07
Aug

Conflict Transformation Training Program in Marawi City

By
, , , , , , ,
0
MSU Main Campus - Marawi City > 10-Reduced Inequalities (SDG Goals) > Conflict Transformation Training Program in Marawi City

By Aliah Pacalna Cali-Pascan, JD., DPA

Lupon Representatives from Brgy. Cadayonan II, Brgy. Bangco, and Brgy. Paridi in Marawi City recently completed a three-day Conflict Transformation Training Program, held from July 21-23, 2025. This vital program, a collaborative effort by World Vision and the Institute for Peace and Development in Mindanao (IPDM), aimed to equip local peacekeepers with essential skills for resolving disputes within their communities.

Welcoming Remarks and Program Leadership

The training commenced with a warm welcome and opening remarks from ED Acram A. Latiph, who set a positive tone for the program. The intensive training was then spearheaded by a team of experienced peace educators. Professor Almahdi Alonto, Peace Education Officer, led the program, supported by Associate Peace Education Officer Professor Mujahid Baraki and Professor Corazon Mangelen. Dr. Aliah P. Cali-Pascan, Peace Action Officer, also played a crucial role, actively participating in the simulation activities to provide practical guidance and insights.

Empowering Community Peacekeepers

Participants engaged in a series of interactive sessions, workshops, and realistic simulations designed to enhance their understanding of conflict dynamics, communication strategies, and mediation techniques. The training emphasized community-based approaches to peacebuilding, empowering the Lupon Representatives to serve as effective agents of positive change in their respective barangays.

Representatives expressed their appreciation for the program, highlighting its practical relevance to their roles in maintaining peace and order at the grassroots level. The collaboration between World Vision, IPDM, and the dedicated team of peace educators marks a significant step towards fostering more resilient and harmonious communities within Marawi City.

About the author

The institute for peace and development in Mindanao (IPDM) was created by the MSU Board of Regents during its 182nd Meeting on December 7, 2001. The institute assumed the functions of two defunct units: the Muslim Christian Center for Peace Studies and the Muslim Mindanao Development Institute. It is now the central coordinating unit for all existing peace and development programs of the campuses of the University. MSU was established on September 1, 1961 as one of the government responses to the so-called “Mindanao problem.” The problem includes a violent struggle of segments of the Filipino Muslim population to redress long-standing grievances and assert Muslim selfhood and identity in the face of real and imagined threats of cultural and spiritual assimilation by the majority Filipino Christian population. The University was mandated to accelerate the “integration” of the cultural communities in Mindanao into the mainstream body politic and to accelerate the development of its service areas through instruction, research, and extension. In the pursuit of these objectives, the University also seeks to infuse spiritual and moral values, national consciousness and solidarity, and mutual understanding among Filipinos, which are necessary for peaceful coexistence and sustainable development. IPDM was therefore, created with the expectation that it would contribute to the easing of tensions and the promotion of justice and peace between Filipino Muslims and Christian by expanding knowledge, improving understanding and heightening sensitivity in relations between the peoples of Mindanao in particular, and the Philippines in general.

Leave a Reply