After having been postponed for a week due to the floods and typhoon that suspended classes all over Metro Manila, the VISIONS OF PEACE AMONG RELIGIONS (VPAR) Forum was successfully held on August 22, 2007 by The Peacemakers’ Circle Foundation, Inc, (PCFI) at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Sta. Mesa, Manila.
The Bulwagang Balagtas (Balagtas Hall) of the Ninoy Aquino Learning Resource Center in PUP can comfortably accommodate a crowd of around 600-800. But that day the venue played host to over a thousand college students who attended the VPAR seminar forum which was organized by the National Service Training Program - Civic Welfare Training Service (NSTP-CWTS) Office, under the leadership of their indefatigable coordinating officer, Prof. Avelina C. Bucao.
Gathering a team of interfaith resource speakers, The Peacemakers’ Circle offered a program for the whole afternoon which consisted of interfaith prayers; introduction to the work of PCFI and the United Religions Initiative (URI); orientation to interfaith dialogue and peacebuilding; and presentations on Peace from the different faith traditions. The Peacemakers’ team, headed by its co-founder and VP/OIC Dr. Shakun Vaswani (who also shared on Hinduism), composed of Mr. Sam Salter (who represented Buddhism) from the Universal Wisdom Foundation; Mr. Alireza Kunting (on Islam); Ms. Tomomi Oida-Shima (on Shumei); and assisting staff, Mr. Orlan de Guzman, Jr. (who also shared on Christianity).
Aside from the presentations on peace from the perspective of different faiths, other highlights of the afternoon include film viewing of URI’s DVD clip on "Religiously Motivated Violence", and the 40-minute documentary, “In the Light of the Crescent Moon” which featured PCFI’s work on Muslim-Christian relationship-building in grassroots Metro Manila. An open forum followed the presentations.
It was an overwhelming experience for both the speakers and the audience. For the young audience it was an enlightening eye-opener to interfaith dialogue, shared moral values and ethical standards of the major religions, and the common vision of peace and harmony in the world. By far the largest crowd addressed to by the PCFI team, it was a great privilege for the speakers as well as a welcome challenge to share in a limited time to as many young people their messages of hope, peace and oneness amidst these critical times.
With deep gratitude and appreciation The Peacemakers’ Circle congratulates Prof. Bucao and her CWTS staff, as well as the VP for Academic Affairs, Dr. Sam Salvador (whom they have also personally met), for successfully hosting the event.
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