Mindanao Peace Week to support post-conflict harmony
Promoted by the Mindanao Religious Leaders Conference (MiRLeC), the event has become an annual celebration since 2001. This year’s edition begins today until 4 December, remembering the steps taken after the long war between the central government and local Islamic militias that left over 100,000 people dead. The challenge is to give the Bangasmoro agreement a future. For Bishop Edwin A. de la Peña, prelate of Marawi, peace is choice made through daily actions. A youth leader notes that faith can “transform hearts and communities.”
Mindanao (AsiaNews) – Several steps towards a lasting peace came out of the horror of an armed conflict that lasted decades and caused more than 100,000 deaths, spinning out of control in 1969 under the regime of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
The first agreement was reached in 1996, paving the way for the 2014 Bangamoro Global Agreement, signed with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
To mark this journey, the Mindanao Week of Peace (MWoP) opened today until 4 December “to sustain peace, solidarity, and resilience”, an annual event that began in 2001 to support development and protect peace in the region, while remembering the wounds of the past.
The conflict in Mindanao centres around the island’s Muslim populations who have been fighting for their right to self-determination for centuries.
Despite significant milestones, including the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the path to peace must still deal with several outstanding issues: poverty, social inequalities, the lack of credible governance, and inadequate concern for the areas most affected by the conflict.
This is why the involvement in the Week of Peace of several stakeholders – the government, local communities, NGOs, and even international partners – is significant.
The Mindanao Religious Leaders Conference (MiRLeC), which is behind the initiative, includes Christian prelates and priests, Muslim ulama and representatives of indigenous peoples. It supports the peace agenda of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., president since 2022, and his administration.
MiRLeC was revitalised by the three co-founders of the Bishops-Ulama Conference (BUC): former Archbishop Fernando Capalla of Davao, Dr Mahid Mutilan, and Protestant Bishop Hilario Gomez.
Their membership underlines how much reference persons from various religious communities recognise the role of faith in promoting peace. The Peace of Week offers an opportunity for religious leaders to promote harmony in communities.
“As we observe the 2024 Mindanao Week of Peace, let’s reflect on the gains we’ve achieved while recommitting ourselves to the cause of peace, solidarity, and resilience,” said Bishop Edwin A. de la Peña of the Prelature of Marawi, one of the areas most affected by the conflict in recent years.
“Now, more than ever, it is crucial that we choose peace in our everyday actions and decisions;” to this end, “Let’s empower our youth, for they are the champions of a peaceful future,” he went on to say.
MiRLeC does not only place young people at the centre of its initiatives. For this reason, “We need to mobilise people from all walks of life for peace, happiness, and prosperity. We must come together to embrace the spirit of love, unity, and compassion,” said Arriana Kani Jupakkal, a local youth leader.
In a “world that often feels divided, let us embrace the shared values of compassion, kindness, and understanding that unite us all. Our humanity and desire for peace and harmony bind us, regardless of our beliefs,” Jupakkal added.
It is a time of growth, forgiveness, and love for all. Let us lift each other in prayer and support, recognising the beauty and power of faith to transform hearts and communities.
To ensure the maintenance of peace, people, especially women and young people, must embody the spirit of dialogue. Many already work to foster understanding, immersion and promote harmony between different cultures and beliefs.
"Together, let's continue to support and uplift each other as we work towards peace-building through interfaith and intercultural dialogue," said Dr Mohamad Nadzir Ebil, General Secretary of Hayato Ulama, an Islamic religious organisation.
Meanwhile, for Carlito G. Galvez Jr., Presidential Adviser for Peace, “This year’s theme compels us to look back and learn from the lessons of the past as we look ahead to the future and move towards our collective vision: a peaceful, prosperous, and progressive Mindanao.”
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01/02/2023 16:01
