The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper
Pakigdait: Fostering peace through friendship amidst diversity
ILIGAN CITY - “Friendship is so powerful. We canbegin building peace by capturing friendship among diversity, varied cultures,and faith,” shared Abel Moya, the director of Pakigdait Inc.
Pakigdait, meaning compassion, is an interfaithgrassroots organization dedicated to peacebuilding and conflict transformation. This organization recently launched the Big Book titled Threads of Harmonies: ATApestry of Peace Woven from Threads of Friendship Overcoming War and Conflictin Mindanao: For the Younger Generation.
Curated by Pakigdait Inc. in collaboration withMensen met een Missie, and young artists from Iligan City, the Big Bookfeatures three inspiring tales of friendship: "Kape Dadang,""dreamers of Kauswagan," and "Kambal Tuko." Each narrativeintricately weaves the threads of friendship amidst diversity and highlightsthe universal values of peace and social cohesion.
Pakigdait held storytelling sessions about thebook for 31 students at Christian Horizon School Inc. and 48 students at Iligancity National High School-tambacan annex.
Reflecting on the long history of conflict inmindanao, Moya highlighted the importance of addressing the trauma caused bywars and unrest. He emphasized the resilience of elders who had overcome pastconflicts through the power of friendship, which can inspire the youngergeneration to embrace inclusivity and understanding across diverse cultures andfaiths.
“We are doing this storytelling to capture thegood story about peace, friendship, and social cohesion. For so many years,mindanao has been a story of war and conflict. We are all wounded; we areall, at some point in time, traumatized by war and conflict. Where do weneed to start to end these things? Before the war, there was a story comingfrom our elders, they could overcome and transcend the war and conflict,” hesaid.
The storytelling session showcased the power offriendship, transcending cultural and religious differences.
Dolores Balucan, a Muslim, and Paulita Gerona, achristian, storytellers from the Kambal Tuko narrative, talked about their58-year friendship that began in the 1960s. They met whenpaulita moved to Kauswagan town in Lanao del Norte province in Grade 5, anddolores reached out to befriend her. Conflict in Kauswagan separated them;paulita went to Iligan City, and Dolores went to Marawi City. Despite attendingdifferent colleges and rarely crossing paths, their friendship remained strong.over the years, with Dolores starting a family and Paulita working ingovernment for 50 years, their bond stayed intact.
They emphasized that their enduring friendship issustained by love, respect, and trust, which have kept them connected fordecades.
“Syempre nalipay. At least nashare namo amoangkabatan-on ug ang mga bata makabalo nga in-ana ang friendship, naa judforever,” Dolores said.
Meanwhile, Amenah Taratingan, a Muslim, shared her lasting friendship since the 1970s with Biola and Zenaida, who arechristians. Their experiences are told in the Dreamers of Kauswagan story asthey daydream at the boardwalk in Kauswagan.
They witnessed the conflict between the Ilagas andbarracudas, two armed groups fueled by prejudice and stereotypes. Despite beingseparated by the conflict, their love and respect for each other endured.
Amenah emphasized the importance of fosteringlasting friendships centered on respect, love, and acceptance of diversebeliefs and cultures. She also encourages the youth to prioritize meaningfulconnections, as the new generation is influenced by social media.
“Karon, sa bag-ong generation, para salong-lasting friendship, i-center lang jud sa friendship ang respect and love.i-respect ang faith, belief, ug kultura,” she said.
The students of Christian Horizon School, Inc.,embraced the storytelling sessions and learned the value of friendship beyondreligious or cultural boundaries.
One of them is Abdul Mohaymen Mamailao, frommarawi City. His family transferred to Iligan City when the Marawi siege brokeout in 2017. Their relocation was not difficult for him, as he gained friends,including Christians, and maintained a strong bond despite their religiousdifferences.
“I was actually happy nga naay activity nga in-anikay nakarelate sa akoa ang storytelling, bahalag lahi nga religion. Akoangnalearn kay, we can work out the friendship without the concept of religion oranything else. Basta imong heart [sincere] para kanang tawo, pwede nimongamigohon,” he said. Similarly, Jamera Casanoden, was elated to participate in the storytelling activity andemphasized the value of trust in friendships and the need for mutualunderstanding and communication to maintain strong connections.
Despite some initial reservations about the eventbeing boring, Aj Mae Pliego was elated by the narratives shared by thestorytellers. She thought that the storytellers would be those who were theirage. To her surprise, the storytellers were elders, which made the session moreexciting as she remembered listening to stories from her grandparents. She alsoappreciated how the stories encouraged them to interact with others regardlessof religion or race.
“Very thankful kaayo mi kay karon gamay nalangkaayo ang mag-organize og in-ani, nga maghatag og ana nga programa. Happy kaayo ko nga makadungog katong in-ato nga story, makaencoruage saakoa nga makigbong sa uban,” she said.
These inspiring stories, threaded together,showcase how the love, respect, and trust of individuals, despite theirdifferences, can foster peace and harmony. (Lou Ellen L. Antonio)