|
|
|||
|
|
|
||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
ARCHIVES |
|||
|
NO MORE WIDOWS, NO MORE ORPHANS, NO MORE MACHO WARS! PEACE IS THE BRAVER OPTION! INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S PEACE AND SOLIDARITY MISSION TO BASILAN AND MINDANAO 10-14 August 2007 We, the women leaders and representatives of the women in the Asia-Pacific region to the International Women's Peace and Solidarity Mission to Basilan and Mindanao, express our solidarity to the people of Basilan especially the women, the children, and the elderly as the island province is facing the biggest challenge to their collective community life especially to their peace and security condition. The tragic incident last July 10, 2007 in Basilan, an island province south of Zamboanga City in Mindanao, that resulted in the killings of a Muslim cleric (imam) and 14 Marine soldiers, 10 of whom were beheaded and mutilated, following an encounter with forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has caused much alarm and concern over its dire implications to the peace and security condition in Basilan and to the overall peace process in Mindanao. Read more... |
|||
|
BASILAN: OF TRAGEDY AND HOPE Statement of the Mindanao Peace Weavers Basilan today poses the biggest threat to the GRP-MILF ceasefire agreement since it was redeclared in July 2003. The decapitation of the dead bodies of the Marines and an Imam last July 10 deserves the strongest condemnation of all peace loving peoples. The implications of even one such dastardly act spell the difference between war and peace not only in Basilan but all over Mindanao. The July 10 incident was clearly a ceasefire-related violation and falls within the jurisdiction and mandate of the Joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (JCCCH) and the Malaysian led International Monitoring Team (IMT). We appreciate the caution expressed by the AFP that it will continue to observe the primacy of the peace process even as we appeal to our people and leaders to exercise restraint and sobriety amidst the madness of the situation. Read more... |
|||
|
PBCI EXPLORES PARTNERSHIP WITH BAGOBO COFFEE GROWERS by PBCI Team The Peacebuilders Community Café is feeling the need to increase our supply of coffee beans. Because we're committed to serve fair-traded coffee only, we have to explore direct growers in Mindanao. Through the introduction of a local spiritual leader, we met a group of farmers in Barangay Sibulan, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur. These coffee farmers belong to the Bagobo Tribe, one of the Lumad or Indigenous Peoples of Mindanao. According to their leaders, their hard work is not compensated well by the local merchants who currently buy their coffee at a very low price. This group of coffee growers has been looking for bulk buyers who would pay them justly. Read more... |
|||
|
PEACEBUILDERS COMMUNITY CAFÉ IS OPEN! by Dann Pantoja Visit us at the Peacebuilders Community Café and enjoy the taste of our brewed and espresso blends within a wifi zone! You will be served by our professionally-trained barista who also knows the story of the community who farmed and processed our featured robusta coffee beans. We serve fair-traded coffee. We are located at 123 University Avenue cor. Talisay Street, Juna Subdivision, Matina, Davao City--near Philippine Women's College. We are open from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Monday to Saturday (except holidays). Read more... |
|||
|
PBCI TRAINEE SHARES INITIAL FIELD EXPERIENCE Elwyn I. Neri When I was exposed in the field to see the situation of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP's) and got involved in BantayCeasefire (CeasefireWatch), I felt two major feelings: disappointment and compassion. I was disappointed because of war. War causes people to be displaced and to suffer from trauma and sicknesses. My disappointment led to compassion for the people who are victims of war. Read more... |
|||
|
DR. EVANS JOINS PEACEBUILDING TEAM PBCI Team While military tanks roll in front of them and helicopters roar above them, Dr. Samuel Evans and his medical team focused on the health needs of the families that were displaced due to a recent land-based clash between a group of Moro rebels and government troops. Read more... |
|||
|
PBCI PARTICIPATES IN THE 4TH MINDANAO PEOPLES' PEACE SUMMIT PBCI Team LAMITAN, BASILAN—A delegation from the Peacebuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) attended the 4th Mindanao Peoples' Peace Summit. It was held last December 12-17, 2006 at the Datu Dizal Cultural Center, Municipality of Lamitan, Province of Basilan, Mindanao. Read more... |
|||
|
CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIM HEALTH PROFESSIONALS JOIN HANDS FOR PEACE PBCI Team A joint Christian and Muslim medical-dental mission was held last November 10-12, 2006 to support a peacebuilding movement in Mindanao. Operation Compassion, a ministry of Greenhills Christian Fellowship in Metro Manila, sent 17 health professionals with a generous supply of medicines and vitamins which were dispensed free of charge. Patients were supplied sufficient amount of medicines--from 7 days to 30 days--depending on need. Read more... |
|||
|
THERE IS HOPE IN THE PEACE PROCESS Mindanao People's Caucus We are members of the Grassroots Peace Mission of the Mindanao Peoples Caucus (MPC) who completed a three-day mission in Manila last October 25-27, 2006. For a change, we return with renewed confidence and hope that peace is indeed possible. We have delivered our message to Malacañang that the grassroots communities in the conflict-affected areas, Muslims, Christians and indigenous peoples collectively desire that the GRP-MILF peace talks to continue. The peace mission was an attempt to reverse history. A history of wars, a history of betrayals, a history of broken promises. If war has been imposed on us for several decades in Mindanao, this time, Mindanao grassroots people dared to stand before national leaders in Manila appealing, nay, telling them to sustain the talks and exert creative, "out-of-the-box" solutions if necessary to break the current impasse. Our mission had earlier met with the MILF peace panel and high command to also deliver the same message. We cannot accept another outbreak of war in our communities anymore. Read more... |
|||
|
GOVERNMENT PEACE NEGOTIATING PANEL — DETERMINED TO PURSUE THE PEACE TALKS PBCI Team Last Thursday, October 5th, 2006, the Peace Negotiating Panel of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) met with the representatives of the various peace communities in Mindanao. The people were anxious to hear more about the current impasse in the Peace Talks between the GRP and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Read more... |
|||
|
A CALL TO PURSUE THE PEACE TALKS Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches A statement by the Executive Committee of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches, September 25, 2006 The Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC), a national association of Christian denominations, local churches, and organizations, calls on the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to seek all means possible to break their current impasse. As followers of Jesus Christ—the Prince of Peace, the PCEC join hands with our fellow Filipinos in our desire to have genuine and lasting peace in our land. We deeply value what have been attained by both the Government Peace Negotiating Panel and the MILF Peace Negotiating Panel during the talks. It is our desire to preserve those gains... Read the Statement |
|||
|
A CALL TO CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES: PARTICIPATE IN BUILDING PEACE IN OUR LAND! PBCI Team During the meeting of Mindanao People's Caucus (MPC) last Saturday, September 23, 2006 in Carmen, North Cotabato, representatives from the Lumads, the Bangsamoros, and the Migrants expressed their deep concern about the current impasse in the peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). An MPC elder spoke to us personally and said: "I am deeply bothered by the lack of participation of Christians in this peacebuilding effort. Where are they? We need to hear from them. We need their statements particularly about this impasse in the peace talks. Aren't they concerned about this deadlock in peace talks that could lead to another war in our land?" Read more |
|||
|
RESIST THE HAWKS, CONTINUE THE TALKS Mindanao People's Caucus A statement on the current impasse of the GRP-MILF Peace Talks, September 20, 2006 To preserve the gains of the peace negotiations, the Mindanao Peoples Caucus (MPC) calls on the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to exhaust all means possible to break their current impasse. We appeal to both the Peace Panels to stretch the limits of their ability, patience and wisdom to enable them to overcome the current obstacles and open the windows for renewed confidence and goodwill. We urge you to re-imagine your tasks, your responsibilities and your avowed common dream for a peaceful and prosperous Mindanao. You owe it to the people of Mindanao, to the millions of women, men and children whose hopes for peace and development you have entrusted in your hands... Read the Statement |
|||
|
STATEMENT TO PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD OF IRAN Mennonite Central Committee During the Iranian President's meeting with a group of religious leaders in the United States, September 22, 2006 We, at Peacebuilders Community, agree with the prepared statement of Robb Davis, Executive Director of the Mennonite Central Committee, during his participation in a meeting between American religious leaders and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran: BismillahIR rahmanIR, rahiim. In the name of God the merciful, the One who shows mercy, we welcome you here. My name is Robb Davis and I am the Executive Director of the Mennonite Central Committee. We were invited to organize this gathering between you and representatives of the three Abrahamic faiths. Most of us here today are of the Christian faith representing Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Mainline Protestant (Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian) as well as Evangelical churches. We are joined by brothers of the Islamic and Jewish faiths as well... Read more |
|||
|
SAVE THE 1996 PEACE AGREEMENT, FREE NUR MISUARI Mindanao PeaceWeavers On the 10th Year Anniversary of the September 10, 1996 Peace Agreement Our friends from Mindanao PeaceWeavers invited us to attend the People's Conversation and Truth-Telling On the 10th Year Anniversary of the Signing of the 1996 GRP-MNLF Peace Agreement. Representatives from various sectors of Mindanao's multicultural population—Bangsamoros, Lumads, and Migrants—shared their stories on how they see the Peace Agreement based on their experiences in the past 10 years. Mindanao PeaceWeavers issued a statement that expresses the sentiments of most peace-loving Mindanaons. We want our larger community to hear what the people, with whom we work, say about this 1996 GRP-MNLF Peace Agreement... Read the Statement |
|||
|
ON THE KILLINGS OF POLITICAL ACTIVISTS IN THE PHILIPPINES PBCI Team's Statement As a Mennonite peacebuilding team committed to the achievement of justice and the resolution of conflicts through peaceful and non-violent means, we condemn the killings of political activists in our country. While the local human rights group Karapatan reports of more than 700 politically-motivated murders in the Philippines in the last five years, Amnesty International put the number at 114. Either report concerns us deeply for we strongly believe in the intrinsic value of every human life as created in the Image of God regardless of religious belief or political ideology. We approach this current crisis-of-violence from the perspective of our religious convictions, to wit: As followers of Jesus, we participate in his ministry of peace and justice. He has called us to find our blessing in making peace and seeking justice... Read more |
|||
|
OUR WIDER COMMUNITY'S PERSPECTIVE ABOUT THE HOSTILITIES IN LEBANON by Mennonite Church Canada Robert J. Suderman, the General Secretary of our wider community, wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of Canada last July 27, 2006: As a church of the historic and well respected Peace-Church tradition, Mennonite Church Canada is deeply concerned about the escalation of violence that we have recently witnessed in Lebanon, Israel and Gaza. We are distressed to see the actions of combatants on all sides of this conflict that have already destroyed many lives, including civilian families, and permanently marred livelihoods, homes, and vital infrastructure of the nations... Read more |
|||
|
MPC, BANTAY-CEASEFIRE APPEAL FOR SUPPORT FOR IDPS AND CEASEFIRE Mindanao People's Caucus We After nine days, the clashes between the Civilian Volunteer Organization (CVO) members identified with Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. and members of the MILF 105th Base Command has finally ceased. With much painstaking effort, the International Monitoring Team and the Joint Ceasefire Committee has succeeded in separating the warring parties with a buffer zone that will physically prevent any potential on the ground of an engagement between the contending forces... Read the Statement |
|||
|
A CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM PEACEBUILDING PARTNERSHIP BEGINS! by PBCI-CIAPDI A partnership agreement between the Community Initiative Assistance for Peace and Development, Inc. (CIAPDI) and Peacebuilders Community (PBC) had been finalized last Saturday, April 29, 2006. The meeting was held in Barangay Dungguan, Municipality of Datu Montawal, Maguindanao Province. Read more... |
|||
|
WE HIKED THE BUD DAHU ON A PEACE PILGRIMAGE by Daniel Pantoja Gordon Janzen (Asia Partnership Facilitator, Mennonite Church Canada), Jon Rudy (Asia Peace Resource Director, Mennonite Central Committee), and I (Peacebuilders Community Director) were invited by the Mindanao Peaceweavers to join the Tausug people in commemorating the Bud Dahu Centennial. Read more
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
