Category: SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION

Stories and ideas about being in harmony and at peace with the Creator.

CHURCH LEADERS’ APPEAL TO SUPREME COURT IN STRIKING DOWN ANTI-TERRORISM ACT OF 2020

In a statement released last 02 February 2021, Church leaders from various Christian denominations prayed for Supreme Court Justices to exercise “sound judgment” in striking down the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. As an ordained pastor and as a church-based justice advocate and peacebuilding worker, I resonate with the prayer of my fellow justice advocates and peacebuilding colleagues in the Christian church.

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2021/02/church-leaders-appeal-to-supreme-court-in-striking-down-anti-terrorism-act-of-2020/

FOUNDING LEADERS OF KAPEYAPAAN FARMERS ASSOCIATION IN ALEGRE START THEIR TRAINING

The founding leaders of Kapeyapaan Farmers Association in Barangay Alegre (KFA-Alegre), Bansalan, Davao del Sur started their six-month training. This program happens from January to June 2021. The participants are among the strategically qualified group of farmers. We have secured proper coordination with government authorities and the provincial tribal leadership regarding our purposes, objectives, and operational procedures, especially our compliance with public health safety protocols.

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2021/01/founding-leaders-of-kapeyapaan-farmers-association-alegre-start-their-training/

FOR US, THE ADVENT EXPRESSES OUR JOURNEY IN CHRIST-CENTERED PEACEBUILDING

We join the Christians around the world in celebrating the Advent or Coming of Jesus. During the four Sundays preceding Christmas, we lit the candles on our Advent wreath. Hope. Love. Joy. Peace. Then on Christmas Day, we lit the Christ candle. For us, this progressive lighting of candles symbolizes our journey in Christ-centered peacebuilding. This expresses our sense of expectation. This is our witness and a declaration of the coming of the Prince of Peace – Jesus Christ!

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2020/12/for-us-the-advent-expresses-our-journey-in-christ-centered-peacebuilding/

CELEBRATING ADVENT IN THE MIDST OF COVID19 CHALLENGES AND INCREASING MILITARIZATION

PBCI-CFP Tribe celebrated Christmas in the spirit of a Franciscan benediction as we all faced the challenges caused by CoViD19 and the increasing militarization and human rights issues in our land. We enhanced our regular community lunch while observing the basic public health protocol. PBCI-CFP were able to share grocery packs to each family containing traditional Filipino food and delicacies served during Christmas Eve.

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2020/12/celebrating-advent-in-the-midst-of-covid19-challenges-and-increasing-militarization/

PBCI ORGANIZES FOR IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM DISASTER RESPONSE IN CAGAYAN VALLEY

We are raising funds for the families and communities affected by Typhoon Ulysses that caused floods and destruction of homes among thousands of families here in the Philippines. PBCI will focus on Northern Luzon, specifically Tuguegarao City and the heavily flooded Cagayan Valley. As of Saturday, 14 November 2020, the Tuguegarao Command Center reported that the whole city was submerged underwater, affecting 30,332 families, submerging the home of 28,676 families, with only 536 evacuated into LGU evacuation centers.

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2020/11/pbci-organizes-for-immediate-and-long-term-disaster-response-in-cagayan-valley/

OUR COMMUNITY CELEBRATES AS SIHAYA AND ALDREN EXCHANGE MARRIAGE VOWS

18 November 2020 — Earlier today, Aldren Banal and Sihaya Ansibod exchanged their marriage vows before the Creator and before a limited number of family members and friends. The wedding was held at the Ascension of the Lord Parish in the Archdiocese of Davao. There were only 25 people who were invited due to the necessary public health protocols. However, the rest of the family and the community joined later and celebrated the new united life of Aldren and Sihaya.

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2020/11/our-community-celebrates-as-sihaya-and-aldren-exchange-marriage-vows/

ON MENTORING YOUNG WOMEN LEADERS: SHARING MY JOURNEY WITH ASHOKA COLLEAGUES

This morning, I delivered my valedictory address in behalf of my online classmates at Ashoka.Org. According to their website, “Ashoka is the first and largest network of leading social innovators in the world. Founded in 1980, Ashoka pioneered and helped establish the field of social entrepreneurship. There are now over 3,500 Ashoka Fellows in 93 countries who are working in all fields—from health and human rights to education and the environment. Since 2013, Ashoka has been electing Ashoka Fellows from the Philippines.”

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2020/10/on-mentoring-young-women-leaders-sharing-my-journey-with-ashoka-colleagues/

BARMM LEADERSHIP INVITES CIVIL SOCIETY TO CONTINUE THE JUST-PEACE JOURNEY WITH THE BANGSAMORO

PBCI was invited to participate in reporting the results of the performance review of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA)—the new government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). A team from a network of civil society organizations, called Mindanao Peoples’ Caucus (MPC), was commissioned to do the Rapid Mid-Term Review on the Bangsamoro Transition Period. Upon learning the findings and the recommendations, the Bangsamoro invites the civil society to continue the justice-and-peace journey with them. PBCI commits to continue our humble presence in this journey.

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2020/10/barmm-leadership-invites-civil-society-to-continue-the-just-peace-journey-with-the-bangsamoro/

E-COMMERCE TEAM MEETS TO STRATEGIZE CFP-PBCI NEW NORMAL OPERATIONS

The eCommerce Team of Coffee for Peace and PeaceBuilders Community met last Saturday, 03 October 2020. We reaffirmed our vision, mission, and values. We started the leadership transition process from the founding generation to the younger generation. We started the digitalization of our business processes to thrive through the economic challenges caused by the present pandemic.

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2020/10/e-commerce-team-meets-to-strategize-cfp-pbci-new-normal-operations/

WE STARTED A DIALOGUE WITH TESDA-XI TOWARDS A JUSTICE- AND PEACE-BASED FARMERS’ TRAINING PROGRAM

We started having a dialogue with Regional Director Lorenzo G. Macapili of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in Region XI (TESDA XI). Today, Monday, 28 September 2020, he visited the Malipayon Peace Hub, our post-harvest processing plant. He laid down the requirements and processes towards TESDA’s accreditation of our farmers’ training programs. While firmly standing on our spiritual convictions and ethical principles, we will seek to comply with all the requirements and procedures shared with us.

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2020/09/we-started-a-dialogue-with-tesda-xi-towards-a-justice-and-peace-based-farmers-training-program/

OUR INA, JOJI PANTOJA, IS ONE OF THE THREE HONOUREES OF THE 2020 OSLO BUSINESS FOR PEACE AWARD

Today, the Business for Peace Foundation announced the ‘2020 Oslo Business for Peace Award’ winners. Joji Pantoja, President & CEO of Coffee for Peace, is one of the three winners of this prestigious award. The official citation says: “She has dedicated her career to building peace in conflict zones and improving the lives of marginalised groups through economic stability.” Coffee for Peace is a social enterprise and a twin-organization of PeaceBuilders Community.

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2020/09/our-ina-joji-pantoja-is-one-of-the-three-honourees-of-the-2020-oslo-business-for-peace-award/

I’M LAMENTING AND I’M ANGRY ABOUT THE RECENT KILLINGS OF PEACEBUILDING AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS

Along with the millions of rural peasants and urban poor suffering from the system that oppresses them, I express my lamentations and my anger with the killing of Randall Echanis and Zara Alvarez. These are two of the many justice and peace activists slain in the past few years. I cry justice for them all. As a faith-based peace-and-justice field worker committed to active nonviolence, I will continue to help lead our community to fulfill our calling and to do our tasks in the midst of these challenges.

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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2020/08/im-lamenting-and-im-angry-about-the-recent-killings-of-peacebuilding-and-human-rights-activists/

OUR GLOBAL PEACE COMMUNITY

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