The 3rd World March for Peace and Nonviolence began in San Jose, Costa Rica on October 2, 2024, the International Day of Nonviolence, fifteen years after the 1st World March. Now traveling across the five continents, the World March base team representative, Wilfredo Alfsen entered the Philippines, and together with local advocates, came together to sound a call for peace, an urgent call, given the wars and armed conflicts still ongoing in the world today, not to mention all the forms of violence we see around us every day.
After visiting two cities–Malolos, and Baguio City, the World March entered the town of Sagada on October 22, 2024 to once again connect with the local Promoter Team who organized a day of peace and non-violence in this high mountainside town world-famous for its rice terraces* and other fresh produce such as vegetables, herbs, oranges, persimmon, pears and arabica coffee.
The local Promoter Team, aligning with the objectives of the World March, has responded to make the voices of those who want a world without war and violence to be heard and strengthened. In the face of today’s chaos and climate emergencies, the World March for Peace and Nonviolence is an urgent response to make the voices of all those who want a world without wars and violence to be heard and strengthened. And, it is highlighting the various positive actions that individuals, groups, and peoples are already taking in many places to ensure the implementation of human rights and non-discrimination and to promote collaboration, peaceful coexistence and non-aggression.
The World March is giving a voice to the new generations who want to take up the baton and leave their mark, establishing a culture of non-violence in the collective imagination, education, politics and society. In the same way that ecological consciousness has taken place in just a few years, the time has come for nonviolent consciousness.
The 3rd World March in Sagada, Mountain Province as part of the Philippine and the global journey was a day of hope. It brought global, national, and regional representatives together with community-based advocates to amplify voices and positive actions for peace and nonviolence. It offered a platform for community conversations and celebration connecting individuals, groups, and communities for peace and nonviolence. It paid tribute to extraordinary leaders nurturing peace and harmony not only among human communities but also with the natural and spiritual world. It also recalled how the indigenous peoples of Sagada, made their mark in history with their community-led initiatives to become a peace zone in 1989.
Here are the highlights of the 3rd World March for Peace and Nonviolence activities in Sagada.
WALK OF PEACE
This day, dedicated to a world without wars and violence, to a world of peace and harmony, started with a Walk of Peace. As the sun came shining out from the clouds to light the day, WM advocates gathered in front of the Sagada Municipal Hall to start the Walk of Peace through the town. Walking and waving their blue flags, they walked through the streets of Sagada in the early morning light to herald their desire for peace to reign in their town, in the cities, on earth.
The walk from the municipal hall was led by the high school students and the school principals followed by local government and community members then the security forces that included members of the 54th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, the Municipal and Provincial Bureau of Fire Protection, the Sagada Municipal Police Station and the Bureau of Jail Management.
Human Peace Symbol and Opening Prayer
Walking to the community court, forming a human symbol came next as peace advocates came together and moved together to form the well-known and well-loved icon. The opening prayer was co-organized and read collectively.
Forum entitled “Nurturing a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence” at the Sagada Municipal Hall
The Forum, graced by speakers from different fields, began with flute music by Dom-an Macagne, a long-time humanist and peacemaker who worked tirelessly to organize this Day of Peace.
Participants were acknowledged, and a welcome was made by a representative of Sagada Mayor Felicito Dula while opening remarks were made by a representative of the Provincial Governor Bonifacio Lacwasan. Speakers and dignitaries came next to share their thoughts and experiences on this vital theme.
The forum started with Kazane Windy Gancayco who led a short meditation and movements to open the heart.
Arlene Sagayo, Director of Research – Department of Agriculture -Cordillera Administrative Region, was present and was sent by the Regional Executive Director. She also brought fruit tree seedlings from the agency for tree planting. She sang “Let there be peace on earth” joining everyone to sing with her. Aida Pagtan, also of the Department of Agriculture – CAR – Administrative Officer and Gender sensitivity advocate—also joined the assembly.
Carmen Cabling , an organic farmer from Quezon Province, spoke of the violence in food production and how it impacts the body and mind. It was a sharing that opened the minds of students who realized how important food is for health and well-being.
Mamerto Tindongan of the Center for Ifugao Living Culture talked about the importance of healing with the ancestors and the land due to ancestral and intergenerational trauma. And, Jo Kapuno is organizing the gong festival to bring together students of different Cordillera tribes in Baguio City to play the gong for peace and understanding while nurturing cultural identity.
Genevieve Balance Kupang, Dean of the Graduate School of Baguio Central University, shared her experience in the field of education for peace, complete with indigenous chanting and greetings of the northern tribes.
After the sharing of the local speakers, Wilfredo Alfsen, WM team representative from Chile, came forward to round off the discussion as to why peace and non-violence are crucial and urgent in this time and space, and in all corners of the world. Even little efforts on everyone’s part can help pave the way to the kind of world we desire for our loved ones and our communities.
To vividly express deep aspirations, collaborative mural-making by 18 students from 6 secondary schools was facilitated by Rochelle Bakisan and Julius Lumiqued, both members of the Baguio Pasa-kalye Artists composed of multitalented artists lending their creative talents to promote peace and well-being in Baguio city and various schools and communities in the Cordillera. The students were asked to put in images how they imagine inner peace and nonviolence to be. The mural will be displayed for public viewing at the church and municipal hall.
Film-Showing of Award-winning Film “Dad-Aan Na”
The day ended with a showing of an award-winning film by independent film-maker, Julius Legden Lumiqued, entitled DAD-AAN-NA (HER WALK), the story of an Igorot elderly woman who, while cooking lunch, suddenly hears distant explosions that triggered her to go out of her home. The film-maker “aimed to give light to the emotional turmoil of mothers whose sons and daughters are on the frontlines of armed conflicts, whether of the government or the rebels, to an unnecessary war where only families are at loss in the death of a loved one. It will also give light to the diaspora of people from the far-flung areas, many due to the continuing struggle to improve the lives in the countryside affected by insurgency,” Lumiqued said.
The World March for Peace and Non-violence in Sagada continues. The Tree Planting will be done in the near future, led by the local church council within the St Mary the Virgin Compound that has offered a site as a peace tree grove.
Continuing dialogues with the Municipal Council will be held towards the signing of the manifesto and local legislation for the town to be a town of peace and nonviolence. And, the Concert for Peace and Mother Earth will be done in December, rescheduled because a teacher died recently, and no loud sounds are allowed out of respect to family in grief.
The 3rd World March for Peace and Non-violence in Sagada serves as an inspiration, heralding that the kind of world everyone deserves can indeed become a reality not just for ourselves, but for our children and grandchildren.
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References
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/baguio/lifestyle/dad-aan-na-her-walks-wins-big-in-cinemarya
*Rice terraces near Sagada, Mountain Province, Philippines by Bernard Gagnon. Wikimedia Commons
Acknowledgements:
Dom-an Macagne, co-founder of Kasiyana Peace and Healing Initiatives for organizing the local Promoter Team. And, for organizing the WM team and activities to welcome the World March Team in Sagada, Philippines.
Sagada Municipal Local Government Unit and Provincial Local Government of Mountain Province for providing the venue and meals for the event.
Sulong Peace, Inc. and Department of Agriculture- Cordillera Administrative Region for sponsoring various seedlings for tree planting for Peace, Resilience and Healing.
Ang Komyunidad for providing t-shirts and mugs sold to support the WM.
Baguio Pasa-kalye Artists for the art workshop materials and facilitation.
Edna Tabanda for providing indigenous women’s elder’s support to the local Promoter Team.
Church of the Saint Mary the Virgin for the venue and facilities used for various WM facilities.
The district Supervisor and Heads of all the six secondary schools of Sagada for their assistance and help.
Br. Marc Castaneda and Br. Daniel Longatan for their support and generous contributions.
Rock Inn for providing accommodations—a comfortable place to stay and provisions—for the WM team.
Erwin Escalada for providing the photos.