Building Community Resilience, Peace and Reconciliation as a Response to Global (Dis)order: The ‘Tangible’ and ‘Intangible’ Aspects of Local Faith Actors’ Contributions
This report focuses on the study conducted in the Philippines by the Ateneo de Manila University in partnership with World Vision Development Foundation, Inc. (World Vision International in the Philippines) and Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology. It forms part of a wider project that seeks to deepen scholarly and public understanding of local faith actors (LFAs) and their role in fostering community resilience, peace, and reconciliation in Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Burundi.
The primary objectives of the research project are twofold: first, to analyze the ‘tangible’ (material) and ‘intangible’ (spiritual) contributions of LFAs to peace and reconciliation; and second, to advocate for greater recognition of these contributions among international actors operating within the ‘triple nexus‘ of peace, development, and humanitarian aid.
Methodologically, the project adopted a participatory action research (PAR) approach, combining interdisciplinary theories from religious studies, sociology, and conflict analysis. Central activities included workshops with religious leaders/LFAs using an adapted Do No Harm for Faith Groups (DNHFG) tool, monthly ‘cellphilms’ (short videos recorded on mobile phones) produced by LFAs to document their peacebuilding practices, in-depth interviews, and case studies. In the Philippines, the research engaged 33 religious leaders/LFAs from diverse faiths, regions, and areas of specialization, but with a focus in Mindanao, the country’s southernmost island group.
Findings from the research highlights how religious leaders articulate peace as a lived experience–one that is personal and at the same time, interpersonal. Their faith and values are also the main drivers for their peacebuilding initiatives. Most importantly, religious leaders are able to draw on their traditional authority to influence the shape of peacebuilding in their respective communities.
These findings are important in two respects. First, they advance the idea of peacebuilding beyond the context of addressing violent conflict and foreground communities as loci of creative forms bringing about and sustaining peace. Second, they break harmful and stereotypical depictions of Mindanao as the nation’s backwater, beset by the never-ending conflict between Muslims and Christians.
Overall, the study acknowledges the fact that religious leaders have since been at the forefront of peacebuilding in Mindanao. It also recognizes their role and the ‘intangible’ sources that continue to drive their sense of purpose and mission. However, they should be prepared to address novel challenges and complex issues that may contradict their convictions as Mindanao transitions to a post-conflict setting.
