Duyog Mindanao 2011: An Epic Run for Peace

DUYOG MINDANAO 2011 – PROMOTING CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPATION
IN SUSTAINED PEACEBUILDING FOR SUSTAINABLE PEACE IN MINDANAO


Mindanao PeaceWeavers

BACKGROUND

Sustained peacebuilding is vital in order to achieve sustainable peace. This campaign has the main aim of DEVELOPING POPULAR AND POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR THE PEACE PROCESS IN MINDANAO.

Achieving a negotiated political settlement of the armed conflict between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is crucial to move forward genuine development not only in Mindanao but also in the whole country.

The 2011 World Development Report describes how armed conflicts, already rooted in maldevelopment and violations of basic human rights, further disrupt efforts towards development and address mass poverty.

“New poverty data reveal that poverty is declining for much of the world, but countries affected by violence are lagging behind. For every three years a country is affected by major violence (battle deaths or excess deaths from homicides equivalent to a major war), poverty reduction lags behind by 2.7 percentage points... No low-income fragile or conflict-affected country has yet achieved a single MDG. People in fragile and conflict-affected states are more than twice as likely to be undernourished as those in other developing countries, more than three times as likely to be unable to send their children to school, twice as likely to see their children die before age five, and more than twice as likely to lack clean water. On average, a country that experienced major violence over the period from 1981 to 2005 has a poverty rate 21 percentage points higher than a country that saw no violence.”


RATIONALE

The resumption of the peace negotiation between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has infused added vigour to the momentum for conflict prevention and peace building in Mindanao. There is palpable goodwill displayed by the conflict actors to deliver the peace dividends expected out of a potential peace agreement. Civil society must continue to add the weight of its collective voice in the crucial processes of identifying the structural underpinnings and determining acceptable solutions to the conflict in Mindanao. This requires civil society’s endeavour to prevent, resolve and transform the violent conflict through collective and coordinated efforts.
In 2010, the Mindanao Peoples’ Peace Agenda (MPPA) - centered on the 15-point agenda for peace - was successfully adopted and introduced to the major stakeholders in Mindanao and to the general public. In the same year, the MPPA was further socialized in the Visayas and Mindanao via the Duyog Mindanao campaign which was endorsed by the Mindanao Peaceweavers (MPW).

Conflict prevention in Mindanao necessitates not only averting the occurrence and escalation of armed conflict. More importantly, it is a process of identifying the underlying sources of conflicts, promoting dialogue as the more sustainable alternative, and reaching a consensus on a negotiated political settlement. The MPPA is an excellent platform for consensus building on the causes and solutions of the violent conflict in Mindanao.

Peacebuilding in Mindanao also requires building a peace constituency outside Mindanao. The Duyog Mindanao campaign contributed to changing the public “mood” in favour of dialogue as a viable process in resolving the causes of conflict in Mindanao. It was able to highlight the important role of ordinary citizens as actors in peacebuilding. It further emphasized the value of solidarity of citizens outside Mindanao in building a national accord in support of the peace process and provided a critical indicator for the conflict actors to consider.

Socializing the MPPA among the peace constituency generated by the Duyog Mindanao campaign, as well as consolidating and expanding the emerging constituency, is a critical way forward. It will contribute to the creation of a sustainable peace constituency that will add its weight to the peace process as well as give the GPH and MILF a critical indicator of public support as well as input to the peace negotiation – necessary factors that will embolden the conflict actors to do their best to overcome stumbling blocks to a negotiated political settlement.


OBJECTIVES

This campaign aims to address the PERCEIVED lack of citizen involvement in the GPH-MILF peace negotiation by creating a political and social environment that will ensure a broad popular and political support to the current peace process.

Previous and current civil society organization (CSO) initiatives in support of the peace process must be sustained, broadened and consolidated to include non-traditional groups of the larger polity and key stakeholders. Previous Duyog Mindanao campaigns (2008 and 2010) have laid the basis for a broad-based CSO participation in the peace process. This needs to be sustained in two ways: first, a tangible socio-political momentum must be created to ensure an inclusive process and the accountability of the panels and other key players to all stakeholders; second, relevant policies and actions identified by stakeholders and clearly communicated to key players must be made to fill gaps crucial to the success of the negotiation.

Concrete outcomes include: a) demonstrable social and political support to the peace process, including its possible outcomes; b) rallying support from members of the legislature and local government units; and c) indicators of a broad and popular support to the peace process clearly shown to key players such as members of the GPH and MILF peace panels, the International Contact Group (ICG), International Monitoring Team (IMT), local government units (LGUs), and official and non-governmental development agencies.


ACTIVITIES

Conversations for Peace

Tagbilaran, Bohol
1.    Organize BISDAK: Bisayang Dako Alang sa Kalinaw – Citizens’ Forum for Peace in Mindanao
2.    Hold one (1) peace forum/workshop
3.    Hold one (1) Run for Peace, benefit race for displaced communities in Mindanao

Dumaguete, Negros Oriental
1.    Organize BISDAK: Bisayang Dako Alang sa Kalinaw – Citizens’ Forum for Peace in Mindanao
2.    Hold one (1) Peae Forum/Workshop
3.    Hold one (1) Run for Peace, benefit race for displaced communities in Mindanao


Epic Run for Peace

Route: Zamboanga City-Ipil-Pagadian City-Cotabato City
Total distance: 451.9 kms.
Number of core runners: 20 from Bohol/BISDAK
Number of days: 10
Date: August 21-30, 2011

Zamboanga City
1.    Runners’ workshop on peace
2.    Citizens’ Forum on Peace
3.    Send-off Fun Run

Curuan-Tungawan-Roseller Lim-Ipil-Naga-Kabasalan-Siay-Imelda-Diplahan-Buug-Kumalarang-Tigbao-Dumalinao
1.    Interactions with communities and schools

Pagadian City
1.    Citizens’ Forum on Peace
2.    Send-off Fun Run

Labangan-Tukuran-Sultan Naga Dimaporo-Karomatan-Picong-Malabang-Kapatagan-Matanog-Parang
1.    Interactions with communities and schools
2.    Solidarity run (Parang to Cotabato)

Cotabato City
1.    Solidarity Run (Cotabato to Parang)
2.    Salubungan para sa Kapayapaan (runners from Cotabato City and Parang meeting halfway and then proceeding to Cotabato City)
3.    Culminating Program


Prepared by:

Judito A. Cabusao
Program Manager
Initiative for International Dialogue - Lead Secretariat, MPW

Saint Inday Potenciana of Bohol, Philippines

There is a hushed silence, here in the Shrine of Inday Potenciana, but that does not mean you are alone. This place, revered by the Andanons and other people, is filled with the presence of those who have visited and those who have yet to arrive.

The shrine houses the remains of Inday Potenciana. Every year, hundreds of thousands devotees undertake a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Inday Potencianat. It is open to all. So, have no fear wanderer...you will not be subject to the evil-eye by setting foot upon this hallowed ground.



 Potenciana Saranza, also known as Inday Potenciana, is celebrated as a saint by the devotees and believers in Bohol, Philippines.  The center of her veneration is in Barangay Tawid , a place of pilgrimage for  Anda, in Bohol, Philippines. Her historical existence has not been questioned; she was not declared saint by the Roman Catholic Church, but devotion to her revived in Bohol and other parts of Mindanao in Philippines. She was reputed to have promised very powerful indulgences to those who read her life, visited her shrine, or invoked her intercessions; these no doubt helped the spread of her cultus.


Life
Potenciana Saranza was born in Poblacion, Anda, Bohol, Philippines 19 May 1927, the daughter of Mamerto Cagata Saranza, a farmer, and Pilar Amplayo Escobal, a housewife. Both her parents were devout Catholics.

She finished elementary at Anda Central Elementary School and high School. Inday wanted to become a teacher but her parents were poor to support her education. Inday convinced her parents to send her to college. Seeing their daughter's determination to become a teacher, the family's rice field and carabaos were sold to support her studies at Central Visayas Institute.

At the age of 26, she was teaching at Bincalan Elementary School in Misamis Oriental, Mindanao, Philippines. According to those who knew her, she was so kind, helpful and hardworking.

A year later, on April 1, 1953, she was about to go to Poblacion of Misamis Oriental when she got a ride to a logging truck due to lack of transportation when the truck inevitably crashed on a coconut tree. Due to fast and powerful impact of the truck, Inday Potenciana was moved out from truck bumped on the coconut tree. She was dead on the spot in the cause of internal hemorrage.

Her uncle, Fortunate Amper took care and buried her body at Gingoog Cemetery. Her body was placed in a casket, which was sealed and buried in Mindanao. Nine years later, her parents had dreamed to bring her remains to Anda. Her remains were ansferred to Anda via motorized outrigger boat owned by Quirino Visaya.

She was again buried in their home ground in Poblacion near Quinali Beach. After one year, the regional health officer, Dr. Garcia had came to his attention that the body is decaying, thus, he’d seen an imperative defense by transferring her body to the municipal cemetery. They enlisted the support of the jail persons to move out from the ground. Finally, when the coffin was out from the ground, the community was startled what they had seen. It was exhumed and the body was found to be intact and uncorrupted just like few days ago she was buried. It was reported that the body sweated a perfumed liquid flowed from her hands and feet.

Dr. Garcia sprayed anti-bacteria to her body and then finally buried in the Anda Cemetery.

One month later, Dr. Garcia reportedly died of high blood pressure. But according to the townfolks and followers of Inday Potenciana, he was being terrified and dreamt of his being injustice and unbeliever. Though shrouded with mystery followers still amass themselves every Fridays and Mondays of April, in commemoration of her death anniversary and thanking her for her good deeds.

Since then her body (though her remains looks like steel), reposing in a glass reliquary, lies in shrine conveniently situated beside the town cemetery.

Veneration
Inday Potenciana's cult developed in Mindanao and spread throughout  Bohol after her death in 1953.

Miraculous cures of the incurably ill began to happen after her death and continue to this day.

Hundreds of thousands make the pilgrimage to Anda each year.

To those who want to go abroad or pass board exams, believers shared Inday Potenciana is still granting wishes.

People still offer candles and flowers. They touch the glass cover of the tomb and make a symbol of the cross. They even wipe the glass with their handkerchiefs because they believe that the "moist" from the glass has healing power.

While the Roman Catholic Church doesn't recognize Inday Potenciana as a saint, devotees and believers have never ceased to venerate Inday Potenciana honoring her on May 19.

Woman with two wombs gives birth from both

August 10, 2011, 9:12 am Yahoo UK lifestylechannels

A woman has given birth to two babies from two uterus's, beating the one in five million odds.

 

An Indian woman with two wombs has given birth to two boys, one from each uterus.

Rinku Devi, 28, from the northern city of Patna, had expected to deliver twins. Instead, the babies were conceived from two eggs fertilised at different times, each of which then developed in a separate womb.
Ms Devi has a double uterus, also known as uterus didelphys. Less than 100 women worldwide are known to have been pregnant in both wombs.

The chance of a woman with two wombs having two separate births is estimated to be around one in five million.

Despite having already given birth to a single baby four years ago, Ms Devi was unaware she had the rare medical condition.

"I got to know about having two uteruses when I was already in labour pain," Ms Rinka was reported as saying in the Daily Mail.

"I didn't know how to react. I was in pain and quite scared. I had not heard of anything like this before. I got to know about the rarity and the severity of this condition days after my delivery.

"I am very happy and feel proud to have survived through this. When I was told I was carrying twins, I thought they would look the same, but I am happy they look different. I want to thank God for giving me a new life," she said.

The premature babies were delivered by Caesarean section at the Mati Sadan Prijat Nursing Home in Muzzaffarpur by gynaecologist Dr Dipti Singh. The babies weighed 1.98kg and 1.53kg.

During normal fetal growth, the uterus develops from two small tubes called Mullers ducts, which usually join to form a single uterus. However, in some cases the tubes fail to join completely, and two cavities or wombs are formed.

The two wombs may share a set of fallopian tubes, ovaries, cervix or vagina, but some women also have duplicates of these.

Women with the condition are usually at a higher risk of miscarriage, premature birth and bleeding during pregnancy.

http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/health/wellbeing/article/-/10007141/woman-with-two-wombs-gives-birth-from-both/