MISSION ON PEACEMAKING

Mar Alicaway

MARINO ‘Mar’ REYES ALICAWAY is the IRD Project Director of OND-HESED Foundation, Inc. in General Santos City. He attended as an Auditor the module on Mission of Peacemaking offered at the Euntes Mission Center by Ms Ida Guiguiento of the Mindanao Peace Institute the week of September 21 to 25. What follow is Marino’s personal reflection.

The advances in Science and Technology and the leveling of frontiers and boundaries have all contributed to a greater awareness of the pluralism of faiths, culture and peoples not only in the world but also in our own community.

Yes, we live amid many and diverse faiths, cultures and peoples. Though many and different, we need not be hostile or indifferent to each other. In fact, these diversities invite us to make a shift in our paradigm from hostility to partnership; from indifference to involvement; and from being closed to being opened to one another.

Ms Ida Guiguiento

This relational paradigm teaches us that notwithstanding our differences and diversities we all live on this earth, in fact, on this piece of land. The bottom line is the affirmation that we are together in the journey through life. For better or worse, we are neighbors and we hope and believe that as neighbors, we can be partners in building not only of a better world but more so of a friendlier community where you and I, and our children live as brothers and sisters.

- The first step is to take our pluralism seriously. We need to discover each other in our diversities… and discover, too, our kindredness amid our differences.

· Second is to be open to meet each other with respect… learning not only from each other but more so to be able live with each other in tolerance. Yes, our willingness to accept, to trust and to live together.

· Third, is our commitment to our common humanity… recognizing and respecting the rights and dignity of every person regardless of faith, gender, culture and color within our society/community.

The basis of this commitment is our belief that all peoples even though they belong to different religions, nations and ethnic tribes – all form ONE human family, created by the ONE and same God, living in the same world/community, and destined for a common end.

In inter-religious relations there is one WORD that can describe our efforts and endeavors – TRUST! Trust is NOT a universal element in human relations. It has to be slowly, patiently and sometimes painfully built through time.

For emphasis, I take a portion of JP II’s address at Casablanca Morocco on 18 August 1985.

“People do not accept their differences.
They do not know each other sufficiently.
They reject those who have not the same civilization.
They refuse to help each other.
They are unable to free themselves from egoism and from self-conceit.
But God created all equal in dignity,
Though different with regard to gifts and talents,
Mankind is a whole where each one has his/her part to play.
The worth of the various peoples and of the diverse cultures must be
recognized.
The world is as it were a living organism.
Each one has something to receive from the others and has something
to give to them.”

The promotion of inter-religious dialogues is now being undertaken everywhere, precisely to promote, advocate and “school” people and communities to the basic concept of religious tolerance and partnership in our diverse world.