One step, two steps, then, I stopped and looked around inside the airport, feeling nervous. Can I do this? Can I manage to travel alone and navigate a foreign country? Can I communicate clearly so that they can understand me? Will I be able to make friends? Will I be able to participate in the training as I had hoped? These were just a few of the questions that ran through my mind during my trip t...

On 13 July 2020, MPI organized its first Myanmar MPI alumni online meeting.  Since the coronavirus pandemic has turned the whole world upside down, MPI has started to virtually reach out to its alumni as a way to reconnect and as a sign of solidarity in these very challenging times. In one of these alumni meetings, in April 2020, the idea was born for MPI to conduct participatory research with its alumni, taking advantage of the vast network of MPI peacebuilders representing different layers and sectors of society around the globe. By en...

Peace, faith, and solidarity are larger than the COVID-19 pandemic. Observing the minimum health protocols and social distancing, Pakigdait Inc.–United Religions Initiative through its Project PeaceConnect by The Asia Foundation (TAF) and in partnership with Center for Humanitarian Dialogue, VSO-Philippine, Nonviolent Peaceforce – Lanao Field Team, and the 2nd Mechanized infantry brigade Philippine army conducted its heartwarming traditional “Duyog Ramadan.“* ...
Celebrating 20 Years of Peacebuilding

Celebrating 20 Years of Peacebuilding

It is now 2020, and the world is still struggling to achieve peace. But, a small yet committed and dedicated group of peacebuilders envisions having just and peaceful communities in Asia-Pacific and beyond. For two decades, the Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute (MPI) from Davao City, Mindanao—their island home in the Philippines—has been gathering together peacebuilders from all corners of the globe. MPI does this so that these peacebuilders can become empowered as catalysts, bringing about positive change and social transformation in their communities. Today, MPI stands fast in creating safe spaces for mutual learning and exchange, opening more and more hearts and minds to the possibility of peace in our lifetime throughout the world.