GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/19 Nov) –  The bishops and ulama agree “In the Name of the Almighty, God of Harmony, Care for the Earth” is a timely choice for a peace week theme for Mindanao because caring for the environment is “an urgent and serious call to action."

This year’s Mindanao Week Of Peace (MWOP), the eighth since the Bishops-Ulama Conference adopted Zamboanga City’s Peace Week and made it Mindanao-wide, is on November 30 to December 6. 

“For Mindanao at the present moment, is undergoing environmental degradation and destruction. It must be protected from illegal logging, illegal mining, naïve subdivision developers, unscrupulous land conversion to golf courses, and uncontrolled pollution by factories and garbage mismanagement,’ the joint statement of Bishops-Ulama Conference convenors, Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla; Mahid Mutilan, president of the Ulama League of the Philippines; and Hilario Gomez, Bishop of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, said.

The statement, issued July 24, was distributed during the 29th Bishops-Ulama Conference Friday at the Sydney Hotel here.

“All these degradations are caused by unbridled greed and selfishness and blatant ignorance which underpin the violations of human rights and social unrest. Conflicts and wars can be traced in their origin to the abuse and misuse of land, resources, and political influence,” the BUC convenors said.

The three signatories acknowledge that true and lasting peace is “terribly difficult, yet not impossible. For, with God/Allah, nothing is impossible.

They appealed to Mindanawons to”effectively address” the environmental issues “before, during and after” the week of peace

“We wish to remind us all that peace comes from order and harmony both in our relationship with God, with one another and with the environment. This relationship must be characterized not only by love and respect, by justice and fairness but also by mercy and compassion,” the convenors said.

The theme echoes the mandate in Genesis 1:1, 27-28 of the Holy Bible and Sura II:29-30 of the Holy Qur’an, that humans were “created in God’s image and are vicegerents on the earth.”

“This dignity as God’s deputy in the care for the earth brings with it rights and obligations to maintain and protect the earth’s order and harmony originally built by the Creator for the interconnectedness of creation,” the convenors noted.

Last year’s theme was  “Millennium Development Goals: Women and Youth as Partners in Peace Building.”

The 2004 Mindanao Week of Peace theme was “A reconciled family, agent of reconciliation." The 2003 Peace Week’s theme was “Healing through Forgiveness: Key to Total Human Development;” In 2002, it was "Peace through Reconciliation: Mindanaoans seeking a common ground;” in 2001,  “Peace: Sharing the Vision of Unity and Hope;” in 2000, “Mindanaoans Journeying Together Towards a  Culture of Peace;” and in 1999, “Healing the Past, Building the Future.”  (Carolyn O. Arguillas/MindaNews)

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