OZAMIZ CITY—Peace advocates have welcomed the decision of former Arroyo peace adviser Teresita Quintos Deles to join the incoming Cabinet of president-elect Benigno Aquino III and have a second shot at heading the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP). Moro women leader and peace activist Samira Gutoc said Deles’ familiarity of the job bodes well for her effective leadership of the various peace processes that involved government. Gutoc assured that Deles has a very deep appreciation of “the role of social reforms in guaranteeing a just and lasting peace.”

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Deles heading OPAPP is okay, say peace advocates

HIS name, Rameer Tawasil, precedes the man as one of Mindanao’s leading artists, and probably its best. Not quite incidentally, he finished his BS in Architecture at Western Mindanao State University in 1992, graduating with a plaque of merit for non-academic excellence. A Tausug, Rameer’s works – mostly and often in oil but some also in watercolor and other media – are one of a kind because his strokes are almost always patterned after the ukkil carving form that dominates and enlivens the woodworks, cloths and visual arts of his proud tribesmen. As such, he enjoys an established monopoly in this very special visual style. He relishes using bold, bright colors, which is another characteristic of Tausug artistry.

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Rameer Tawasil: Painting the Colors of Peace

THE screening committee of the prestigious Young Peace Weaver Award has selected 31 high school and college students graduating this year as its individual recipient-honorees.  Of the 31 awardees, 22 came from secondary schools and nine tertiary colleges.

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31 Graduating High School and College Students Are This Year’s Young Peace Weavers

PEACE Advocates Zamboanga (PAZ) and Youth Solidarity for Peace (YSP) conducted a Culture of Peace Orientation dubbed as “ A Day of Reflection and Dialogue” in its PAZ na LA PAZ Component and Integration last February 06-07, located at Km. 11 & 17, La Paz, Zamboanga City. The Culture of Peace Orientation is in partnership with Western Mindanao State University- College of Social Works and Community Development which is aimed at instilling in the minds and hearts of the children and youth of the community. Moreover, it is PAZ’s thrust in developing communities through COP approach. Eighty-five participants from two nearby communities of Km. 11 and Km. 17 actively participated in the various activities of the seminar.  It included the Adjective Names, Passing of the Peace Ball, an enhanced My Ideal Community, Thinking out of the Box as well as highlighting one’s commitment through Peace Petals after understanding some critical threats to peace.

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Culture of Peace Through “PAZ na La Paz”

Peace Advocates Zamboanga (PAZ) and Youth Solidarity for Peace (YSP) recently concluded the conduct of the Culture of Peace Trainers Training for Youth Leaders designed in preparation for the celebration of the Mindanao Week of Peace last October 18, 2009 at Ebenezer Bible College, Upper Calarian, Zamboanga City.

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WEEK of PEACE Trainers Training for Volunteers Opened New Opportunities

The Mindanao Week of Peace is a comprehensive promotional activity that involves various GOs, NGOs, and PO’s in advocating the culture of peace in the Southern Philippines. It is a celebration of peace which was initiated in Zamboanga City by Peace Advocates Zamboanga Foundation, Inc. (PAZ) and SALAM Foundation in 1997

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Mindanao Week of Peace 2009

BlogFest.Asia , the first-ever pan-Asia bloggers’ conference, became a venue for introducing the Mindanao Bloggers Community to the world. Put together by the DotAsia Organisation (the registrar for .asia domain names) in Hong Kong from 6 to 8 November 2009, 3 Filipinos were present at BlogFest.Asia to provide the audience with primers on the Philippine blogosphere. (Actually there were 4 Filipinos there, but the fourth one was invited as the representative of Creative Commons – Asia.) It was the experience of Mindanao’s bloggers, however, that really got the attention of many of the participants.

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MB in Hong Kong

Senator Chiz Escudero – in his Facebook account - suggests the novel idea of involving all possible stakeholders in any talk concerning the peace process in Mindanao.

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Senator Escudero’s Suggestion On Mindanao Peace Process

The Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), a global civil society led network of peace advocates has reiterated  its call to dialogue and peaceful resolution of conflict in Southern Mindanao and in other parts of the world.

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GPPAC calls for dialogue, reiterates offer to be part of ICG in GRP-MILF Peace Talks