Our relationship with Edsal Edres started when our peacebuilding network visited our Meranaw partners during the Marawi Crisis. We got involved in peacebuilding activities together, including: fact-finding mission at the very heart of the war zone; Christian-Muslim inter-faith dialogue on peace; joint peacebuilding strategic planning among leaders of civil society organizations; lobbying at the Congress and Senate of the Philippines; and, livelihood initiatives among families affected by war. We are now focused on Inclusive Development and Social Entrepreneurship as an approach to help the war affected families to rise-up from the ravages of armed conflict.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2021/08/06/our-journey-with-edsal-a-meranaw-peacebuilding-partner-continues-through-social-enterprise/
28-30 July 2021. It’s energizing to reconnect with Rolivel Oliveros Elusfa and his team. He was my colleague in civilian ceasefire monitoring from 2006 to 2012 as part of a peacebuilding network. A few months ago, he contacted me and shared his passion to do peacebuilding and development among the Mandaya Indigenous communities. Now, we’re exploring a wider and deeper view of peacebuilding—where building peace is understood as encompassing a holistic and inclusive process of transformation: spiritual-ethical transformation, psycho-social transformation, socio-political transformation, and economic-ecological transformation.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2021/07/31/peacebuilding-colleague-connects-us-with-mandaya-tribe-for-inclusive-development/
08-09 July 2021 — Sixteen members of Kapeyapaan Farmers’ Association (KFA) in the Municipality of Bansalan, Province of Davao del Sur have completed their six-month training in Social Entrepreneurship. This course is framed in a system of values called Peace and Reconciliation Principles and Practices. Among the 16 vegetable and coffee farmers who have graduated from the course, 6 were elected as founding officers. This initiative is part of a long term Inclusive Development partnership program between the PeaceBuilders Community, Coffee for Peace, and KFA Bansalan.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2021/07/12/principles-we-apply-in-social-entrepreneurial-training-and-leadership-development/
My heart continually cries in pain for the increasing number of recovered remains of Indigenous children and youth who died in Canada’s residential schools. Along with millions of Canadians, I’m outraged and am calling for further searches of unmarked graves. Because of this, the more I embrace this land and stand in solidarity with her Indigenous Peoples. The more I respect my fellow Canadians who sincerely face this reality with truth, justice, and the pursuit of peace and reconciliation, as articulated in the art of Jennifer Adomeit and other artists. And because of this, the more I condemn the European empires’ greed for wealth and power through colonialism that led to acts of genocide and land stealing against the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2021/07/01/ouch-canada-lamentations-for-the-indigenous-children-of-turtle-island/
Friday, 25 June 2021. We rejoice with the Bagobo Tagabawa Indigenous People for the completion of their cultural village and peace memorial complex. This was originally envisioned by Bai Jerlina Owok, the local chieftain at Barangay Binaton in Digos City, Davao del Sur. They started building their local village to make their community more visible and to tell their story beyond their tribal community. Because of their initiative, various sectors—government, business, civil society, and media—responded and helped concretize their vision. While celebrating with the tribe about these developments, we also reflect on issues regarding encroachment of certain powerful forces into the ancestral domain of the Bagobo Tagabawa.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2021/06/27/commemoration-celebration-and-reflection-a-spiritual-journey-with-the-bagobo-tagabawa/
The Kapeyapaan Farmers Association (KFA) founding leaders in Barangay Alegre, Bansalan are on their 5th month of training. The participants had their coffee cupping and tasting last 16-17 of June 2021 to wrap up their Coffee Quality training. They also had strategic planning for building their association.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2021/06/18/kfa-founding-leaders-experience-basic-coffee-cupping-and-tasting/
Peace and Reconciliation. Inclusive Development. Social Entrepreneurship. These are the dominant terms that floated when we were doing content analysis of our current ministry. Once more, we’re defining and clarifying the basic concepts and activities involved in our mission as we’re signing a renewed three-year Covenant of Service (2021-2024) with Mennonite Church Canada Witness. We are grateful for this blessing and are excited to be entrusted with a set of field responsibilities.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2021/05/31/peace-and-reconciliation-through-inclusive-development-and-social-entrepreneurship/
