jews-and-palestinians/

OUR GLOBAL PEACE COMMUNITY

We are sent by Mennonite Church Canada Witness in partnership with our international community.