DAVAO CITY, Philippines - In what is considered a historic opportunity, major schools and universities have responded to the call of the Bishops Ulama Council (BUC) to map out and implement a wide-ranging grassroots consultation in support of the Mindanao peace process.
Fr Albert Alejo, team leader of Konsult Mindanaw!, a Mindanao-wide consultation project, said that the academe is "the best implementor" of such a major initiative.
Schools that have signified their interest to be on board the project include the Ateneo universities in Davao, Zamboanga, and Cagayan de Oro; Notre Dame University in Marbel, South Cotabato province; the Mindanao State University in Marawi City and Tawi-Tawi, and Dansalan College in Bukidnon provinces.
Together, the schools will tap an extensive network of facilitators and support staff to conduct some 300 focus group discussions (FGD)in various parts of Mindanao and southern Palawan province.
The FGDs will be conducted in eight regional groupings – Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao, Caraga,Central Mindanao, Socsargen, Northeast Mindanao, Lanao del Norte and outside of Mindanao.
"We also need to hear the voices of the young ones in the academe because this peace process is not just for those who are in the peace panels but this is for everyone in Mindanao, " Alejo, a social anthropologist, pointed out.
He added that the heads of the universities have already pledged to spare a day for a forum or a symposium in their respective universities, which is slated to kick off on April.
The consultation process was presented by the 18-member Design Committee on Community Dialogue comprising an inter-faith representation from Mindanao's academic community, the Ulama League of the Philippines and representatives from the indigenous Lumad early this month at the 36th General Assembly of the BUC.
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