Category: PEACE WITH THE CREATION
Economic-Ecological Transformation
The moral, social, and ecological wounds of our nation converge into one urgent call for healing. As I reflect on the Philippines through the eyes of a peacebuilder journeying with Indigenous Peoples, I see that corruption, inequality, environmental destruction, and human rights violations are not isolated crises but symptoms of a deeper moral fracture. Justice cannot thrive where integrity is absent, and peace cannot flourish where truth is silenced. From the misuse of public funds to the hunger of our farmers and the cry of the Earth itself, we face the consequences of greed and neglect. Yet amid this pain, I also witness signs of renewal — communities demanding transparency, young people organizing for justice, and faith leaders reclaiming their prophetic voice. The healing of our nation must be integral — moral, economic, ecological, and spiritual — rooted in integrity, compassion, and the collective pursuit of peace through justice.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/10/27/justice-integrity-and-the-healing-of-our-nation-looking-at-crises-as-a-whole/
Dana Takruri’s AJ+ video, “Why the Two State Solution Never Worked,” presents a powerful and concise thesis: The two-state solution has failed because it was never a sincere goal for the Israeli state, which has instead, through systematic and deliberate actions, created a single, unequal reality of apartheid from the river to the sea. The “peace process” has been a smokescreen, allowing Israel to entrench its occupation and settlement project while paying lip service to a Palestinian state that it was simultaneously making impossible. Here is how the historical and current facts align with and prove her thesis, supported by academic and human rights documentation.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/10/06/the-illusion-of-a-two-state-solution-analyzing-dana-takruris-aj-report/
Today, 21 September 2025, the day that reminds us of the dark legacy of Martial Law—I monitored thousands of Filipinos at the Trillion Peso March at the People Power Monument in Quezon City. The march was a thunderous cry against corruption, particularly the scandal surrounding the alleged misuse of ₱545 billion (C$13.3 billion) in flood control funds by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). For decades, the DPWH has been at the center of corruption controversies—from ghost projects and overpriced contracts to collusion with contractors—that have cost our people trillions of pesos in lost development opportunities (Chanco, 2021). Instead of protecting lives and building resilient infrastructure, systemic corruption in the agency has left communities drowning in floods, while a wealthy few flaunt luxury cars and mansions purchased with blood money.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/09/21/september-21-trillion-peso-march-at-edsa-responding-to-brilliant-proposals-for-reform/
On 13 September 2025, Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) convened a timely forum entitled “The Hidden War: Information as the New Battleground in the Philippines” at the Calungsod–San Vitores Jesuit–Lay Collaboration Center. In partnership with the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom), the event brought together academics, students, civil society representatives, and security sector leaders to examine the weaponization of information and the spread of disinformation. The forum underscored that false narratives are not mere online irritants but potent tools that shape political decisions, deepen social divisions, and endanger lives. Veteran journalist and AdDU Trustee, Ms. Jamela Alindogan, delivered the keynote address, offering sharp insights drawn from decades of frontline reporting. She emphasized the moral responsibility of journalists, peacebuilders, and educators to defend truth as a cornerstone of justice and peace. Her reflections also exposed the vulnerability of local communities who are deliberately targeted by disinformation to weaken their voices and distort their realities. The forum served as a vital space for critical reflection and collaborative strategizing to protect information integrity in Philippine society.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/09/15/standing-for-truth-in-the-hidden-war-of-disinformation-a-new-peacebuilding-struggle-in-our-world/
The Davao Regional Coffee Expo 2025 (DRCE 2025) has left me deeply moved—not only by the knowledge shared, but by the spirit of unity that flowed through every session, exhibit, and conversation. I witnessed farmers embrace new tools for climate resilience, women take their rightful place as leaders in the coffee value chain, and researchers bridge science with the lived realities of rural communities. What struck me most was how coffee became more than a crop; it became a story of culture, resilience, and collaboration. Listening to farmers, entrepreneurs, baristas, and academics share their hopes and innovations, I saw a vision of a future where coffee sustains both livelihood and community. For me, DRCE 2025 was not simply an event—it was a movement planting seeds of empowerment, sustainability, and peace, with ripples that will continue to transform lives across Davao and beyond.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/09/05/from-farm-to-future-the-transformative-impact-of-drce-2025-on-mindanaos-coffee-sector/
May the peace of the Creator embrace you. I write this not as a distant observer, but as someone who has walked a long road of faith, theology, and peace work. Along the way, I have met people who carry deep wounds — not from strangers, but from religious leaders, communities, and doctrines that were supposed to bring life. Some of these wounds were inflicted in the name of “saving souls.” I have seen how the threat of hell is often used as a weapon. I know what it feels like to sit under teaching that speaks more about eternal punishment than about the Creator’s compassion. And I have seen the fear, shame, and silence this creates. For years, many of us deny this harm. We convince ourselves that suffering is holy, that questioning is rebellion, or that leaving is betrayal. I once carried these same burdens. But over time, I have learned to see that the divine is not the voice of fear. The divine is peace.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/08/29/when-faith-turns-fearful-a-pastoral-counsel-for-those-experiencing-religious-spiritual-r-s-abuse/
Doug Klassen’s visit to Mindanao was, at its heart, a journey of companionship. As Executive Minister of Mennonite Church Canada (MCCanada), Doug came not merely to see projects or attend meetings, but to walk alongside us—listening, learning, and sharing in the life of our community. For three days, we moved together through the varied landscapes of Mindanao, carrying conversations that deepened our bond as companions in peacebuilding. On the first day, he shared breakfast with CFP staff and baristas, lunch with PBCI staff, held an afternoon meeting with Bennette Grace Tenecio-Mañulit, and concluded the day with dinner alongside the Mindanao PeaceWeavers’ leadership. The second day took us to Camp Darapanan for a meeting with senior Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) representatives, followed by lunch in Cotabato City with Datu Haron Al-Rasheed Baraguir. On the third day, we traveled to the Malipayon Peace Hub (MPH) where Doug had breakfast with MPH staff before returning to Davao City for a lunch meeting with the PBCI Board of Trustees. The visit concluded with a reflective meeting between Doug, Joji, and me.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/08/11/deepening-the-companionship-doug-klassen-visits-pbci-cfp-fields-in-mindanao/
