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Alumni News

News from and about MPI Alumni

Post-conflict peace work: experiences from Sierra Leone

Post-conflict peace work: experiences from Sierra Leone

Written by: Patrick van Wersch

DAVAO CITY (July 24, 2019) - In a Public Dialogue entitled ‘Peace Work in Post-Conflict Sierra Leone,’ hosted jointly by the Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute (MPI) and the Al Qalam Institute for Islamic Identities and Dialogue in Southeast Asia of the Ateneo de Davao University, MPI alumnus Shecku Kawusu Mansaray shared his insights working as an adult educator and peacebuilder in Sierra Leone. The participants, including representatives from Mindanao-based civil society organizations (CSOs) and Ateneo de Davao University faculty members, were challenged to reflect on Mansaray’s lessons learned and encouraged to draw and discuss comparisons between the peace and conflict dynamics in Sierra Leone and Mindanao.

MPI Alumnus Co-convenes Conference on Secularism, State and Interfaith Dialogue in India

MPI Alumnus Co-convenes Conference on Secularism, State and Interfaith Dialogue in India

MPI alumnus Padmakumar M M (2019) is one of the convenors of a National Conference on Secularism, State and Interfaith Dialogue in India. The conference was organized by organised by CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore in association with Centre for the Study of World Religions (DVK), Bangalore and National Foundation for Communal Harmony Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India, New Delhi. The conference will be held September 24 and 25, 2019. So, while it is to late to attend the conference, we wanted to share what was being organized as an example of who MPI alumni are involved in peacebuilding and to give others ideas of what they might do.

The goal of the conference is "to deliberate over Secularism, State and Interfaith Dialogue in the context of promoting communal harmony in our Nation." The objectives of the conference are:

  • To ensure a platform for members from different religious and faith backgrounds to come together and reflect over the need for interfaith dialogue
  • To take stock and spread awareness about the ways in which the State, Secularism are enablers of Interfaith Dialogue
  • To encourage academicians and the State to deliberate on interfaith dialogue as a mechanism for promoting communal harmony
  • To promote a culture of peace and harmony and cherish diverse identities and communities in our country
On life-altering memories, the power of roleplay, and making peace work

On life-altering memories, the power of roleplay, and making peace work

An MPI alumni round table conversation

Written by: Patrick van Wersch

They had optimistically agreed the night before to attend Sunday morning mass. But one of them—ironically the pastor—overslept. So instead, after a late breakfast they gathered around a table to read and reflect on their favorite Bible passages. A few hours later, after being joined by a fourth peacebuilder, they found themselves in a similar setting as they sat down with Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute’s (MPI) Marlies Roth and Patrick van Wersch for a round table conversation. Eager to share their experiences as MPI Annual Training alumni they were challenged to answer two questions: ‘How have you put your learnings into practice?’ and ‘What can you learn from each other?’ The exchange illustrated the sense of community the foursome has grown accustomed to in their work for the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)*.

Safe spaces, outsider perspectives, and communities of peace

Safe spaces, outsider perspectives, and communities of peace

An MPI round table conversation between promising peacebuilders

Written by: Patrick van Wersch

With the AC humming, the freshly brewed coffee at serving temperature, and the round table covered with turquoise cloth positioned at the center of the big rectangular meeting room, the stage is set for a Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute (MPI) first. Four peacebuilders, all MPI Annual Peacebuilding Training first-timers, join MPI’s Marlies Roth and Patrick van Wersch for a conversation about why they made the trip to Davao in the southern Philippines, why they do the work they do, and how they benefit from engaging with other peacebuilders from around the globe.

Enlightening Inner Peace Through Peace Education

Enlightening Inner Peace Through Peace Education

Le Ngoc Bich Ly (second from the right in photo), originally from Vietnam, is a faculty member at Payap University’s Institute for Religion, Culture and Peace (ICP). Through various programs, the institute aims to raise awareness around global issues and promotes tolerance across faiths. Le is involved in developing programs as well as serving as a lecturer.

As a peace educator, she is responsible for offering courses such as Religion and Peacebuilding and Gender and Ethnic Identity in Peacebuilding. Even though not all of her students have a peacebuilding background, she enjoys helping them discover what it means to be a peacebuilder. She believes that peacebuilding is for everyone.

Le believes that inner peace is the core of peacebuilding. Inner peace, which means one is able to have peace within her/himself, allows one to have a peaceful relationship with others. At the same time, the theories of peace from the academician will be in vain if there is no action for peace.
Affirming her calling as a peace educator is a process. Part of the challenge is to be able to validate information based on academic research. As difficult as this can be, Le never regrets having chosen this path as she sees it as part of God’s plan for her life.