EAI-PH engaged with numerous activities to celebrate this year’s Mindanao Week of Peace (MWP) anchored on the theme, “Environmental Care & Resilience to Climate Change: Action for Peace.”
The MWP is a Mindanao-wide occasion that aims “to celebrate the common aspirations of Mindanaoans to live in peace, unity and harmony with each other regardless of status in life, religion or culture.”
To kick off the celebration in Cagayan de Oro City, EAI-PH staff joined the Walk for Peace on November 28 together with several CDO-based religious organizations, government and non-government institutions, agencies and offices.
Participants converged in Rodelsa Circle at 6AM en-route to Kiosko, Kagawasan, Divisora.
The week-long celebration in CDO was headed by the Interfaith Forum for Peace, Harmony and Solidarity-Cagayan de Oro and the Bishop Ulama Conference. The walk was just one of the main highlights and events of the MWP. Other activities included Concert for Peace, Peace Dialogue, Poster-making Contest, and a Peace Forum.
Prior to the kick-off, EAI-PH Program Manager Joel Dizon joined the “Kaakbay Kapayapaan: Civil Society Peace and Solidarity Assembly” on November 25-27 at the EM Manor Hotel in Cotabato City, BARMM.
The three-day civil society-led gathering featured civil society innovations in advocacy and peacebuilding, a policy forum, and the Mindanao Peace Weavers (MPW) General Assembly. This convergence space is organized by the MPW through the collaborative support of the Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG).
On the last day, MILF Peace Implementing Panel Chairperson Minister Mohagher Mohammad Iqbal shared the status of the political transition. Together with peace and policy actors of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, they discussed CSO participation in consultations and looked at the intricacies of implementation.
Indigenous Peoples Affairs Minister Melanio Ulama further advocated during the dialogue for more focus on education for IPs as well as fulfilling the land rights of IPs especially in their Ancestral Domain.
Consequently, last November 29 to December 1, EAI-PH attended the 9th Annual Conference & Scientific Meeting of the Association of Development Communication Educators and Practitioners (ADCEP) Philippines, Inc. hosted by Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology in Iligan City.
With the theme “DevCom in Conflict, Peace, and Community Building,” the conference showcased the significance of scholarly written researches and development communication practice on the history of the Moro people and the relevance of understanding Islam in the context of peace in Mindanao.
EAI-PH Country Director Exan Sharief and Tech Camp alumnus Johaniah Yusoph gave their plenary speeches on the last day of the conference. Also in attendance were selected Tech Camp alumni Hakim Palanggalan, Aliah Mantawil, Miguel Logronio, and Judith Joy Libarnes, together with Lanao Community Reporter Akisa Polo.
Ranao Rescue Team founder, legislator, and journalist Samira Gutoc graced the occasion and gave an impassioned keynote speech about the role of devcom in putting on the frontpages of newspapers stories that matter: Bangsamoro voices, underprivileged communities, mining issues, ancestral homes, and other necessary dev materials.
“We are guilty for not patronizing our own material,” she quipped as she challenged participants to subscribe to local development media websites such as MindaNews.
EAI-PH also gave out exclusive limited edition merchandise in its booth and exhibit.
EAI-PH, now a member of the ADCEP, is set to maintain their partnership for next year’s conference which is eyed to be international in nature.#
