Monday, August 11, 2008 Editorials: Stay the course
IS A PHRASE used in the context of battle, meaning to keep on no matter what the obstacle is. But we are using this in the context of peace.
Stay the course, while Moro rebels are fighting it out once more against our soldiers, and let us not be led to believe that what our brothers in Lanao, Zamboanga and North Cotabato are crying out for is war.
Stay the course, and let us keep our collective consciousness that the demand being raised by our brothers is for open consultation on concerns that will affect them, their families, their communities, and their future.
Stay the course, and let us not allow ourselves to fan enmity among ourselves.
There's renewed hostilities, obviously, but let us not be led to believe that this is about difference in our religion, culture, and beliefs.
The Moro people have the right to clamor for their ancestral domain. The indigenous people and settlers alike have the right to protect their territories. Everyone has the right to know what the government is bargaining with, especially when they are part of the bargain.
Ergo, the battle being fought by the non-combatant Mindanaoans is transparency and the right to be heard. Both doesn't even come close to religiosity.
Strive for peace
In Davao City, all is set for Kadayawan, the city's festival that is once more led towards its original vision of celebrating not just the city's bounty, but its cultural diversity as well.
Behind the celebration is a celebration for peace, as the contests, fora, shows, and exhibits underscore the diverse culture that has become one in Davao, making our city different from all others as people have through all these diverse cultures and beliefs found a harmonious whole -- Christian, lumad, Moro alike.
May the coming Kadayawan be the beacon for all of us in Mindanao to hold on to peace and strive to find harmony amid diversity, no matter how difficult it may be sometimes.
