RP's international interfaith initiatives lauded

MANILA, Philippines - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has commended the Philippines’ international interfaith initiatives, particularly the Tripartite Forum on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace.

In Perth, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith also thanked the Philippine government for co-hosting the 5th

 Regional Interfaith Dialogue together with his country, New Zealand, and Indonesia.

The 11-member Philippine delegation, led by deputy presidential peace adviser Nabil Tan, presented at the three-day gathering the many initiatives in the country to foster understanding and harmony among various faiths, particularly Christians and Muslims.

“We want to live in a country and in a region where peace and respect and tolerance are regarded as virtues,” Smith told some 140 participants from Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and several Pacific islands at the closing ceremonies yesterday at King’s Park.

He noted that the Philippines chairs the United Nations General Assembly’s ministerial level interfaith dialogue.

The dialogue, whose theme was “Future Faith Leaders: Regional Challenges and Cooperation,” released the Perth Declaration yesterday, which called on governments to continue supporting the annual gathering.

The 14-point declaration also committed to continue initiatives to foster peace and conflict resolution among members of different faiths.

The Philippines welcomed the commendation by Clinton on the country’s international interfaith initiatives when she cited the country in a speech announcing the publication of the US State Department’s 2009 Report on International Religious Freedom on Oct. 26.

The Annual Review of International Religious Freedoms is submitted by the US State Department to the US Congress in compliance with the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998.

The review serves as the basis for policy, conduct of diplomacy, assistance, training, and resource allocation of US government departments, agencies, bureaus, and offices.

“The commendation serves as a validation of the work being done by the Philippines in the promotion of interfaith dialogue as an engine for peace and development at the national, regional and international levels,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

Clinton remarked that this year’s review is focused on the promotion of interfaith dialogue and tolerance.

Shared values

She emphasized the importance of interfaith initiatives such as those undertaken by the Philippines and Jordan, as they “build on the shared values and common concerns of faith communities to sow the seeds of lasting peace.”

The US Department of State 2009 Report on International Religious Freedom also said that conversion from Christianity to Islam is most typical among overseas Filipinos who have lived and worked in Islamic countries, largely because conversion brings social and economic benefits while abroad.

“Many of these ‘converts of convenience’ remain Muslim upon their return to the country and are known collectively as “Balik Islam” (return to Islam),” the report said.

Although the Philippine government generally respected religious freedom in practice and there were no reports of religious detainees or prisoners in the country, the report said there was some ethnic, religious, and cultural discrimination against members of the Muslim minority by members of the Christian majority.

“This, combined with economic disparities, contributed to persistent conflict in certain provinces in the southern Philippines,” it said.

The report pointed out that the Constitution provides for freedom of religion and other laws and policies contributed to the generally free practice of religion and the government does not ban or discourage specific religious groups or religious factions.

However, it said that Muslims, who are concentrated in some of the most impoverished provinces, complained that the government has not made sufficient efforts to promote their economic development.

Some Muslim religious leaders asserted that Muslims suffered from economic discrimination.

Cognizant of the vital role of interfaith dialogue in promoting peace and the general well-being of its people, the interfaith dialogue is a key strategy under the Philippines’ Medium-Term Development Plan.

Interfaith dialogue also plays an integral role in the quest for lasting peace in Mindanao and is part of a framework for the conduct of healing and reconciliation programs.

Lead role

The Philippines has maintained a lead role on interfaith initiatives in the international community.

Its resolutions and initiatives on interfaith dialogue are well-entrenched in the United Nations.

Interfaith dialogue in the UN stems from a Philippine tabled resolution entitled “Promotion of Inter-religious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding and Cooperation for Peace” that was unanimously approved by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in November 2004.

Aside from the Tripartite Forum on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace, which is a partnership between governments, UN agencies and civil society organizations that work outside the UN mantle, the Ministerial Meeting on Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace (MMIDCP) is a high-level meeting founded and convened annually by the Philippines since 2006 at the sidelines of the UNGA.

During the 4th MMIDCP last Sept. 25, the Philippines stressed the role of interfaith dialogue as a complementary approach to preventing conflict by sowing the seeds of mutual understanding, mutual respect, tolerance, reconciliation and cooperation.

As a concrete manifestation of the Arroyo administration’s commitment to the cause of peace and building bridges between communities of different cultures and ethnicity, the Philippines is set to host the Special Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial Meeting on Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace and Development in 2010.

This will mark the first time that a meeting on interfaith dialogue will be held under the auspices of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

The DFA announced last Oct. 24 the government’s decision to postpone the Special NAM Ministerial Meeting (SNAMMM) on Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace and Development in December in Manila as the country’s efforts and resources are still focused on relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

DFA Undersecretary for Special Concerns Rafael Seguis said the Philippine government’s decision was made after consulting partners in the NAM, through Egypt which is the chair of the NAM Coordinating Bureau in New York, chose the Philippines to host the SNAMMM on Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace and Development this December in Manila.