Peace Forging Friendship: Project Amihan hosts Peacebuilding Webinar

by Maan Deuda

Banking on cordial relations in bridging lasting impact, Project Amihan: Young Peace Weavers organized a webinar on “Building Peace through Friendship” via Zoom on November 9, 2024.

Supported and funded by the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) of the U.S. State Department and Kenan Foundation Asia, Project Amihan is an advocacy initiative dedicated to connecting people from diverse backgrounds to establish peace and understanding.

This online campaign also sought to educate youth on digital storytelling and increase awareness of diversity to foster harmony and tolerance. In support of ongoing peacebuilding efforts, this project reconciles the difficulties of misunderstandings and cultural differences.

Gracia Kelana, Project Amihan mentor, officially launched the online event with her opening remarks, emphasizing the core objective of the initiative. “Our aim is simple but profound—it’s to equip you guys with the insights and skills to use digital storytelling and social media to amplify voices of friendship and peace, bridging divides and dispelling misconceptions that so often lead to conflict,” she said.

Using storytelling and dialogue to build interfaith friendship, Abel Moya, Director of Pakigdait Inc., led the first session entitled, “Friendship Across Religions and Cultures: A Foundation for Peace”.

Pakigdait Inc. was formed in response to the 2000 all-out war in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, launched by President Joseph Estrada against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), led by Commander Bravo.

Moya detailed the activities conducted by Pakigdait in Mindanao, which aim to heal traumas, help individuals process their experiences, and promote friendships across diverse backgrounds. Among these activities was an intergroup peer session and storytelling initiative that profiled 10 young Meranao and Christian leaders from Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur.

During these sessions, these 10 youth leaders, who carried memories and a lingering fear of the MILF from the incident, underwent a process of healing and understanding. This journey culminated in a face-to-face dialogue with Abdullah Macapaar, now a member of parliament, held inside the MILF camp.

Through two parallel sessions, both groups had the opportunity to share experiences and engage in deep conversations, which ultimately led to the formation of meaningful friendships that have endured. Moya emphasized the need to address conflict actors directly in the process of peacebuilding, asserting that understanding them is essential for fostering coexistence and navigating friendships with people from diverse backgrounds.

Discussing the second session entitled, “Social Media for Peace Advocacy: Amplifying Friendship for Unity,” Ryjean Quent Kamid focused on the role of friendship as a foundation in digital peacebuilding.

Drawing on her experience in leading advocacy projects and digital campaigns, Kamid outlined three key steps for creating digital spaces that promote peace through friendship: think, embark, and create. “As advocates, the number one role that we have here is to try, solve or mitigate problems,” she explained.

Kamid also highlighted that friendships should go beyond being a shared safe space; they should serve as an avenue for societal impact. “Don’t just go to coffee shops and take aesthetic photos and, you know, post it on Instagram or something. Use that friendship to leave something [impactful],” she added.

Prof. Mark Anthony J. Torres, PhD., was the final speaker of the webinar, leading the third session entitled “Peaceful Communication: Digital Peacebuilding through Friendship”.

Known for his extensive work in peacebuilding, educational transformation, and community development through academic and grassroots initiatives, Dr. Torres also serves as the Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives at MSU-IIT. His discussion was anchored on peaceful communication in digital spaces.

He began by addressing the various challenges in digital communication, particularly anonymity and the creation of echo chambers. “Sometimes it’s difficult [to know] who or from where these sentiments or ideas are coming from because of the issue of anonymity online. Echo chambers and polarization are significant challenges for online communication, especially on social media platforms like Facebook. What happens is that the more you click on something, the more you’re led to that particular topic or theme,” he said.

Dr. Torres emphasized the importance of digital etiquette, awareness, and considerate reactions in order to foster peace online. He noted that visual clues such as emoticons and delayed replies can help promote empathy.

In Filipino culture, peaceful communication has evolved from mere acceptance of others to a collaborative approach, where concerns are voiced tactfully, and active listening is essential. In order to promote varied, amicable interactions, algorithms must be modified to minimize echo chambers.

“Before, our concept of peaceful communication was that you just had to accommodate people’s ideas. Now, our understanding of peaceful communication is collaboration. Meaning, you are able to express your concerns and ideas sensitively, mindful that you are also going to actively listen to the ideas of others, which is usually, really, based on the concept of collaboration,” Dr. Torres added.

The closing remarks were delivered by Amihan’s project leader, Lou Ellen Antonio. Synthesizing key points of the webinar, she highlighted that fostering connections across ethnic and religious divides is crucial for breaking stereotypes and promoting peace. These friendships foster peaceful cooperation by building trust and understanding.

“In both personal and digital spaces, friendships rooted in respect and empathy can reduce tensions and create meaningful conversations. Social media, when used wisely, can amplify stories of friendship and help to advocate for peace, unity, and inclusivity across diverse communities. We also hope that through this webinar, you have not only gained new insights but also made new friends and gained a deeper understanding of their cultures. Hopefully, this is not the end. We look forward to more activities and collaborations in the near future,” she said.

In attendance were 300 participants from across the country, sharing their testimonies on how the initiative influenced their perspectives on promoting peace through the friendships they established.

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