The Balay Mindanaw
International Center for Peace in Mindanaw
(ICPeace in Mindanaw)
ICPeace was conceived in 2008 from the then 12 year-old journey of Balay Mindanaw.
With the vision of Equity, Development and Peace in Mindanao, in the Philippines and in the World, Balay Mindanaw has for its mission to help build empowered and sustainable communities and helping build peace.
And it is exactly from the above vision and mission of Balay Mindanaw that ICPeace envisions to be recognized and valued as an international center for peace initiatives, a center that develops, promotes and sustains peace works and practices based on the knowledge, lessons and experiences of local people and communities.
Thus, ICPeace is committed to help build capacities of peoples by offering a sustainable learning environment capable of helping transform peoples and communities.
ICPeace conducts peace courses and training activities at the regional and international level, will initiate and pursue Asian exchanges and exposures, conduct researches and studies, policy discussion series and continue peace advocacy. ICPeace endeavors to help sustain the momentum of peace builders, local and international alike, to ensure that peace happens here and now.
With “ICPeace” (as its acronym connotes), Balay Mindanaw will continue to work so that peace can be seen. More and more peace builders are making it happen and will make it happen in this part of the region and in other part of the globe.
Specifically, ICPeace aims at
(1) helping develop capacities of peoples and communities in resolving
conflicts and transforming them positively,
(2) helping create opportunities for learning and strengthen peaceful relationships,
(3) helping provide venues for innovative approaches in seeking peaceful means,
(4) helping develop studies and researches by identifying models of peace building
and conflict transformation based on peace practice, and
(5) helping foster collaboration and sustain the momentum of peacebuilders
working at the local, national and international levels.
Strategic Directions:
Peace Education and Training -
ICPeace develops educational approaches in building peace and conflict transformation and initiates other learning activities which will pursue and support the peace building activities that Balay Mindanaw started 2004. It implements the Comprehensive course on peace building and conflict transformation, otherwise known as the Operation Peace Course, dubbed as OPKORS!
Peace Constituency Building -
The strength of ICPeace lies in the foundation of Balay Mindanaw that is grounded on community-based development and peacebulding work from where unique local knowledge and realities are derived, developed and demonstrated. It draws heavily from the learning experiences of communities of local leaders, government officials, tribal leaders, police, soldiers and paramilitary officers, NGO workers, youth and religious, business and academic institutions. They will all form part of a social movement of peace builders.
Peace Research and Resource Development -
The unique local knowledge and lessons learned will be contextualized into the bigger peace building field through the establishment of the ICPeace thus, greater opportunities for creative & constructive models in peacebuilding and conflict transformation will be developed and promoted.
Peace Internship and Exchange-
A Peace Internship and Exchange Program, facilitated by Balay Mindanaw ICPeace, is envisioned to be a new learning program for young peace workers and advocates. It will allow them to be exposed to various peace work assignments depending on the needs of their respective host peace centers or peace institutes all over the world. It will supplement Balay Mindanaw’s peace education program and the program of the organization of the intern with the emphasis on expanding spaces for new ideas as well as actual experiences on peace and conflict transformation and broadening understanding among various peace organizations.
Peace Center Development-
ICPeace is also an established place and an open space dedicated to the peoples and communities in Mindanao and in the World as they continue to empower themselves and strive to attain equity, development and peace.
As the 2009 Mindanaw Week of Peace opened yesterday, the last batch of soldiers and police attending the peace course for the Eastern Mindanao Command gathered together (a total of 27 participants coming from the 6th and 4th Infantry Divisions and Philippine National Police-Region 10) and joined Balay Mindanaw on the call for greater accountability and justice on the Maguindanao massacre.
