Photos
of the closing program now available
It was indeed a
memorable evening as we said our goodbyes. But let these
photos remember the fun we've had together, the experiences we
shared, the lessons we learned. Click
for photos |
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Swapping
peace building stories with Higaonons in Minalwang
Delegates of the
First Action Asia Peacebuilders Forum got a firsthand glimpse
on how the Higaonon tribe of Minalwang in the town of
Claveria, Misamis Oriental settle their conflicts as they
shared stories with the locals, tribal leaders included. The
indigenous people walked from six geographically scattered “gaups”
(villages) and converged in the tribal hall for the said
meeting. Datu Kawilihan (Joel Mansangcagan) with his wife
Nanay Bilaw, Datu Maagsub (Cornellio Pinaander), Datu Amomahan
(Manuel Pinaandel), Roy Pinalandang, Datu Litumbagan (Eugenis
Bio) and their tribal members were chewing betel nuts as they
waited for the arrival of the other members of the Higaonon
community and talked about the visit by participants of the
peace forum. Read story |
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Delegates
impressed by indigenous ways of resolving conflict in Rogongon
Ten participants of the Action Asia Peace Builders Forum were
impressed over how the Higaonons of Rogongon in Iligan City
settle conflicts the indigenous way. The
delegates, upon arriving at Rogongon, situated in the
mountains 27 kilometers away from downtown Iligan, were
greeted with a “pamales,” a tribal ritual wherein chicken
blood were sprinkled over the footsteps of the visitors to
keep the bad emotions away. Read
story |
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Community-based
peace building: Village to village, people to people
I was very
fortunate to have been given the chance listen to one of the
four thematic sessions on the First Action Asia Peacebuilders
Forum. My task as a documenter was supposed to be recording
the delegates’ reflective thoughts. Instead, I found myself
writing down my own thoughts. Still
very high with the Johan Galtung experience, I again readied
myself to listen to new accents in which I really had a hard
time digesting. I was the last person who entered the session
room, a bit late but I was able to catch up with the
documentation. The presenter, Arulappu Rajan Iruthayanathan,
shared about the community initiatives on peacebuilding in
East Sri Lanka. Read story |
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The
MISORET experience
All it takes for a
Somali, a Kazak, a Nepali, a Burmese and two Bangladeshi
peacebuilders is to appreciate all what had been done as far
as development and peacebuilding in Barangay Umagos,
Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental is concerned. As part of the
learning adventures of the first Action Asia Peacebuilders
Forum, this group of peace advocates heard and saw firsthand
last October 28 the efforts made by all stakeholders of the
peace zone initiative in the Misamis Oriental Eastern Towns
(MISORET) cluster. Read story |
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Learning
about the GRP-RPMM talks firsthand from the affected people
Participants of the Action Asia Peacebuilders forum from
Nepal, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines transcend the
boundaries with people from the communities gathered in one
place to share and exchange learnings and struggles on
development and peace. The exposurists, based in Cagayan de
Oro City for the forum, traveled their way to the Macapagal
Ancestral House in Iligan City, some 100 kilometers away, the
excitement and happiness overriding their jetlags and
weariness. Much to their delight, the venue was flocked with
people from the community who came from different places where
situation of unpeace prevailed. Read
story |
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Peace
poetry by Emma Leslie
A poem inspired after a dialogue with community members of
Sultan Naga Dimaporo on the GRP-RPMM Peace Process at the
Macapagal Ancestral House in Iligan City. Read
poem |
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A
family of peace builders finally meet
“We made it!” This was among the happy and vibrant
expressions of most foreign guests who arrived October 26 at
the Balay Mindanaw Peace Center and joined everyone just like
any family reunion to participate in the Action Asia Peace
Builders’ Forum. Fifty-one peace builders from all over
Asia, as well as a few from Africa, finally gathered here in
Mindanao for the first time to celebrate peace, share not only
stories but also knowledge learned, and stay connected with
one another as a way of building peace. Read story |
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Johan
Galtung gives tips for peace
Johan Galtung,
father of peace and conflict studies, visited Balay Mindanaw
Peace Center on October 26. He is involved in the efforts to
resolve 20 conflicts around the world and has brought with him
50 years of experience in conflict transformation work. His
presence gathered around peacebuilders from Mindanao,
Philippines and even all over Asia who were eager to hear from
a seasoned peacebuilder. Read story |
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BalayMin to host
‘First Action Asia Peacebuilders Forum’
At least 50 peace
practitioners from all over the Asia Pacific Region will come
together in a 5-day forum to identify uniquely Asian approaches in
the field of conflict transformation and peacebuilding, and
celebrate the vibrancy and successes of peace building initiatives
in the different countries in Asia. The First Action Asia
Peacebuilders Forum with the theme “Exploring Asian Approaches to
Peacebuilding”, will be held on October 26-31, 2005 at the Balay
Mindanaw Peace Center in Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City.
Read
story
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