Over the past decade, significant efforts have been made to promote gender justice and economic empowerment in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), with Bangsamoro women playing a crucial role in peacebuilding and development. Oxfam and The Asia Foundation (TAF), supported by the Australian Government, have implemented programs that provide marginalized women with training, mentorship, and access to financial resources to help them thrive as entrepreneurs. These initiatives culminated in the Bangsamoro WEE Learning Exchange in 17-19 February 2025, which highlighted policy support, Islamic Finance, and inclusive growth strategies. As a panelist at this event, I shared insights from my work with Coffee for Peace and PeaceBuilders Community, reinforcing my belief in the transformative power of inclusive economic growth as a path to lasting peace in the region.
Tag: inclusive development
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/02/20/building-peace-through-empowerment-the-role-of-bangsamoro-women/
PBCI CELEBRATES PASSAGE OF ‘BANGSAMORO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ACT’; REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO INCLUSIVE PEACEBUILDING
08 February 2025, Upi, Maguindanao Del Norte — As a long-term advocate for justice and reconciliation in Mindanao, PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) joins the Indigenous Peoples (IP) of Bangsamoro in celebrating the historic passage of the Bangsamoro Indigenous Peoples Act of 2024 by the Bangsamoro Parliament on 10 December 2024. This landmark legislation strengthens the rights, recognition, and empowerment of Indigenous Peoples within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), marking a major step forward for peace and inclusivity in the region. For decades, PBCI has walked alongside Indigenous communities in Mindanao, advocating for their land rights, self-determination, and cultural preservation. The Bangsamoro Indigenous Peoples Act of 2024 provides a long-overdue legal framework that formalizes these rights, ensuring mechanisms for ancestral domain recognition, cultural preservation, access to government resources, and active participation in governance.
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/02/10/pbci-celebrates-passage-of-bangsamoro-indigenous-peoples-act-reaffirms-commitment-to-inclusive-peacebuilding/
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/01/31/bagobo-tagabawa-farmers-and-pbci-cfp-team-launch-agro-forestry-project-in-mt-apo-together/
TEAM BONDING AND REFLECTION HIGHLIGHT PEACE HUB FAMILY’S HOLIDAY CELEBRATION
The staff and leaders of Coffee for Peace, Inc., along with Kapeyapaan Coffee Roasting Services, Malipayon Post-Harvest Processing Services, IncluDev Learning Initiatives, and Produce Peace+, gathered on December 15-16, 2024, for a Christmas celebration and year-end evaluation at a beach resort in Samal Island, Davao del Sur. The event featured lively parlor games, swimming, and team-building activities that emphasized trust, communication, and shared purpose. These activities fostered joy, camaraderie, and collaboration among the 35 participants. The gathering also included a reflective session where the group reviewed their accomplishments and challenges for 2024, exchanging insights to guide their work for 2025. Concluding with a shared meal and expressions of gratitude, the event celebrated the festive season while reaffirming the participants’ commitment to fostering peace and sustainable development through innovative solutions and community engagement.
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2024/12/23/team-bonding-and-reflection-highlight-peace-hub-familys-holiday-celebration/
A CALL ON THE GPH AND THE MILF TO MOVE WITH GREATER URGENCY IN COMPLETING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CAB
At PBCI, we join our peacebuilding colleagues in calling on the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to accelerate the full implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), with a particular focus on the Annex on Normalization, while ensuring inclusivity for marginalized groups such as women, youth, and Indigenous Peoples. Our call stresses the importance of unity among the Bangsamoro people, rejecting divisive initiatives, and urges a clearer process and understanding on Sulu’s historical and political relationship with BARMM. PBCI also emphasizes the need for prompt resolution of election-related petitions to avoid undermining self-determination and calls for strengthened protections for vulnerable communities and ancestral domains. Lastly, it appeals for collective solidarity to hold leaders accountable and advance peacebuilding efforts that promote justice and inclusivity.
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2024/12/15/a-call-on-the-gph-and-the-milf-to-move-with-greater-urgency-in-completing-the-implementation-of-the-cab/
JON AND BOYET INITIATE INSTITUTIONAL TRANSITION PROCESS AT PEACEBUILDERS COMMUNITY
On the afternoon of 16 November 2024, the Malipayon Peace Hub in Managa, Bansalan, Davao del Sur, became the vibrant venue for PeaceBuilders Community, Inc.’s (PBCI) First Annual General Meeting. The hybrid event—combining onsite and online participation—brought together 42 attendees, including field volunteers from across the Philippines, from Canada, PBCI and Coffee for Peace (CFP) staff, partners, impact investors, friends, and online followers. This diverse gathering marked a milestone in the organization’s journey, fostering a collaborative spirit to shape its strategic direction. Joseph “Ka Boyet” Ongkiko, PBCI’s Executive Vice President for Institutional and Program Development, led the meeting with a balance of warmth and clarity, ensuring both onsite and online participants were fully engaged. The three-hour session was structured yet dynamic, creating space for individual reflection, group collaboration, and collective decision-making.
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2024/11/29/jon-and-boyet-initiate-institutional-transition-process-at-peacebuilders-community/
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2024/11/22/canadian-mennonite-delegation-joins-mindanao-peace-workers-to-strengthen-partnerships/