MAJORITY of the programs and initiatives of Silsilah were developed and are operating in Zamboanga City, and many in the Philippines know Silsilah as a dialogue movement and come to the city to avail of its formation programs.

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Formation is one of the major programs of the movement to internalize the Silsilah Vision-Mission, deepen values towards a life-in-dialogue, to help appreciate differences of culture and religion and to help grow in conviction and witnessing to one’s own religious and cultural traditions, thus develop wholeness in becoming men and women of dialogue. Formation activity like the Summer Courses on Muslim-Christian provides Immersion for the participants.

The Christians live with Muslim families while the Muslim stays with Christian families. Based on experience of the course this pedagogy is very effective in correcting mutual presumptions, biases and prejudices of the participants against the others’ religion. These families are regular members of the movement which are considered to be Foster Families for Dialogue and Peace - they are Muslim and Christian families in the different Harmony Zone areas who live the spirit of the movement and welcome participants of Silsilah summer courses and Immersion-Formation program to their homes as part of the exposure experiences of the visitors.

On July 5-12, 2009, 14 Orders of Preachers Brothers and Priests composed of six Vietnamese, two Japanese, one Chinese, one Australian and four Filipinos of the Asia-Pacific Dominican who are having their Common Study Program visited the Harmony Village, Pitogo, Sinunuc, this city.

This is the second time that the Dominicans had their exposure-immersion in Silsilah which also cater other groups or individuals who are interested to emerge themselves in the spirituality of life in dialogue and recognizing the beauty and uniqueness of the differences of other religions and cultures.

Fr. Edmond Nantes, OP who is their Formator of the program, said they are happy to have their exposure at Silsilah and that they appreciated the concept of dialogue and how the movement made the spirituality into reality specifically in this part of the region, Mindanao.

For five days, the participants of the immersion program had the opportunity to understand the concept of Muslim-Christian dialogue and the spirituality of Silsilah, dialogue a way to harmony, solidarity and peace. Prof. Alih Aiyub and Sr. Estrella Llerin, OND both shared their thoughts and experiences on Interreligious dialogue on Muslim and Christian perspectives respectively. They both emphasized on deepening of own faith and commitment for IRD can take place only between people who are committed and maintaining their identity. The Dominicans had the opportunity to visit some of the historical and religious places like the Fort Pilar Shrine, the Metro Politan Cathedral and the different Dominican Sisters house here in the city.

To internalize the idea of interreligious dialogue they were immersed into the Foster Families for 1-day and 2-night in the different communities, such as Lower Calarian, Sta. Catalina and Sinunuc, which are predominantly Muslim areas. They have shared thoughts with the members of the family, eat together, sleep in their homes with no worries of the differences because of the hospitality and openness that each family have shown and accepting the Dominicans as part and member of the family.

Their immersion experience has brought them to some realizations that nothing escapes God’s loving embrace in the midst of diversity and this experience of dialogue will be treasured for the rest of their religious lives. (PR)