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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.
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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.
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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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