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Duyog Mindanao Holds "Run for Peace"
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Duyog Mindanao, one of the program of Mindanao Peace Weavers
(MPW), holds a 10-day, 451.9 kilometers ‘Run for Peace and Solidarity
for Mindanao’ which has started on August 21, 2011 in Zamboanga City
passing thru Pagadian City and will end in Cotabato City on August 30.
click on photo to enlarge
The
run was participated in by 28 Duyog Mindanao runners and was joined by
some 50 other runners from the First Infantry “Tabak” Division troopers
and some biker’s enthusiasts in Pagadian City.
During the weekly PIA Media Forum held at the New Roxan Hotel
this city on Friday (August 26, 2011), MPW Convenor Guiamel Alim said
the primary aim of Duyog Mindanao is to encourage stakeholders
especially those outside of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
(ARMM) to engage for peace. and this is the very reason why we have this
run for peace event.
Alim said, run for peace brings people from outside of Mindanao,
others even came from the Visayas, the purpose of which is to promote
peace and to popularize peaceful negotiation for the Mindanao conflict.
We are inviting as many sectors and stakeholders as possible so that
they may become the mainstream in the entire peace process, he added.
MPW was conceived at a time when there was a compelling need for
civil society in Mindanao to unify on a ceasefire call amidst an
escalation of armed conflict between the government forces and the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Since then, MPW has launched joint coordinated campaigns, peace
advocacy and lobby work bringing in a host of issues that revolved
around conflict prevention, peace building and culture of peace.
MPW currently represents the broadest network of a peace
constituency in Mindanao and the island provinces cutting across
non-government organizations (NGO’s), academe, religious, human rights
groups peoples’ organization and grassroots communities in advancing a
peaceful resolution of the conflict in Mindanao.
On the same occasion Judito Cabusao, Program Manager of
Initiatives for International Dialogues (IID) currently the lead
Secretariat of the MPW said, IID is tapping all stakeholders in any area
where there is conflict to engage in a peaceful dialogue and to resolve
the process of conflict.
Here in Mindanao he said, one of our advocacy is the creation of
constituency outside of Mindanao. We should remember that the problem in
Mindanao is not only problem of the Mindanaoans, but problem of all the
people in the Philippines, Cabusao stressed.
He said our big challenge is to invite people from outside Mindanao to
act and support to create peace – a peace that is a fruit of dialogues
and peaceful exchange of minds. To listen to each other until it will be
achieved, to respect and to look for solutions in a peaceful manner,
Cabusao emphasized.
(This article is continued in the discussionboard - see righthand column of this page)
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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND CULTURE OF PEACE
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(The following is continued from the main article listed above.)
One
of the vital component of Duyog Mindanao is the “Run for Peace,” – it
is not just running in the streets and get perspired, but it is part of
the process of consultation called as public peace process, Cabusao
said.
Why we have to engage in public peace process he said, because
peace issue is the mother of all issues, this is the measure of
everything that need to be resolve. Without peace all other advocacies
are meaningless, Cabusao pointed out.
To engage the people outside of Mindanao and encourage them to
participate to create peace in Mindanao is the most important part of
this activity, Cabusao concluded.
It was gathered that majority of the runners who participated in
the run for peace came from the Visayas particularly Bohol.
(JPA/CAL/PIA9/Zambo Sur)
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This report was posted on September 3, 2011.
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