ASIA/PHILIPPINES

ASIA/PHILIPPINES – From the Silsilah Movement, a call for dialogue and peace

Zamboanga (Agenzia Fides) – “Since 1984 we have been promoting the culture of dialogue as a path to peace in Mindanao, in the southern Philippines and throughout the world. Today we resume our journey with an even more intense message” , said Benson M. Rance, among the leaders of the Movement for Islamic-Christian Dialogue “Silsilah”, active in the southern Philippines, founded by Father Sebastiano D’Ambra, Catholic missionary of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions . After a two-year hiatus, due to the pandemic, the “Silsilah” movement has resumed its “in-person” training courses and seminars, which are held at Harmony Village, near the city of Zamboanga, on the island of Mindanao. , in the southern Philippines.
The movement starts from a concrete experience of Christians and Muslims living together in the same place (the village of harmony) and extends its cultural and spiritual work to spread a lifestyle based on dialogue as a path to peace, in four dimensions: dialogue with God, dialogue with oneself, dialogue with one’s neighbour, dialogue with creation. Silsilah celebrates its 36th anniversary in 2022 and, among its training experiences, continues to offer a month-long “basic course” and another week-long intensive course to people of different religions and nationalities who wish learn and practice the “culture of dialogue”, an experience which, it is said, is above all spiritual.
This year’s summer course, reported by Benson M. Rance, focused on the theme “Christian Synodality and Islamic Ijma (Arabic: ‘Consensus’): Similarities, Differences, and Challenges.” Attendees and the entire Silsilah movement made a statement of commitment affirming: “Living in a world marked by divisions and conflicts, socio-economic and ecological crises, religious and cultural prejudices, especially in Mindanao , we commit ourselves to dialogue with God to allow him to transform lives and become aware of his loving presence in everything. In the note sent to Fides, we can read: “Let us live our faith with sincerity and openness to become loving and compassionate to our brothers and sisters; let us dialogue with others by taking the first step in witnessing to the love of God, by sincerely accepting everyone as a gift from God, by appreciating the diversity of our cultures, our religious beliefs and our traditions; let us dialogue with Creation in order to act together to protect and care for our common home.
“In this way, we can be carriers of peace and harmony by living the core of our spirituality, traveling together in a direction that brings people back to God,” notes Rance. The Movement, concludes Rance, “will continue to train Muslims and Christians in the spirit of human brotherhood and the culture of dialogue”.
(SD-PA) (Agenzia Fides, 22/8/2022)


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ASIA/PHILIPPINES – From the Silsilah Movement, a call for dialogue and peace