Tag: decolonization
09-13 July 2024, Thailand — A group of us, missionaries sent by the Mennonite Church Canada Witness to various parts of Asia, gathered in Southern Thailand for a time of recreation, relationship building, and deep reflection. This gathering was not just a break from our usual routines but a purposeful retreat designed to foster personal and collective growth through the lens of vulnerability. My personal response focused on decolonizing and liberating the Christian missionary enterprise. For me, it’s essential for fostering a more just and respectful approach to effective Christian witness. By critically examining past practices, prioritizing local cultures, and aligning missionary efforts with the principles of justice-based peace and reconciliation theology, the Christian mission can become a force for genuine spiritual and social transformation.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2024/07/decolonizing-and-liberating-the-christian-missionary-enterprise-a-personal-reflection/
Indonesia 2022 gathering was my sixth year and my last event serving as chair of the Peace Commission of the Mennonite World Conference (MWC). I feel the joy of watching our team working together to see MWC embrace the Statement on Solidarity with the Indigenous People. For me, this is the most exciting part of the last 6 years serving with the Peace Commission. I have been blessed working with the women and men whom I learned to respect and love. I pray that MWC would continue to serve the Body of Christ; to serve the nations towards justice and peace; and, to serve as a healing body in the process of decolonization and reconciliation in this world.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2022/07/2022-mwc-global-assembly-in-indonesia-a-personal-reflection/
Emilio Aguinaldo ordered the execution of Andres Bonifacio. But we are not commemorating this today, Bonifacio Day. We are celebrating instead his birthday. Is it because our revolutionary narrative is marred by powerplay, jealousy, and murderous intentions among leaders? We, as a former colonized nation, may need to revisit our history. We may need to decolonize ourselves from Spanish and American narratives in our consciousness as a people. But beware of the Marcos historical revisionism that is corrupting our historical decolonization process.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2021/11/bonifacios-death-and-historical-decolonization-revisiting-but-not-revising-history/
The Binaton Bagobo Tagabawa Farmers Livelihood Association (BBTAFLA) in Barangay Binaton, Digos City committed themselves to look at long-term Inclusive Development Program based on their indigenous identity. This sense of ‘who they are’ would determine the production and marketing of their farm products—such as vegetables, coffee, flowers, and handcrafts. They will also share with outsiders their Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices through stories, arts, and native products. In coordination with the government, civil society, and business sectors, they will open their community as a learning center for Indigenous cultural understanding, peacebuilding, and reconciliatory initiatives.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2021/05/bagobo-tagabawa-farmers-look-at-development-through-their-indigenous-identity/
