One of the main highlight of this year’s World Interfaith Harmony Week 2020 celebration of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement is the Symposium on Dialogue towards Harmony. The special occasion invited at least 250 participants coming from different government offices, sectors from society, different representatives in the community and other partners of Silsilah.
This activity invites leaders to present three realities in the context of the Philippines and Zamboanga. It is also a plan what they can do together presenting their ideas, plans and aspiration to the Mayor of Zamboanga city and other authorities to listen and support any doable plan.
The activity started with the Harmony Prayer followed by the opening remarks of Ms. Aminda E. Saño, EDC, President of Silsilah Dialogue movement. She mentioned the World Interfaith Harmony Week celebration as a special celebration spearheaded by Silsilah Dialogue Movement which is now spread not only in Zamboanga and Mindanao but also in different parts of Zamboanga City
Engr. George Jocutan, the director of the National Commission of Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) is one of our guest speakers for the said event. His focus is to discuss relevant ideas and concerns of Indigenous peoples in Zamboanga City
Subjectively, he presented the initiative of NCIP and how their mission helped the Indigenous people in Zamboanga City.
His presentation includes the Indigenous peoples’ rights act of 1997 or IPRA law. An Act to recognize, protect and promote the rights of indigenous cultural communities/indigenous peoples. Additional content of the presentation is the Ancestral Domain which is the most challenging concern of the IP’s.
Prof. Julkipli Wadi, the second speaker focuses his talk about the history of Islam in Philippines specifically in Mindanao. He discussed different points of ideas includes how religion and principle up brings one’s ideologies. Islam in Mindanao experience many prejudices because of different ideologies and belief but at the end, we are from one creator and we can achieve harmony by respecting and accepting one’s differences and diversities.
Prof Wadi believes that Islam is a religion of Peace and that all can live in harmony regardless of faith, cultures and religions.
The third speaker is Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, PIME –the convener of the World Interfaith Harmony Week. He focuses his talk on the special celebration of the World Interfaith Harmony Week and the occasion of the year of Ecumenism, Interreligious Dialogue and Indigenous people.
As the Executive Secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), he also emphasizes the relevance of his initiative of Interreligious Dialogue during this special year also in preparation of 500th year of Christianity in the Philippines on 2021. He uses the document on “Human Fraternity” as an inspiration for the Dialogue and Peace Accord in Zamboanga City which will be then signed by the participants at the end of this special activity.
Mrs. Sarah Handang, the Muslim Coordinator of the World Interfaith Harmony Week 2020 gave a short synthesis of the three realities discussed by the three speakers of the said activity. To make her synthesis short, she emphasizes her synthesis in the spirit of the World Interfaith Harmony Week “Dialogue towards Harmony”. She said we are one human family and to achieve harmony we should move together with compassion and dialogue in our hearts.
The participants are encouraged to raise their concern with the three realities and challenges given by the speakers for the activity.
Many participants were interested to ask about the law mentioned for IP’s and others are curious about what we can do more to spread the initiative of the World Interfaith Harmony Week.
The participant raised the question about what we can do more to spread the spirit of the initiative knowing that others barangays already celebrated the neighbors in Harmony with the collaboration of Emmaus and Silsilah Dialogue Movement.
A Police officer also commends the efforts of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement for their constant determination with their initiative as the frontline in celebrating the World Interfaith Harmony Week. He thanked Silsilah for inviting and recognizing Philippine National Police – Zamboanga City as one of the partners of this special celebration.
Maybe, the most interesting part is when one of the participants asked “Is humility a requirement to attain Dialogue?”
Prof. Wadi answers humility is indeed one of the “must” to have dialogue with others. Through Humility, we can understand each other more without any barriers.
This Open forum not only addresses the concern of the participant who asks the question, but it also gave a great impact to those who listens the question and answer part. The Open forum gave all the people in the room the opportunity to think, listen and understand the dynamic of ideas and how the speakers answer them in full of wisdom and knowledge.
The best part of this activity is the signing of the Peace Accord where all participants are encouraged to affix their signature in the space provided after the Peace Accord statement. This is the Dialogue and Peace Accord where it emphasizes that February 6, 2020, guided by the deeper understanding of peace; we make this Dialogue and Peace Accord adopting the same message of the document “Human Fraternity”.
The activity ended with the Community singing of “Heal the World” where all people from different cultures and religions sang one song, with one hope and with one heart to heal the world and make it a better place.
Truly, Silsilah has always been with great determination to spread the initiative of the World Interfaith Harmony Week. An initiative where we believe that may be challenging especially here in Mindanao but if we will work with sincere hearts, step by step, we can live a better world.
