ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (CBCP / August 15, 2008) ─ A regional peace summit in Zamboanga City will allow the youth to listen to each other, in a spirit of dialogue, as they describe their thoughts on Dreaming a New Community through the Culture of Dialogue as Path to Peace.
Selected participants from the previous symposia on dialogue and peace held separately in Jolo, Basilan and Zamboanga City will participate in this upcoming 1st Regional Peace Summit.
In the earlier symposia, youth participants shared their thoughts on the theme “The Voice of the Youth for Dialogue and Peace: An Urgent Concern of the Times.”
The upcoming summit, organized by Silsilah Dialogue Movement will be held at the Oasis Dialogue Center in Pitogo, Sinunuc, Zamboanga City on August 22-24.
Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, PIME, founder of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement said the summit comes at a judicious moment “when our community is challenged by decisions made and being made by our leaders.”
He said it is a challenge for everyone to “respond in a way that reflects our commitment to peace,” and that “it would be judicious for our government leaders to listen to what the youth have to say.”
The movement has always considered the youth as special collaborators in its pursuit of peace. It aims in imbuing the youth with ideals and values of dialogue which will mold them to become people of dialogue.
D’Ambra said the movement has a special program for the youth with activities designed to help them acquire an orientation to a life-in-dialogue.
“Among these activities have been training of madaris/gurus who teach values formation to the youth. There have been youth camps that provide Muslim and Christian youth, as well as youth from different religious traditions, to come together and forge bonds of friendship. Youth with talents for news writing have been trained to hone these skills so that they might use the press to promote the ideals of dialogue, peace and harmony which are at the core of Silsilah’s vision and mission,” said D’Ambra.
Silsilah Dialogue Movement promotes a spirituality that is open to dialogue to all faiths, based on trust and respect for other cultures. (Pinky Barrientos, FSP)
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