At least 50 peace practitioners from all over the Asia Pacific Region will come together in a five-day forum to identify uniquely Asian approaches in the field of conflict transformation and peacebuilding, and celebrate the vibrancy and successes of peace building initiatives in the different countries in Asia, The Balay Mindanaw Group of NGOs (BMG), host of the forum, said in a press statement.
The forum, which will be held at the Balay Mindanaw Peace Center in Bulua, will discuss the theme, “Exploring Asian Approaches to Peacebuilding.”
Dr. Galtung, also the founder of the PRIO-International Peace Research Institute in Oslo, and a member of the Advisory Council of the Committee for a democratic United Nations, will be the Forum keynote speaker.
The result of the forum will be documented and published into a book that will capture several thematic case studies from experiences of peace advocates in the Asia region.
The forum is sponsored by Action Asia, a network of individuals and organizations in the Asia continent committed to action for conflict transformation through the sharing of skills, knowledge, experiences and resources. “It carries a vision of a world of justice and peace, where basic needs are met and dignity and human rights are respected,” BMG said.
Before the formal start of the forum, a dialogue between Galtung and peace practitioners in Northern Mindanao will be held on October 26 at 2 to 4 pm at the Balay Mindanaw Peace Center. The dialogue is called "Peace Talks with Johan Galtung.” A press conference will follow at 5 in the afternoon.
BMG is composed of Balay Mindanaw Foundation, Inc., Balay Alternative Legal Advocates for Development in Mindanaw (BALAOD-Mindanaw), Resource Center for Development in Mindanaw (RCED), and Balay Davao Sur, Inc.
