The Peacebuilding Efforts of the Mindanao Tripartite Youth Core on Friendship-Building Processes through Faith-Based and Culture-Based Initiatives Jana Jean G. Dacobor Kalinaw Mindanaw! A powerful cry of Mindanawons (old and young) either done in chants, in our prayers, in rallies, in the statement-making activities or in an issue-raising discussions. It is a cry of hope that we may be spared from the pangs of poverty, violence, conflicts and animosities driven by personal and selfish desires of the people who have positions and influences in our society. We recognize that people need peace; that Mindanao wants peace and everyone hopes for peace. However, needing, wanting and hoping for peace is not enough, it must not remain as is, of which we just have to wait. The Mindanawons must have to make concrete participation on building a sound and strong relationship despite the diversity of one s cultures and beliefs and so with the people surrounding Mindanao, to support the initiatives on peacemaking and peacebuilding. We have to see the time and space by now, that each one of us shall make a share, by doing bold steps of supporting the peace dialogues and negotiations that are already in placed even during the time that my parents conceived me. No matter how seems to be hopeless of the many efforts that were poured in, acted upon and planned out we must have to continue doing and wanting things for more. The people of Mindanao are composed of the three main ethno-linguistic groups of people who believe in One God in different ways The Bangsamoro, the Lumad or the Indigenous Peoples and the Mindanao Migrants and Settlers. Historically, cultural differences and social injustices have created gaps between and among them. Of this, the Mindanao Tripartite Youth Core was established to provide mainly for young people the spaces of dialogues using some dynamics that may lead to friendship-building and strengthening of culture and faith to the young. We, the core leaders believe in the same manner like others do, that PEACE can be within reach in our small yet sustaining ways of being with the youth through sharing and appreciating not just our differences but also our similarities coupled with the presence that shall be felt anytime and every time the circles of dialogue be placed. 60
Let me share with you as much as I can what the MTYC is all about. (Powerpoint Presentation) Since it is inspired from the effort of the Bishops-Ulama Conference after making us know of who they are, it is then confirmed in 2004, that as Core Leaders, we will strengthen our culture and faith through a CIRCLE in dialogue of which we could openly share who we are. And, serve as their Youth Desk. It happened not until we were able to have a community of friends composed of Lumad, Muslims and Christians from all walks of life for four years. The four years of building and strengthening has certainly prepared us individually and collectively to share and tell the stories we have had. The stories that we have kept and treasured have been useful and prove its worth at the right time: a story like Mona, whom a Catholic Christian but chose to live in Lanao area one moment in her life, and engaged consistently with the Muslim communities in Iligan and in Marawi City, such experience has given her to understand the beauty of Islam and later led her to embracing the Muslim youth through their friendship that she has come across with; a story like Nor Asia, a Maranao Muslim who never forgets to share graces to her Christian friends whom she regularly hugs and embrace when moments called to; Nor Asiah as she is, who shares her home and brings food to those who do not have without hesitation and played around her friends without inhibitions; a story like Aduna that despite having questions about the many unjust works of the Christians whom she referred before as land grabbers, she still aspire for better understanding about them and blended with confidence as a Talaandig at the foot of Mt. Kitanglad and showed to us confidently how she danced life and admire the works of her Amay (father) of promoting peace among people. Through these stories, God has given us the will to break barriers, to lessen biases if not to be eradicated and to calm down angers and ill-feelings with one another. Each of those who have seen themselves worth sharing, has given their presence day by day in their lives to people that must be reached out the unknown, the voiceless and people that are weak; we obviously cross borders of our own comfort zones. And offer a sacrifice to gain and regain the spirit of unity amidst diversity. In small ways, MTYC has given presence to various communities in Mindanao. We were able to volunteer, to create and to coordinate on all possible engagement where friendship can take place. It is by then that we barely see our differences. Above all else, we believe that we are human and we re people of God. We breathe the same air, step the same soil and praise the same God. 61
Apart from doing our plans which I believe God has entrusted to us, the MTYC through Peace Team Circles and Lakbay Diyalogo aspired to reach out young people in schools and in communities. Thereby, be present among the students and out-of-school youth merely to bring the youth to sit down and look at each other s eyes and be heard. The moment that circle in dialogues do happen, there are lives that can be unfolded and dreams be sorted out coming from various perspectives of the varied groups of tri-people youth in Mindanao. Innately, the embracing presence of each one come out when every biases have been talked out, every stereotypes can be straightened and every conflicts can be resolved. It is never true in our experiences that it s better to keep to ourselves our adversarial feelings, confusions and questions in order to keep our friendship sticks and becoming strong. Though it s not at all times, that dialogue efforts drew positive impact when it comes to end-results, but mind you later after a period of reflecting and journeying inwards, people tend to appreciate the feeling of relief on which one has given the opportunity to speak out and to know the others outside of ourselves. It is then that seeking starts, which one can be found and be part of the loop to doing something through dialogue towards harmony and unity. Our core leaders have gone through these processes of knowing SELF better through the others and keeping their faith and their cultural practices intact and strong. The MTYC has also provided several opportunities for the young to engage on practical and communal activities to help build the social relations in bringing out peace and development in various forms. One major opportunity is the Mindanao Tripartite Youth Peace Camp, it started in Year 2000 and up until now it serves as a venue to which key youth leaders can take part, live together and learn collectively on the rich history and culture of Mindanao, making them understand gradually the imperative of peacebuilding of which young people could share their ideals, their dreams and their energy. Within the process of the Mindanao Tripartite Youth Peace Camp young leaders could have an opportunity to learn the life-skills of the people whom we have lived shortly. Here s a documentary film of what they ve done. (Video Clip) Since the BUC has started to bring the opportunity to celebrate the gains of every challenges in putting flesh to Kalinaw Mindanaw on its annual celebration of the Mindanao Week of Peace that starts on the last Thursday of November up to first Wednesday of December with a call based on the felt need of Mindanao in general. For this year, BUC joined hands with the other peace groups to call in mind and heart to THINK MINDANAO, FEEL MINDANAO, BRING PEACE TO MINDANAO. This may have a special menu in our concerns, yet it s true that Mindanawons still have to 62
struggle making them known to people in Luzon and in Visayas. Please take a look at the peace posters made by the tri-people youth who partook in our SINING KABATAAN PARA SA KAPAYAPAAN A poster making activity that we started in 2007. This venue had been provided to nearly 300 Mindanawon artists to express their thoughts and aspirations of Mindanao through their artworks without expecting a pay or an award at the end of the day. But felt honored when knowing that their piece of art has reached to the communities in Cotabato, Maguindanao, Zambonga, Bukidnon and some parts of Sibugay province and now in your presence through a peace caravan facilitated in partnership with school and youth organizations. This initiative has open door to art enthusiasts to feel significantly and see the importance of their share of making peace known to others. By now, I am a delegate to the 5th Asian Youth Day that is happening still in Cavite. First AYD to happen in the Philippines and now attended by our delegation not quite known to most Catholic Youth the inter-religious dialogue in Mindanao to somehow at least have a view what Asian Youth Day is all about. Despite a very Catholic activities prepared for Catholics Asians, my Muslim friend Zhor and my protestant friend FQV have made me feel proud of making me feel that I am a Catholic in front of them. They sat beside me when I pray the rosary during the day and sing and dance with me as the congregation animates the words from the Bible. It s so reassuring that their presence has drawn out attention to many of the delegates we talked with people from northern part of Luzon have followed us up on what IRD is all about; young leaders from Sabah was amazed on how we have worked and prayed together without making us less of the others. That s how it seems when we tried to open ourselves and say graces of hopes that we can be friends and in time out of that friendship built we will be enriched even more. Let me share finally to you some information on one big leap we re making these days since June this year - our first publication which we call AMBIT-KALINAW. Ambit- Kalinaw literally means share peace. Indeed this idea of sharing peace is our life-long invitation to all the tri-people youth in Mindanao and in the Philippines. It s an invitation towards friendship through interfaith and intercultural dialogue towards understanding, sharing and building peaceful relationships with one another. Hopefully this serves as a guide to help us in our desire to conduct peace activity with youth groups or with the community of young people that we wanted to accompany with. This will surely allow us to journey to where, when and how we started as a community of the tri-people youth under the auspices of Bishops-Ulama Conference. 63
Just like you, the MTYC has started from a simple beginning; its only aim at the start is to provide spaces for dialogue among the tri-people youth in Mindanao. In 2001, several youth leaders from Cagayan de Oro, Marawi and Iligan were inspired to continue the circle of sharing that they have had during the 1st Mindanao-wide Tripartite Youth Peace Camp. Since then, it has convinced more and more young people to enjoy the coming together and dialogue experiences. Eventually, friendship has its own way of making everyone understand the spirit of volunteerism, the value of commitment to a life of service and the involvement to peace initiatives in Mindanao through dialogue. It is in this light that MTYC has decided to come up a guidebook to seriously gather and put into writings our experiences and reflections with the hope that this can inspire others and radiate in them our hopes to experience genuine peace in Mindanao. This publication has come to its realization with our efforts to consult with, dialogue and speak to Core Leaders, Peace Advocates, Peacebuilders and Peace Partners in the local areas within our loop. The experience was extra-ordinary. Who could really think that everyone can be very responsive to the making? I was overwhelmed with the positive reception of young people that we have engaged with. Their ideas and suggestions were worth noting. It flowed through the pages that you can flip. It breathes the aspiration of the tri-people youth to be all the time an agent for peace, an instrument of hope and a channel of love, if only be given a chance. One can make use of this as a guide to compliment with their designs and approaches. Anyone can use this anytime when being translated to various dialects of the people in the community whom we directly accompanied and journeyed with. I would like to end by sharing you some notes, that we could never reach this point without passing through the channels of God. The MTYC of Bishops-Ulama Conference has grown immensely to its number of participants, companions and partners whom we have worked closely with our core volunteers and the core council of leaders. Many of our activities were effectively realized with the active presence and cooperation of our partners. Through our partnership and links, the community has also given in turn significant role in the society to learn, to discover and eventually to share. Thank you very much for giving us the opportunity to spread our aspirations and to make us feel important by recognizing our efforts that presumably started to make a mark in the society as young community of the tri-people youth in Mindanao and citizens of the Philippine nation. Thank you each and every one of you for your Listening Presence. You have inspired me to speak for us to be heard. Again, let me take my chance to say once again: Kalinaw Mindanaw! 64