GMA: Muslim-Christian conflict lessening

President Gloria Arroyo proudly announced yesterday at the Cebu Dialogue on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace Development and Human Dignity that the conflict between Muslims and Christians in the Philippines is "narrowing dramatically."

Arroyo in her speech during the opening of event held at Shangri-La Hotel in Mactan said that the conflict between Muslims and Christians has already abated due to the government's focus on interfaith dialogue and the willingness of the involved to accept the sincerity of those who differ with them in faith.

"The Philippines is a nation that faces the test of individual faith and social tolerance everyday and I am happy to report to you that today the historic divide between the Christian and Muslim neighbors is narrowing dramatically," Arroyo said.

As a result of the progress that they have made in Mindanao, Arroyo added that she is also confident that peace is already within their grasp.

"As a result of the progress, I am confident that peace is within our grasp. And if peace in Mindanao is attained, it will be in large part due to the interfaith dialogue and the intergovernmental cooperation of neighboring counties," she said.

Aside from Arroyo, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, Australia's Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister for Immigration and Multi-Cultural Affairs Andrew Robb and Indonesia's Director General of Information and Public Diplomacy Mangasi Sihombing also gave their speeches.

The Cebu dialogue, a follow-on activity from the first Dialogue on Interfaith Cooperation, Community Building and Harmony held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in December 2004, gathered more than 200 delegates from the different neighboring countries. The activity aims to promote peace and build greater understanding and upholding human dignity among countries.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo told the delegates that speaking is not just enough and challenged the latter to do more, internalize and "reach out to various groups until we reach the villages."

In her speech, Clark said that there is no quick-fix solution to violence and crisis but sustainable peace can be attained by growing understanding and sharing common beliefs and respect for each other.

She added that there is also need to strengthen the cooperation and understanding between nations to build stronger links.

Clark also said that the media has very important role dialogues for peace, and there is need to engage the fourth estate in public consultations.

After the program, participants to the dialogue held a press conference wherein they briefed the members of both local and international press covering the event on what to expect from the dialogue.

Starting yesterday afternoon, there were workshop sessions in different topics like interfaith cooperation for regional peace and security; human dignity, development and interfaith cooperation; the role of education in promoting interfaith cooperation and the role of media in promoting interfaith cooperation.

The expected output for this dialogue is the Cebu Declaration on Regional Interfaith Cooperation on Peace, Development and Human Dignity and Specific Country-Level Commitments, incorporating recommendations from the workshop themes on regional peace and security, development and human dignity, roles of education and media. - Wenna A. Berondo and Jasmin R. Uy