Philippines 2011: Children Have Voices for Peace

Activity Recap

From Unicef Report:

In the Philippines, the Day of Prayer and Action kicked-off celebrations for the Mindanao Week of Peace, with support from UNICEF, Religions for Peace and other partners, through a call from school children to end armed conflict in the region. Students of Maharlika Elementary School (Manila) symbolically buried toy water guns, crafted seed eggs and painted a mural of Muslim, Lumad and Christian people’s designs inspired by the stories of peace workers who fled their homes during the fighting. Seeded eggs (popularly called “Seed Bombs”) made of fruit and flower seeds, soil, and clay were crafted by the children using clay from unbaked candle and flower holders. These were originally made by 400 Muslim and Christian children of Tala Elementary School last February as part of a peace ritual for the Presidential Inauguration and a resumption of peace talks. These seed eggs are part of a series of symbolic messages by children to the peace panels to mainstream children’s issues into peace agreements. See http://kapwamindanao.weebly.com/news.html

Children’s Call for the End Armed Conflict on Universal Children’s Day Kicks-Off Mindanao Week of Peace in Manila

TAGUIG, PHILIPPINES.  Grade-school students of Maharlika Elementary School burried toy water guns, crafted seed eggs for peace, and painted a mural of tri-people symbols on November 20 for the global observance of the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children. The event kicks off the annual Mindanao Week of Peace celebrations in Metro Manila.

Around the world, countries engaged religious leaders in calling out to stop violence against children including the end of child marriage and child slavery. In the Philippines, the end of armed conflict in the present generation was called out by children and for children through prayer and art.

One of the longest-running conflict in the world is in the Philippines and has affected thousands of children especially in Mindanao. Organizers of this event felt that it is time to end this conflict which has cycled to the 3rd and 4thgeneration since is started in the 1970’s. This was inspired by the stories of peace workers who fled their homes during bombings as children only to repeat the same experience with their own children decades after.

Seeded eggs were crafted by children were made of fruit and flower seeds, soil, and clay. The clay that was used to bind the eggs were grounded from the unbaked candle and flower holders crafted by 400 Muslim and Chirsitian children of Tala Elementary School last February as part of a peace ritual by children for the Presidential Inauguration of the resumption of the Peace Talks after 3 years in the waiting. These seed eggs are part of a series of symbolic messages by children to the Peace Panelists to mainstream children’s issues in the peace agreement particularly the rights of children affected by armed conflict and the eventual accord of the negotiations in their present generation so that this will no longer pass on to their own children.

A mural was also co-created with children using stencil designs of symbolic patterns from Muslim, Lumad, and Chiristian peoples of Mindanao.

The event was organized by UNICEF Philippines, Religions for Peace Philippines, The Peacemakers’ Circle Foundation, United Religions Innitiative South East Asia and the Pacific , Asia America Initiative, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos and the Mindanao Solidarity Network (MSN). MSN is a network of NGOs in Metro Manila engaging in peace initiatives with and for Mindanao. MSN is actively engaging key decision makers and the public to uphold and support the peace process between the Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). T

This activity is one of the many activities that will take place from November 21 to December 3 in public places through fora, gatherings, and workshops with Internally Displaced Peoples from Mindanao, sectoral groups around Metro Manila.